2 tips for homeowners who are planning to have their patios repaved
If your patio is in need of some renovation and you have decided to have a contractor repave it, here are a few tips to keep in mind.
1. Protect your existing patio accessories
If you have several patio accessories (such as an awning, benches, an in-built barbecue, etc), then it's important to take steps to protect these items throughout the course of the repaving process.
The reason for this is as follows; repaving a patio will result in a lot of soil and stone dust being flung into the air. If you haven't made an effort to shield your patio accessories from this dirt, it may land on them, in which case you may then have to spend several hours cleaning up this mess after the patio renovation work is finished.
Additionally, the repaving process may also involve the use of wet concrete; if this splatters onto your barbecue equipment or awning, and dries before you wipe it off, it may ruin these items. Finally, the repaving work will involve the use of power tools, which could potentially scratch or break fragile items (such as any glass patio furniture) if they are accidentally dropped or knocked over.
As such, it's important to do your best to keep your patio accessories safe. Any non-fixed items (such as chairs and tables) should be moved out of the patio area. Immovable fixtures (such as an integrated cooking grille or an awning) should be covered in thick plastic sheeting to minimise the risk of them getting dirty or damaged.
2. Be careful when handling and storing the old paving materials
Your contractor will, of course, need to pull up the old paving materials in order to repave the patio. After they have done this, you will be left with a large pile of shattered shards of stones. Ideally, you should arrange for these old materials to be disposed of or recycled as soon as possible (you can either bring them to your local landfill or donate or sell them to a salvage yard, depending on what kind of condition they are in).
If it will take a few days or weeks for you to do this, then you should be extremely careful about how you handle and store these materials, as you, your pets or your children could end up standing on these sharp-edged, broken pieces of paving and sustaining a serious wound. Use thick rubber gloves to pick up the shards (to minimise the risk of your hands being cut) and place them in a large, lockable container or shed until you have time to properly dispose of them.