Five Tips for Keeping Unwanted Moss and Vegetation Off Stonework Walls and Patios
A stonework wall or patio can be a beautiful addition to a home, but in some cases, unwanted vegetation or moss grows along these stones. Wondering what you can do to get rid of and prevent this type of growth? Here are a few tips to help you.
1. Think About Prevention Early
Ideally, if you want to avoid growth on a stone patio, you need to think about that during the installation process. To prepare, line the ground with landscaping fabric and then pour a layer of gravel. That helps with drainage, and between the landscaping barrier and the gravel, it's hard for weeds to take hold.
Alternatively, you can also just pour a cement pad and place your stonework into the cement. That creates a hardy seal that is virtually impenetrable.
2. Seal Cracks in Walls
Stonework walls are generally built to withstand weed growth simply because they are upright. However, weeds can still get into the cracks. To prevent that, keep the cracks on your stonework walls clean and filled with cement.
3. Use Weed Killer
Eventually, regardless of how carefully you installed your patio or how clean you keep your stonework walls, a weed may find its way into a crevice. To eliminate it, you can simply pull it out, but to prevent the growth of more weeds, you may want to spray the area with a weed killer. If you don't like to use chemicals, you certainly don't have to, but you will spend more time tending to these areas by hand.
4. Power Wash Mould and Moss
In some cases, it may not be plants that trouble you. Instead, spores may get on your wall and lead to mould, or moss may form. To deal with both of those issues, start by scraping the wall or patio with a putty knife. Then, apply a mixture of half bleach and half water to the wall or patio. That helps kill any lingering spores or moss.
5. Choke Out With Vines
If you can't beat them, join them. If you apply this statement to your stonework walls, it simply means if you can't keep unwanted plants away, consider putting wanted plants on your stonework walls. Vines in particular will cling to the stonework and create a stunning look. Once you have enough vines on the wall, weeds won't be able to squeeze in.
For more ideas, contact a stonework professional.They can help with installation, weed mitigation, repair and more.
