The best time to prepare your deck for the winter is before the winter season fully starts.

How to Take Care Of Your Deck During Winter

The weather has officially changed! It’s time for soup, sweaters, and preparing to protect your deck during the winter. Let’s face it, decks are an investment whether they were a DIY project or you hired a professional team. With a little bit of preparation you can protect your investment and enjoy it for many years to come.

Deck Prep Before Winter

The best time to prepare your deck for the winter is before the winter season fully starts. Take the time before the seasons fully change to do all of the prep work that will result in less wear and tear on the deck and an easier spring and summer season when you prepare the deck for the nice weather!

Clean It Up

Now is the time to clean your deck thoroughly. Clean off any dirt or debris on the deck that you don’t want to save for the next season. This includes pine needles, branches, leaves, and any other clutter that may be residing on the deck.

Scrub It Down

Once you’ve swept all the dirt away, it’s time to spray the deck down. Scrub the deck to remove any mold or mildew buildup and to make sure that no dirt remains.

Apply Seal

Did you look around your deck in July and think that you should really use sealant? Now is the time! Apply a waterproof sealant to the deck to prevent it from being damaged by any large amount of snowfall. One tip…experts say that you should not seal a pressure treated deck when it gets below 50 degrees, so even more motivation to get rolling before winter fully strikes.

Use A Tarp

Now that your deck has been decluttered and scrubbed and sealed, you have to protect it from the natural elements as much as you can. Take the time to prepare for the snow by covering your deck with a tarp.

Deck Prep During Winter

Time to build a snowman! The snow is falling, and your deck may best be described as…covered! We’ve got the best plan for dealing with your own personal snow playpen.

Grab a Shovel

The good news is, snow won’t ruin your deck. If you followed the advice of sealing your wooden deck before the true snow began to fall, you should be in good shape. If you have a deck made of composite materials, these are considered to be weatherproof and are designed to handle rain and snow. That being said, you can let some snow accumulate on the deck and gradually melt over time. However, if your snow pile is higher than your deck railings, it’s time to start shoveling. It’s also important to grab a shovel to create a safe way to travel and need a way out. Be sure to use a plastic shovel as metal shovels can scrape wood and leave cracks.

Save The Salt For Your Fries

Salt has always been thought of as an excellent method for melting snow. But not when it comes to decks. Salt is composed of many jagged edges that in time can cause scratches on the surface of the wood. In addition there is a chloride component that absorbs moisture from the wood resulting in leaving the wood dry and without the ability to naturally contract and expand causing natural corrosion to occur sooner.

Where Did My Plants Go?

Did the shrubs surrounding your deck disappear? Don’t worry. Snow insulates plant material and therefore does not cause actual tissue damage to the plant. In fact, under a consistent snow cover, plants and trees actually have the ability to grow new roots that are being stored under energy reserves.

Deck Prep After Winter

The snow has melted, and it’s time to roll out that grill! But first, it’s time to prepare your deck for the warmer weather.

Start Scrubbing

After the snow, it’s time to clean the deck! Use a stiff bristle brush and remove any dirt or stains that were left from the winter season. Thoroughly wash the deck.

Stain the Deck

Remember sealing the deck? Now it’s time to stain the deck. After the deck has completely dried from the scrubbing that needs to occur, you can apply an additional protective layer with a stain that will not only freshen the deck from the winter season but protect the deck during the heat.

Enjoy!

Once the stain is dry, you can uncover the patio furniture, roll out the grill and start hanging those outdoor string lights. Warm weather and summer nights are waiting!

Need More Winter Tips For Your Yard?

Finding a decking expert you trust can be difficult, but with Big Rock Landscaping you get unparalleled experience, expert design skills, quality craftsmanship, and landscape advice that will turn your outdoor space into the ultimate oasis.

Whatever your vision, the team at Big Rock Landscaping has artistic tools, professional resources, and design expertise as well as installation and maintenance services in both commercial and residential areas along the Wasatch Front. Their professional and artistic eyes and attention to detail are invaluable when it comes to decking services. From the initial design concepts to the demolition and construction, Big Rock Landscaping works tirelessly to develop the perfect deck to compliment your outdoor space, no matter what the season.

Contact Big Rock Landscaping today to bring your outdoor dreams to reality.