Pathway and Hard Surface Maintenance

How do I maintain hard surfaces and what type of equipment should I be looking at?

What is a hard surface?

In groundcare and landscape terms this usually means concrete or tarmac pathways, carparks and roads. This can also mean ornamental stone areas and block paving.

Why should I maintain these areas?

These areas are often neglected or carry less priority than other areas such as grass cutting for example. However, without the proper maintenance these areas can quickly fall into a state of disrepair. These areas can suffer from weed ingress, grass creep on pathways, moss establishment and debris accumulation from dirt, dust which can then act as a litter hive.

When should I maintain these areas?

It really is site specific but there are general ideas you can follow. These areas, as mentioned before are usually addressed in the winter months after other priority areas have been taken care of. However, These areas should ideally be attended to on a quarterly basis to make sure a certain level of presentation and safety is met.

How to maintain these areas?

There are two main areas to discuss, Pathway/edge reinstatement and surface management.

Pathway/Edge Reinstatement

Use the Eliet KS 300 HD Pro to edge the pathway back to the original edge. Set the blade down to a couple of mm above the ground with the engine off. Take a note of this when lowering when the engine is on. Cut your edge.

Use the Eliet BL360  Blower to blow the removed material back over the top of the edged area for a clean finish.

Surface Management

If you are using the heads for moss removal and/or weed ingress then you can then use the sweeper or blower (use eliet) to help row up the debris.

Sometimes the sweeping head comes with a collection box and gully brush which makes the whole task even easier (Koppl – https://www.koeppl.com/en/products/einwalzenkehrmaschine)

What to consider?

One machine that can do all the tasks with different changeable heads Koppl Compact Comfort. It really does depend upon the size of your team, budget, contract and area to maintain.

Do not discount the one machine for all tasks (example Koppl Compact Comfort) as other tasks can also be carried out such as mowing, flailing, chipping, gritting, spraying and many more. These machines have been carefully and specifically designed for all the tasks. The initial price reflects this but when compared to the price of all the individual machines and total service costs then these machines are well worth your time and consideration.

Read more on the PSD Blog: Chemical Free Weed Removal