Professional Advice on Maintaining New Driveways, Garden Paving and Fencing Installations in Hindhead
When you have invested good money into making a garden presentable, keeping the individual elements in the best possible practical and visual condition will be high on your list of priorities. You might even be thinking about using a landscaping company to take care of maintenance for you. The most important thing to R&J Garden Landscapes is your understanding of what you can do yourself and what is best left in the hands of a professional service provider.
Money spent on a new driveway or on garden paving, as well as that invested into artificial grass, garden fencing and other installations for your Hindhead property, needs to be protected.
Materials like block paving, natural stone and timber can deteriorate without appropriate care. Having a maintenance plan alleviates issues concerning deterioration and the potential for repair or replacement work. While you don’t necessarily need to manage upkeep personally, it is important to understand what the early signs of deterioration are, what can be done, and who you can call for professional help.
R&J Garden Landscapes is your garden clearance and hard landscaping specialist for Hindhead and the surrounding areas. Please call us for advice, an informal chat and a free, no-obligation quotation.
Answering Your Question on Installation Maintenance
If hardscapes start to look a little dishevelled, the most important thing to know is you have access to an established landscaping company that can help whenever something goes wrong. However, this won’t be an option for everybody. We understand that money might not be available for professional services.
The next best thing to consider is what you can do to maintain installations and prolong their lifespans.
Aftercare advice is given after completing an installation but some of our customers in Hindhead may be in need of a reminder on how to plan out maintenance work and what needs to be done.
Let’s start by answering some of your most frequent maintenance concerns:
How can I protect the investment I have made into my garden?
Inspect the different features in your garden regularly, keep them clean and pay attention to all issues so these can be addressed, either yourself or by making the call to the team at R&J Garden Landscapes.
If needed, we can come out to inspect your property at a convenient time.
How do I know if I’m maintaining something correctly?
Without the right guidance, mistakes can be made. Different materials like block paving and timber, and recent installations like garden paving or a new driveway, will need different maintenance approaches.
Seek professional advice first so any techniques you are using won’t be harmful to the substrate.
How often should maintenance be undertaken?
Seasonal checks of all installations should be made but the maintenance itself depends on the material and its exposure, the installation standard and any guidance specified by the original manufacturer.
If you don’t have information to hand, call our landscaping company and we will do our best to help.
Is it possible I can accidentally damage something?
Yes, and this is why professional help is important. Abrasive tools, harsh chemical treatments, pressure washers and other maintenance equipment need to be used with appropriate levels of care.
Artificial grass, garden fencing and other installations benefit from appropriate maintenance methods.
How do I recognise problems with an installation?
Look for signs of movement, damaged joints, poor drainage around a Hindhead property, components in loose or poor condition, deterioration in the substrate and any major changes in physical appearance.
While a professional assessment is recommended, finding issues becomes easier with experience.
Can I undertake all maintenance work myself?
Some maintenance work is straightforward and involves routine upkeep that most homeowners are able to do, but anything of a specialist nature is better left to the professionals at a landscaping company.
Also, remember your own knowledge about maintenance determines how much you can actually do.
Why haven’t my own efforts at maintenance helped?
Repeatedly trying to cover visible symptoms without establishing the underlying causes will only keep an issue hidden, not resolved. Using the trained eye of a professional to assess a problem is recommended.
We advise a prompt inspection of any installation that you might feel is falling into disrepair.
Could an issue with one installation go on to affect another?
Yes, especially if you have experienced water pooling, there is overgrowth, soil movement is present or a loose fencing panel, say, is causing stress in the posts and impacting other panels adjoined to it.
Before too long, conditions may cause irreplaceable damage and lead to expensive replacement costs.
Simple Maintenance Steps for Homeowners in Hindhead
R&J Garden Landscapes understands that some of the answers to the questions above may not be what you necessarily wanted to hear, but we would rather you didn’t make hasty maintenance decisions and cause a potentially repairable issue to worsen. What is more important is that you fully understand the limits to personal maintenance, and when you should call for the services of a professional team.
But let’s talk about the good news!
There is still plenty of upkeep you can do yourself to keep installations in Hindhead in perfect condition, and you won’t need much more than a good eye, a few basic skills and time to get the work done.
New Driveways
Use a broom suited for the substrate to clear leaves and seasonal debris from your new driveway surface and keep a close eye out for drainage issues, movement in the pavers or damage to the edge restraints. Personal maintenance protects your original investment and keeps it looking in as-new condition.
Always seek professional attention to resolve water pooling, surface movement and unevenness.
Common Issues: Pooled water, stains, settlement, weeds and premature deterioration.
Garden Paving
Remove organic debris regularly with a broom to stop the build-up of algae, moss and lichen. If you plan to use cleaning products on stubborn growth, check for what is suitable in the manufacturer’s guidance. If appropriate care is used, slipping hazards are reduced and the garden paving’s condition is upheld.
If you notice loose slabs or deterioration in the joints, always call in a professional for advice.
Common Issues: Contaminants, stains, slippery surfaces and loose paving slabs.
Block Paving
Unlike continuous surfaces, block paving installations consist of individual pavers and sand-filled joints. An occasional sweep keeps the surface tidy, but it is best not to use a chemical cleaner or high-pressure jet washer because either can leave marks behind and also remove the protective sealant (if applied).
Damage to the edge restraints, failed jointing and settlement issues will require professional attention.
Common Issues: Untidy surface, weed growth, loose pavers and loss of the jointing sand.
Garden Fencing
Check the condition of the panels, posts and fixings. You can further protect fencing from moisture if you keep borders tidied and stop overgrowth from reaching the panels. Pay particular attention near ground level, where moisture is more prominent. Exposure at lower parts of the panels can cause deterioration.
Report any issue found to your landscaping company to stop repairs turning into costlier replacements.
Common Issues: Loose panels, leaning posts, rot, reduced screening and weathering.
Artificial Grass
Some homeowners in Hindhead choose artificial grass as a low-maintenance solution but there is still a little upkeep needed to preserve its condition. Clear away debris, deal with spills or pet waste promptly, brush up the fibres if recommended to do so and only use compatible products for any spot cleaning.
Premium artificial grasses might need scheduled maintenance from a professional based on their type.
Common Issues: Flattened blades, debris, leaves, odours, pet waste and visible wear.
Garden Clearance
Finally, let’s discuss the softscape. Keeping a garden neat and tidy, or undertaking a garden clearance if overgrowth is present, restores access to your installations so you can carry out basic maintenance as it is needed. Keeping overgrowth minimised may also reveal signs of damage that were previously hidden.
For more serious instances of overgrowth, a professional garden clearance service might be better.
Common Issues: Common Issues: Overgrowth, hidden damage, pressure on fences, blocked drains and limited access.
Professional Reassurance from R&J Garden Landscapes
For some homeowners in Hindhead, personal maintenance is something to be enjoyed alongside having a garden. For others, there might not be enough time available, the garden might be too large to maintain or the owner of the property might not be as young as they once were. Even if you are happy with taking care of your maintenance, you may need a professional service if you notice damage or deterioration.
If personal maintenance hasn’t resolved an upkeep issue, we can help with this problem too.
R&J Garden Landscapes can:
- Address leaning posts, repair unstable fencing or perform replacements
- Resolve issues related to drainage defects and standing water issues
- Deal with persistent hard surface staining or surface deterioration
- Repair jointing issues between pavers and stabilise their movement
- Oversee damage, lifted edges or drainage problems with artificial grass
- Undertake large-scale garden clearance to remove hazardous overgrowth
Call us today to arrange a consultation, a survey and an obligation-free quotation.