Fallen leaves are great when they’re on a lawn because you can give them a few passes with a mulching lawn mower. They decompose and give the soil some nutrition. However, when those leaves end up on your yard’s hardscaped surfaces, like patios and benches, the leaves can cause trouble. The hardscaping can become damaged, and its lifespan might become noticeably shorter.

Wet Leaves Are Slippery Leaves

First, a warning: Wet leaves on patios, pathways, and stepping stones can become slippery. If you have leaves littered across your deck or any other walking surface, and if the leaves become wet, they increase your risk of falling. Not only is that bad for your safety, but it can also damage the hardscaping. You can dislodge stepping stones as you trip and fall. If you were carrying anything heavy and then dropped the item when you fell, the weight of the item could cause it to leave chips or cracks on a patio or walkway surface.

Leaves Can Trap Moisture and Promote Mold Growth

Even if you’re careful about stepping around the leaves, they can create wet spots that wreak all sorts of havoc. The leaves themselves could become moldy or attract pests; if the surface they’re resting on is made of untreated wood, the wood could start to rot.

If the leaves cover a chip or crack in a paved surface, such as a patio, the trapped moisture could seep into the crack. If you have a frosty night when temperatures dip below freezing, the moisture could freeze and expand. That can make the crack expand, further damaging the hardscaping. If this happens in a patio, for example, where you have one large, poured surface that can’t be patched easily, you could end up having to replace the patio.

Rotting Leaves Can Stain Hardscaping

Wet leaves that start to decompose on hardscaped surfaces can stain those surfaces. You end up with hardscaping that looks dirty and poorly cared for. You may be able to powerwash some surfaces, but others could be permanently stained. For this reason, it’s easier to prevent the staining than to clean it up.

One of the key tasks in fall landscape care is leaf removal, and this is especially important if you have hardscaped areas. If you’re in Chattanooga, TN, and need leaves removed, contact Global Land Solutions. Whether you need just a patio cleared off or an entire yard cleaned up, we can help you keep your hardscaping and landscaping in terrific shape.