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How to Care for Natural Stone Patios and Pool Decks in Arizona: A Desert Designer's Guide
Updated: Sep 10
I have installed a lot of travertine and natural stone over the years, on pool decks, patios, walkways, media walls, outdoor kitchens, you name it. It is one of my favorite materials to work with because nothing else gives you that timeless, high end look while still staying cool enough to walk on. But I will be honest with you, natural stone is not an install-it and forget-it material. It needs some care and regular maintenance to stay looking nice year after year.
I learned this myself the hard way. When we first moved into our home over twenty years ago, I was very excited to put my design skills to work. We installed travertine tiles inside and stacked stone on my fireplace and bbq outside. I put slate pavers in the front courtyard and had granite countertops installed in our kitchen. That's a lot of natural stone products to take care of!
Sadly, what I noticed over the years was that some of our stone products began chipping and cracking a lot more noticeably than others. Natural stone requires care and even I was a little suprised at some of the important maintenance steps that I had been neglecting. Luckily, we used a wonderful restoration company, Beyond Stone Solutions to come repair our cracks but that got me thinking about my own clients' homes.
And that is why I am writing this guide. Stone care is a specialty all its own, and while we do install a lot of it, it's up to our homeowners to care for it long-term. After years of dependable usage when repairs or restoration do make sense, it is really best left to the people who do that work every single day.
So consider this your starting point. I want to walk through the basics of keeping your natural stone looking good, what tends to go wrong with it in our hot, desert climate, and when it makes sense to handle something yourself versus call in a specialist.
Why Natural Stone Patio Care Matters in Arizona
Our climate throws a few specific challenges at stone that you do not deal with as much in other parts of the country. The sun is brutal, so stone left unsealed can dry out and become more porous over time. Monsoon season brings sudden heavy rain onto surfaces that have been baking dry for months, which is when you tend to see water spotting and mineral deposits show up. And because so many of our patios surround pools, stone here is also dealing with chlorine and pool chemical splash on top of everything else.
None of that means stone is a bad choice here. It just means it needs a little more attention than it might somewhere with a milder climate.
David's Two Cents: The single biggest mistake I see homeowners make with stone is treating it like concrete. It is not. Concrete can take a beating and mostly not care. Natural stone is porous, and what soaks into it can stain it, and what sits on top of it in the sun long enough can etch it. Treat it more like you would a nice piece of furniture and you will get decades out of it.
Sealing Your Natural Stone Is Non-Negotiable
If there is one thing I want every reader to walk away with, it is this. Seal your stone, and reseal it on a schedule. A good penetrating sealer does not sit on the surface like a coating, it soaks in and protects the stone from within, keeping oils, dirt, and moisture from getting absorbed in the first place.
How often you need to reseal depends on the stone type, how porous it is, and how much traffic and sun exposure it gets. As a general rule of thumb, most exterior travertine and flagstone in Arizona benefits from resealing every one to three years. A stone professional can test your existing seal with a simple water drop test and tell you exactly where you stand.
Everyday Maintenance for Your Natural Stone Surfaces
The good news is that day to day care of natural stone is pretty simple once you understand how.
Sweep or blow off loose dirt and debris regularly so it does not get ground into the surface underfoot
Rinse the patio or walkway down periodically, especially after monsoon storms, to keep mineral deposits from building up
Use a pH neutral stone cleaner like Zep Neutral PH Industrial Floor Cleaner, or Black Diamond Limestone and Travertine Wash, never a generic all purpose cleaner or anything with acid in it
Wipe up spills, especially anything acidic like citrus, wine, or pool chemicals, sooner rather than later
Never use harsh chemicals or steel wool pads as they can discolor, scratch or
damage the stone.
Consider using a BBQ mat under your grill to protect natural stone pavers from grease stains, spills, and burns. Natural stone absorbs oils easily, leading to permanent discoloration. Choose the mat properly to avoid stone damage.
Avoid pressure washing on a high setting, since it can wear down sealant and stone finishes over time, and damage the compacted polymeric sand between joints
I want to spend a little extra time on pressure washing because I have seen it go wrong firsthand. A few years back we installed a large travertine patio for some clients who loved the look of it. Monsoon season rolled around and they were not thrilled with all the dirt and residue the wind kicked up onto the surface, so they decided to power wash it themselves. Despite our warnings not to, they went to work on the paver seams, and afterward were upset to find that the sand between the pavers had blown out and some of the pavers were even chipped by the high pressure water.
Here is the part most homeowners do not realize. Unlike indoor porcelain tile which is grouted between joints, stone manufacturers typically recommend leaving outdoor stone pavers ungrouted. The extreme temperature fluctuations can cause the earth to expand and contract which will eventually cause grouted joints to crack. Instead, a special compacted polymeric sand goes in between the joints to lock the pavers in place while still letting them handle the natural expansion and movement that comes with our climate.
Power wash that sand out and the pavers can start to shift. What's more, natural stone is pourous and can crack easily when subjected to too much pressure.
Those clients felt pretty bad once they realized what had happened, and we ended up coming back out to refill the joints and reseal the whole patio. It was an easy enough fix, but it was also completely avoidable. If you want your travertine looking clean after a monsoon, a garden hose and a soft bristle broom will do the job without touching that joint sand.
What Can Go Wrong and What to Look Out For
Even with good care, stone can still develop problems over the years. A few of the most common ones I see on patios and pool decks:
Etching shows up as a dull, light colored spot, usually from something acidic sitting on the stone. It is more of a concern on marble and limestone than on the travertine and granite most Arizona patios use, but it can still happen.
Staining happens when something soaks into the stone before it gets cleaned up, oils and rust being two of the more stubborn culprits around pool decks and outdoor kitchens. Take precautions if you know this might be a conern for you.
Efflorescence is a white, powdery residue that shows up on newer installations or stone that has taken on a lot of water. It usually works itself out over time as the stone dries.
I get into the specifics of tackling stains and diagnosing these issues yourself in the next guide in this series, so keep an eye out for that if you are dealing with something specific right now.
When to DIY and When to Call a Pro
Light surface cleaning, resealing a small area, or buffing out a very minor etch mark are all things a motivated homeowner can handle. Deeper stains, larger areas of etching, efflorescence that will not quit, cracked or chipped stone, or grinding down uneven tiles are a different story. Those jobs need the right equipment and, honestly, the right experience to not make things worse.
This is where I will point you toward a company like Beyond Stone Solutions. Beyond workmanship repairs covered under our warranties on newly installed stone surfaces, we do not offer stone restoration services ourselves. It is genuinely a different trade with its own specialized tools and training. We have used Beyond Stone Solutions personally and have referred several of our own clients to them over the years for exactly this kind of work. If your stone needs more than routine care, they are who I would call.
Bringing It All Together
Natural stone is one of the best investments you can make in an Arizona backyard, but it does ask for a little ongoing attention in return. Seal it, clean it with the right products, wipe up spills before they set, and know when a problem is beyond a weekend DIY fix. Do that and your patio, outdoor kitchen, or walkways will hold up beautifully for decades.
If you are still in the planning stages and thinking through patio or pool deck materials for a new project, our patio and paver installation page is a good place to start, and our landscape design style guide can help you figure out which stone finish actually fits your home. If you're ready to take the next steps and talk to a professional about how natural stone could work for your outdoor spaces, we'd love to chat. Simply click the link below to set up a free consultation.
Frequently Asked Questions
How often should I seal my travertine patio in Arizona? Most exterior travertine here benefits from resealing every one to three years, depending on sun exposure and foot traffic. A simple water drop test can tell you if your seal is still doing its job.
Can I use a regular cleaner on my natural stone patio? No, stick to a pH neutral cleaner made for natural stone. Acidic or harsh all purpose cleaners can etch or dull the surface over time.
Is travertine a good choice for a pool deck in Arizona? Yes, it is one of the most popular choices we install specifically because it stays cooler underfoot than concrete or tile in our summer heat, and it holds up well with proper sealing and care.
What is the difference between honing and polishing? Honing removes minor scratches and wear and leaves a matte finish, while polishing gives the stone a glossy sheen. Both are professional services, not something to attempt yourself.
Do I need to reseal grout too? Yes, grout is even more porous than most stone and benefits from its own sealing schedule to resist staining and mildew.
