Spring cleaning of paving stones — step-by-step guide

A long Estonian winter leaves its mark on paving: salt stains, moss in the joints, sunken spots and weeds. Timely spring maintenance not only restores the yard's looks, it also extends the life of the stones by years. In this guide we cover when, with what and in what order to do the cleaning.

When should spring maintenance be done?

The optimal time is late April or early May, after night frosts are over and the stone has fully dried. Washing too early gives no result, because new joint sand does not stay between damp stones and a pressure washer can damage the surface of frost-fresh stone.

Stage 1: sweeping and removing coarse debris

Always start with dry sweeping. Going at it with a pressure washer too early just pushes leaves and mud into the joints. Use a stiff broom or a leaf blower to remove leaves, twigs, sand and salt.

Stage 2: removing moss and weeds

Moss loves damp joints and shady corners of the yard. For small amounts, manual scraping and a stiff brush are enough. For heavier growth, a nature-friendly vinegar-water solution (1:5) or a shop-bought paving cleaner does the job.

• Pour the solution into the joints and leave it to work for 15–20 minutes
• Brush with a stiff brush until the moss comes out
• Rinse with plenty of water — acidic solution must not be left on the stone
• Avoid acidic products on limestone-based stones

Stage 3: pressure washing — the right technique

A pressure washer is a powerful tool that can cause more harm than good when used wrongly. Too short a distance or too narrow a nozzle blasts the joint sand out and damages the stone surface.

1. Use a wide fan nozzle (25° or 40°), not a point jet
2. Hold the nozzle 20–30 cm from the stone surface
3. Move the nozzle at a steady pace, do not stay in one place
4. Keep pressure at a maximum of 100–120 bar, no more
5. Always wash in one direction so dirt does not return to clean areas

Stage 4: renewing the joint sand

Joint sand is the 'glue' of paving — it holds the stones in place and keeps water out of the base. Every wash removes some of it, and without renewal the stones start to shift after 2–3 years.

Use clean dry 0–2 mm quartz sand or polymer joint sand (more expensive but lasts longer and prevents weed growth). Spread the sand across the surface, brush it diagonally into the joints and repeat after 2–3 days once it has settled.

Stage 5: protective coating (impregnation)

Impregnation is not mandatory, but it gives 3–5 years of extra protection against oil, water and dirt. It makes particular sense on driveways, where tyres and oil stains cause the most damage, and on light-coloured stones that get dirty quickly.

One proper spring service per year replaces ten repair calls five years from now.

What to avoid?

• Salt in winter — damages joints and stone, use sand or granite grit instead
• Pressure washer aimed sharply across a joint — blasts out all the sand in a minute
• Letting cleaning agent dry on the stone — creates stains that are hard to remove later
• Washing right before rain — the new joint sand gets washed away

When is the job too big?

If your yard is larger than 100 m² or the joints have been hidden under moss for several years, professional washing is usually faster and cheaper than doing it yourself. Our team washes, renews joint sand and impregnates the yard in a single day — with a warranty on the work.