A lovely patio is a wonderful place to sit during warmer weather. But as it starts to get cold, the idea of sitting out on your patio or deck probably doesn’t appeal so much. It’s too cold and wet to spend long outdoors, especially when you’re just sitting still. Your patio might not see much action over the winter but that can prove to be a problem. You don’t want to have to deal with all kinds of problems when winter is over and it turns out that your patio has been ravaged by the cold weather. Fortunately, there are things you can do to protect it.
Keep It Clear
Firstly, clear off your patio before winter arrives. Removing furniture, grills, potted plants and anything else is not just good for your patio but also good for any items that you remove. It will give you the opportunity to check your patio over and make sure it’s in good health. Sweep it and give it a light clean before you check for cracks. If you notice any cracks, fill them in to protect your patio. As for anything that you remove, you might need to decide whether to store items or how else to protect them.
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Protect Your Furniture
Your patio furniture needs to be protected during the winter. If you have cushions on your furniture, now is a good time to clean them, repair any damage, and store them away. Using covers for your patio furniture is a smart idea during the winter. It will protect everything from snow, ice, and rain, as well as cold temperatures and winter sunshine. It’s often easier to cover your patio furniture than it is to find somewhere dry to store it, especially as you might have large pieces of furniture that don’t store easily.
Seal Your Patio
Some people may need to seal their patios before winter really hits. This is mostly something that you will need to do if your patio is masonry, so you will probably be ok if you have a concrete patio. Masonry needs to be sealed to prevent water from leaking into the cracks and gaps, which can cause damage. You don’t necessarily need to seal your patio every year. Every three to five years is a basic rule of thumb to keep your patio sealed.
Clean Your Patio
Cleaning your patio is something that you might want to do before winter, but it could also be something you want to wait to do until spring arrives. You could clean it lightly now, but there’s a good chance it’s going to get pretty dirty over winter. In which case, it could be smart to wait and use a pressure washing service to give it a really good clean. Your patio could get pretty grubby over the winter, with grit, mud, and slushy snow affecting it. A good spring clean is a smart idea.
Protect your patio during the winter and you can ensure it still looks good and is in good condition in the spring.
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