If you have a deck or patio, it is essential for you to take a few steps to properly prepare it for the winter. By taking a few precautionary measures now, you can potentially save yourself a great deal of heartache and expenses once spring rolls around.
Tip #1: Clean it Thoroughly
The first thing you need to do to prepare your deck or patio for winter is to simply clean it thoroughly. Be sure to remove all of the fungus, dirt, mildew, algae, rust stains and anything else that has accumulated on the deck or patio. Use a formulated deck cleaner to thoroughly remove the grime before doing anything else to prep your deck or patio.
Tip #2: Strip Away Unwanted Finish
After cleaning the deck or patio thoroughly, you should strip away any finish that is deteriorated or otherwise unwanted. Again, there are products available that you can use to remove oil or latex paints as well as semi-transparent stains and clear finishes that might need to be removed.
Tip #3: Reapply Finish and Stain
If you had to remove finish that was deteriorating, you will need to replace it in order to protect the wood and to keep your deck or patio looking great.
Tip #4: Seal it Up
Finally, you should seal your deck or patio with a water repellant. This way, it will be able to withstand all of the moisture, snow and ice that it will endure throughout the winter months. If you do not seal your deck or patio, the wood surface may start to crack and become warped.
Although it will take you a bit of time to prepare your deck or patio for winter and it will certainly cost you a little money to purchase the products needed to properly clean and seal your deck or patio, the time and money you spend will be well worth it when your deck or patio looks great in the spring!
All of these steps are so important. Sadly, our deck has not been taken care of properly for quite a few years, and it is now deteriorating badly. I expect we will replace it in the near future. Hopefully then we will take care of it better in order to preserve it longer. My husband is a carpenter, so he can build us a new deck quite easily