keeping it all working

Looking after your marshalls paving

Initial maintenance

During the very early life of flexibly laid pavements, the joints between the units will be relatively porous. The ingress of water can consolidate jointing sand, and it is important that the joints are regularly ‘topped up’ to replace the sand consolidated by rainwater or removed by other factors. The joints will soon become semi-impervious as the build up of surface detritus seals the joints. Until this has occurred the paving should only be brushed by hand. High pressure hoses or power washers in particular should not be used as there is a real risk of further loss of jointing sand.

Winter maintenance

Normal de-icing salts can be applied to most of Marshalls concrete, clay and natural stone products without risk of damage to the paving. Once the pavement has dried out after any thaw, the paving may be temporarily discoloured by the salt material, as for any paved area. Normal weathering should soon remove such discolouration. Note: De-icing salts must not be used on Marshalls’ wet cast concrete products such as Heritage, Chancery, Firenza, Woodstone or Fired Stone.

General dirt and detritus

To remove general dirt and detritus regular brushing is recommended. If detritus reduces the intensity of the colour of the material then this can be re-established by scrubbing with a mild detergent, eg washing up liquid, and hot water. Ensure all the detergent has been thoroughly washed from the surface on completion of the cleaning and the resulting run-off is carefully channelled to either drainage points or containers where it can be safely disposed of.

Moss, lichens and algae

Moss, lichen and algae can be prevalent on hard surfacing where the area is heavily shaded, is under trees or is not laid to an adequate fall. If such growths do occur and are considered undesirable, then the area should be treated with a proprietary weed or moss killer used in accordance with the manufacturers’ instructions. Such products take some days to be effective and are most effective when applied during a spell of dry weather. The washes work best if any thick growths are scraped off first and the wash is well brushed in. Some treatments leave a residue to discourage the regrowth of the moss and algae but this will be of only limited value if the surrounding conditions leave the paving damp and in shade. Note: Products containing ferrous sulphate can react chemically with the concrete products, resulting in a brown stain to the surface. Please check with the manufacturers of the weed or moss treatment for further advice on this matter.

Here at Constructive we can take care of your maintenance for you, please view our related webpages for further details on our specific maintenance options. Click here to view our paving cleaning page

 

 

Health & Safety
Certain cleaning methods described involve the use of chemicals. It is important that any safety warnings issued by the chemical suppliers are carefully read and strictly adhered to at all times. In general, the following precautions should be taken:- When using chemicals, protective clothing such as gloves, goggles, boots and overalls should be worn. Adequate ventilation is required when using chemicals in confined spaces. When diluting acids, ALWAYS add acid to water and not water to acid. Any clothing that is contaminated with chemicals should be disposed of safely. When using any chemicals, care must be taken not to damage, contaminate or stain adjoining materials, landscaping or finishes. Before undertaking any cleaning operation a trial should be carried out on a small, preferably inconspicuous area, to determine the effect of the chemicals before treating a large area.