How to Keep Your Deck Safe for the Winter

With fall nearly over and the official day of winter soon approaching, it’s beneficial to know what you can do to protect your deck. We utilize our deck so much in the summer and spring months it becomes common to completely forget about it during the winter. However, this month will be different because we will be sharing with you valuable tips to keep your deck safe throughout the cold and snowy months.

Clean Your Deck

During the summer and fall our decks can become full of leaves, branches, and other debris. That’s why it is important to clean all of the new debris off of your deck. Even something as small as a pile of leaves can have terrible effects on your deck when the winter rolls around. Not addressing leaves and other debris can cause water to build up over time and when the temperature drops it will all freeze over. This excess water can promote mold growth and can cause serious damage to your deck throughout the winter. If the water freezes onto your deck then it can create even more damage by the constant scraping you will need to do to the wood in order to get rid of the ice. So, in general, clean your deck to properly begin its winter preparations.

Inspect Your Deck to Address Damages

Decks can be damaged without our knowledge before the winter months arrive. Therefore, to avoid huge headaches it’s important to examine your deck for wear and tear. Check your railings, stairs, and boards for any rotting or soft wood. These areas can worsen when the cold weather comes and cause significant damage to these commonly used areas. Inspecting your deck can have many benefits to keep not just your deck safe but also yourself. If you step into an area with a loose or broken board you can hurt yourself significantly. So, for everyone to stay safe in the winter months have you or a professional examine your deck.

Protect Your Deck for the Winter

If you cleaned your deck and noticed no structural damage then the next step is to keep it that way. We now want to protect your deck by utilizing key practices. The first practice you can benefit from is adding a seal coat to your deck. This seal can help decrease moisture and cracking to your decking and overall add a layer of protection. If do not want snow landing on your deck at all the next best method is using a tarp. The snow and ice will land on the tarp and the wood of your deck will be completely covered and safe for the spring. When springtime comes all you need to do is remove the tarp! If you notice damage to your deck or are looking for an exterior remodeling company make sure to contact K&B Home Remodelers today!