Why Sealing Can Protect Your Patio This Winter

With autumn now very much with us, it is getting late in the year to carry out a complete reconstruction of a driveway or a patio. But it is a time when there can be huge benefits in carrying out important maintenance - as well as major problems if you don’t.

The possibility of storms, higher rainfall levels and the effects of freeze-thaw in winter all mean that any flaws in your ratio now may grow and expand over the coming months, making minor damage major and leaving it in a poor state by spring, requiring major work or even a complete relaying.

For this reason, we may be quite busy carrying out patio sealing in Telford over autumn as householders recognise the need to maintain their patios over winter. The sealant will help prevent water seeping in, freezing and widening cracks as it expands, and also prevent the ground below becoming wet and unstable.

The process of sealing a patio involves several important steps. It will need to be dried (and dry weather will be necessary), cleaned and any loose mortar between joints will need to be replaced. Then the sealant will be added on top, keeping the water out and also denying an environment for weeds, moss and lichen to grow. 

In some cases, depending on the stone in the patio and the type of sealant, one coating may be enough. In others, two will be necessary, sometimes as a means of preserving and enhancing the natural colour of the stone.

All this might seem like a bit of an effort, but the results and investment will be worth it. An unsealed patio may be left cracked, discoloured, full of weeds and generally dirty through a lack of maintenance. By contrast, a patio sealed this autumn will come through the winter in far better shape, ensuring it looks great for when spring comes around.