Sweeping ideas please?

Coblover63

Coblover63

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My "yard" is a former RAF rifle range and thus the terrain isn't very helpful for people with horses - being crazy paving. Unfortunately some years back the area was taken over by gypsies for a while who lifted a few of the stones so that their terriers could go ratting and consequently is isn't flat any more either. My husband says it isn't just a case of having some concrete delivered over the top and he does have plans to hopefully refit some of the more uneven stones and dig out the soil and replace with mortar but this is a time-consuming task, obviously and in the meantime it takes me AGES to sweep every day, especially as we are now into shedding time of year and leaving me with a burning pain in my shoulders as well. However, it does look SO much better when it has been swept (my husband did the honours for this pic) rather than having straw, hay and hair laying in between all the stones....

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I'm contemplating investing in a leaf blower but I'm also asking for broom suggestions.... I currently use a small natural bristle broom which I can get in the nooks and crannies but I'm wondering whether a corn broom or besom might be a better choice. Any suggestions would be much appreciated for my yard neatness OCD!!!
 
I pinch my neighbour's corn broom as it gets into nooks and crannies very easily. Then I sweep into a pile and push that lot with my 2ft wide yard broom that I got from Aldi.
 
Having worked on a cobbled yard, I feel your pain!

Leaf blower is probably your best bet and I *think* you can buy one that sucks into a bag as well as blowing.

Other than that a corn broom, but they don't much like getting wet!
 
I was going to suggest a leaf blower before I saw your last para ! Failing that an industrial hoover ! Looks lovely in your pic but would drive me bananas trying to keep it clean
 
I would get so much pleasure from jet washing that every day, but of course that does depend on you having enough water pressure and a decent run off area where it wont lay wet. failing that I think a leaf blower that sucks rather than blows is your best bet. A small broom would do better than a big one, but only after its been jet washed :)
 
I can't recommend a good broom but can say a power blower is well worth buying.
I use one and it makes the yard look so nice!
It even works when the yard is wet and blows the mud etc away.
I think it would work well with you crazy paving.
 
I rate my gorilla yard broom. Light with large wide head & there's a good amount of flick in the bristles to get a good sweep without too much effort. Has lasted ages despite being borrowed by everyone
 
Another vote for a corn broom, couldn't be without mine, it's great for all the nooks and crannies - they seem to last ages too.
I don't envy you having to sweep that!
 
Thanks all.... forgot to say that I tend to sweep everything straight across onto the "mud"- effectively from left to right in that pic- then go along the soil with my large plastic leaf rake and collect everthing up into one pile, which then gets picked up by my poo-picking rake and scoop and barrowed to the muck heap.
 
Definitely get a corn broom. I posted a couple of weeks ago asking for reviews as I was thinking of trying one and did buy one. It's brilliant! :D

I got this one as a starter broom http://http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/252093419483 it's lightweight and has cut down my sweeping time by about 15 minutes.

A blower sounds a great idea too. Maybe you should look for one of those mini ride on sweepers they have in shopping centres etc :D

ETA - lovely looking yard. I can easily imagine sitting there with a bottle of cold cider after a late summer evening sweeping session.
 
Just wanted to update this and thank you for the recommendations. I tootled off to our little town market the Saturday after I posted this, on the search for a corn broom (cheaper start than a leaf blower!!) although I was a little apprehensive about using it in the dry only. Well.... blow me down.... if I didn't stumble across a PLASTIC "corn" broom......

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Best of both worlds!!! Can use it in wet and damp weather!! And only a fiver!! Am delighted with it - love the way you can flick stuff lightly..... I use it every day and it has definitely reduced the time it takes to sweep the yard!!
 
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