Do you have decorative stone in your home’s landscape design? These rocks can be used to improve the overall look of your home for years to come, especially if you know how to take care of them. As the temperatures drop in the Carolina’s and Georgia, some extra preparation can stretch this great value even more.
1. Fix any cracks
When you have decorative stones on your walkways, patios, driveways, or any other parts of your property, you may have some cracks on these stones that appear overtime. It is a good idea for you to fix the cracks on these stones or address them as soon as possible before they spread. You can use a pointed trowel for filling the cracks with a vinyl concrete patch. The patch should have a similar color as the stone. The patch is going to dry in about 24 hours. At the end of the process, you can use medium-grit sandpaper for blending the patch with the surrounding stones.
2. Setting up stones in the ground
Before winter is coming, you should prepare everything including setting stones in the ground. You should manage the position of the stones now while the ground is more malleable, so they don’t move around when you use a snowplow to remove snow from your driveway. You can consult with your designers, so they can help you manage the position of the stones without reducing the beauty of these rocks on your property.
3. Fill any gaps in the joints
When you find any gaps between the decorative stones, you should fill them immediately. These gaps are going to accumulate water during the winter season. Ice will be dangerous for your stones because it will cause some damages to the edges of your stones and could even cause cracks. There are some materials that can be used to fill these gaps in the joints, for example, poly sand or cement. Both materials are available in the local stores or some home improvement stores around you.
4. Buy de-icing agents that are safe for the stone
You can find a lot of de-icing agents that are available on the market today, this doesn’t mean that all de-icing agents are good for landscaping rocks. You should avoid using rock salt for deicing the ice blocks. Salt has the ability to cause a lot of damages to the decorative stones you have on your property. One of the most popular ingredients to be used as a de-icing agent is magnesium chloride. This ingredient is safe for the paving stones and also the environment.
5. Plan the drainage system around your stones
A large quantity of water around these stones will make them settle unevenly. In some cases, the water may cause damages to the stones. It is recommended for you to select the best pipe that is made from durable materials. This type of pipe is suitable for you who want to reroute the water, so it can drain well. A good drainage system can be very helpful, especially if you want to take care of your decorative stones on your property.
Reach out to Carolina Stone Supply Today
Maintaining the quality of your decorative stones can get tricky. All of those steps above should be followed carefully, so you will be able to use your decorative stones for a long time. If you don’t take these precautions, you may need to replace your stone on a more regular basis which can run up cost.
If you have any direct questions on how to maintain stone bought from Carolina Stone Supply reach out today and one of our staff members will be sure to point you in the right direction.