Winterizing Decks and Patios

I know, I know. I’ve been all about winterizing and weatherizing lately. But it’s important! And so the story continues …

Once you’ve taken care of your home exterior, your lawn, and your garden, it’s time to tackle another outdoor space: your deck or patio.

Whether you have a deck or patio, be sure to sweep away dirt and debris such as leaves and pine needles from the surface. With decks, be sure to clean between the deck boards too.

More deck pointers …

As The Natural Handyman points out, it’s all about cleaning, stripping, and sealing. Once you’ve swept the deck clear, get rid of any mildew that may have formed. Extreme How-To has a recipe for eliminating mildew.

Once that’s taken care of, remove peeling stain from the deck surface. Hints and Things provides suggestions on products that can help.

Then it’s time to seal the deck with a water-resistant finish (this ensures all that winter snow or rain doesn’t cause warping or cracking). Learn more about sealing.

Now, I know you’re already super excited at the fact that you may be shoveling snow off your deck soon. (OK, maybe not. But it’s inevitable in many parts of the country, right?) When it’s time for snow removal, take care to run the shovel lengthwise on the deck boards so you minimize the chance that you’ll scratch or gouge the deck boards. And opt for plastic shovels if possible—they’re considerably gentler on wood than metal.

And a few patio tips …

The most important thing to do with patios besides a good cleaning: seal cracks in asphalt and concrete. Lucky you, my post on driveway maintenance and repair discusses how to take care of cracks in both!

What else do you do to prepare your outdoor spaces for winter?

Until tomorrow,
The Home Know-It-All