VANCOUVER, BC, January 07, 2015 /24-7PressRelease/ -- You had hired a professional landscaping company (like West Coast Modernscape) in the Fall to have them perform an overhaul on your outdoor living space. Now that the work is complete, does this mean you should just sit back? Yes and no. Although we would obviously encourage you to enjoy your new outdoor landscaping as much as possible, you do need to be aware of certain upkeep that may be required. Providing basic upkeep will give you years of enjoyment and extend the longevity of your investment.

All landscaping, including simple projects like a concrete driveway require basic up-keep. In Vancouver, Concrete driveways are susceptible to a lot of precipitation over the winter months. Where you reside will also make a difference on whether you are susceptible to green / brown algae.

Spring will be soon upon us and West Coast Modernscape, Vancouver Landscapers, have provided a small list of some basic maintenance tips.

"Typically, depending on what kind of year we've had weather wise, will provide indication on the timing and frequency of maintenance," said Ray Evenson, owner and operator of West Coast Modernscape, a landscaping business in the Vancouver area. "If the fall and winter months have been extremely moist, we recommend a maintenance in February (whether permitting) and another toward the end of June. If fall and winter have been fairly dry, a single maintenance around early April can sometimes carry you through the year," continued Evenson.

For owners of fountains and ponds, if the weather is warm in February, home owners may consider taking advantage of the good weather early and perform a pond clean out. Typically this involves removing all water from the pond via a syphon or bucket, then scraping out all of the debris which the pond accumulated over the Fall & Winter months. Normally, there is an odor (swamp type gas) associated because of the ongoing rot of biodegradable materials like leaves, grass etc. Although ozonisers are helpful and pills that can be dropped in to keep the water clean, ultimately they do not physically remove this debris.

For other landscaping areas like concrete driveways, wood decks & patios or granite we recommend a pressure washer. If you do use a pressure washer, one must be cognizant to go with the grain on wood and be careful not to use too much pressure. Always test in a hidden spot before doing your entire deck. As a word of caution, a pressure washer will remove paint which is why we always recommend consulting your manual before using it to ensure you do not damage your landscaping.

Maintenance for fire tables is fairly straight forward advises Evenson. "Typically, if a fire table is exposed, we would recommend covering it for the off season with a tarp or cover until it is used. In the spring time, when you remove the cover, ensure that all access areas (control areas) are dusted and free of any debris which may have accumulated over the Fall / Winter months when not in use. Other than that, as stated in a separate article (http://www.westcoastmodernscape.com/news/2014/12/19/vancouver-landsca ... -cert.html), fire tables are pretty low maintenance."

If your landscaping includes an aggregate or concrete driveway, West Coast Modernscape recommends a light cleaning in the spring and another one in the Fall. The Fall cleaning may be followed by a sealer with a shark bite type component to retain grit for traction when wet. Otherwise, using a sealer can become a hazard with kids when wet.

About West Coast Modernscape Landscaping
West Coast Modernscape (www.WestCoastModernScape.com), a landscaping company in Vancouver has been catering to homes and business owners in the lower mainland for over 3 decades. Specializing in all aspects of landscaping including decks, patios, concrete driveways and paving stones we create an outdoor living space that reflects your more casual side. As an award winning custom mason with over 30 years of landscaping experience, the team specializes in creating residential and commercial outdoor living spaces that incorporate first class, cutting edge materials and workmanship into every landscaping project.

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