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Spring Cleaning Tips from Vancouver Landscapers, www.WestCoastModernscape.com.

 January 31, 2017 at 5:08 pm   |     Author:   |     Posted in Landscaping Tips & Tricks  

Back in the Summer / Fall, you brought in a professional landscaping company (like Vancouver Landscapers, West Coast Modernscape) too turn your yard into an extension of your living space. As time went on and seasons changed, you noticed that the shiny penny they left you with isn’t quite as shiny any more. The elements of the Vancouver weather begin to take their toll and there is only one thing that you can do to bring that polished look back. Time for some Spring cleaning.

It doesn’t matter whether you are talking about a concrete driveway, a new retaining wall, a new patio or deck, if it is outside, chances are it is going to require some upkeep and attention come the spring. This is the nature of being exposed to the elements.  Winters in the Vancouver area tend to bring a lot of precipitation.  Combine this with less available sunlight and shorter days and you have a perfect recipe for moss, algae and other dislikes to your polished landscaping.

With Spring soon upon us, we, at West Coast Modernscape, Vancouver Landscapers have assembled a few basic tips to help you maintain and enjoy your new landscaping.

Typically, if the weather has been an off season providing much rainfall, one would probably want to do maintenance around the end of February with potentially another light cleaning toward end of June.  If fall and winter have been fairly dry overall, you will only require a single maintenance around the April/May timeframe.  This may even carry you through the year.

For homeowners that have taken to a water feature such as a waterfall or pond, February (on a dry warm day) may be a good time to take advantage of decent weather for a clean out.  Over the winter months, with fall dropping leaves and tree needles, this debris can start to build up and rot.  Clearing out the rot will ensure your pond or fountain run clear and without any unpleasant odours.  We recommend using a bucket or a syphon to drain the water first, then scoop out any debris.  Just be sure not to damage the membrane if you are using a metal shovel!  Although ionizers and pills are available to keep a pond or water feature clean, they can never physically remove the debris.

Concrete driveways in Vancouver, with the moisture the weather brings, can ‘stain’ the concrete because of fallen leaves. Particularly if you live in North or West Vancouver, concrete driveways can be susceptible to more moss & algae.  This also holds true with wood decks, patios and yes, granite retaining walls.  Not to fear, nothing that a power washer can’t take care of pretty easily.   Make sure that if you are using a pressure washer on wood that you go with the grain and always try a sample spot first.  Although temping to get close, keep your distance with wood and use even panning and strokes or you may develop harsh lines.   Be mindful of any cracks if you are going to use a pressure washer on your concrete driveway.  The pressure may further chip or split the concrete.  Again, test on a sample area first.  If you are using a pressure washer, we always recommend consulting with your manual before any cleaning.

Fire tables and maintenance are pretty basic.  For the most part, exposed tables should be covered in the off season. This will ensure limited exposure to dust and debris in the off season.  In spring, when you remove the cover, make sure that any access areas have been dusted and free of any debris. For the most part, they are pretty low maintenance.  For more info, check out this link here (http://www.westcoastmodernscape.com/news/2014/12/19/vancouver-landsca … -cert.html)

Do you have an aggregate concrete driveway as a part of your landscaping?  West Coast Modernscape recommends a light cleaning in the spring (to remove any algae, moss etc.) with another one in the fall.  We recommend after the fall cleaning be followed up with a sealer containing a shark bite type component to retain grit for traction when wet. Otherwise, your driveway may become a hazard when wet.

By keeping up with your maintenance, you will be sure to increase the longevity of your landscaping and materials ensuring a lifetime of enjoyment.

See our latest press release talking about the benefits keeping up your landscaping here:

http://www.24-7pressrelease.com/press-release/vancouver-landscaping-company-west-coast-modernscape-wwwwestcoastmodernscapecom-advises-on-maintenance-for-your-landscaping-399606.php

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