3 Dos And Don'ts For Your Deck This Winter

During the winter, your deck won't get a whole lot of attention—not near as much as it did during the summer anyway. If you have a firepit on your deck, you may use it every now and then, and you may gaze at it longingly from inside your home, but for the most part, it won't be used until next spring. The one thing that you need to do, though, is ensure that your deck remains in good shape so that it is ready to be used as soon as all that snow melts and the temperatures start warming up. Here is what you need to know about taking care of your deck between winter and spring.

Do Prepare Before the Snow Falls

Prior to the first snowfall of the year, you will want to thoroughly wash off your deck. If you allow stains to sit on your deck over an extended period of time, they can cause your wood deck to deteriorate. Therefore, stains need to be removed prior to the first snowfall so that they don't sit under the snow for several days or weeks at a time. To ensure that the quality of your deck is preserved, use a bleach-free cleaner. Once the deck has been cleaned, apply a water-resistant finish.

Don't Use Metal Shovels

While your deck should have no problem withstanding a foot or two of snow, you may not want to leave the snow on your deck for an extended period of time. So, if you want to shovel the snow off of your wood deck, make sure to do so with a plastic shovel rather than a metal one. The metal could dent or scrape the wood—and you may not even realize it immediately—and leave you with an unattractive deck once spring rolls around. Also, as you shovel the snow, make sure to shovel with—not against—the grain of the wood.

Do Use Wood-Friendly Deicers

To ensure that your deck is safe to walk on during the winter, you will want to use a deicer on your deck. Any leftover water and snow will turn into ice when the temperatures are below freezing. However, you must be careful to choose the right deicer so that you don't cause unnecessary damage to your deck. For instance, rock salt is not a good choice for your wood deck as it can result in staining and corrosion of your deck. A safer choice is a wood-friendly deicer like ammonia sulfate.

If you need to perform more substantial maintenance or repairs on your deck, contact a deck company such as Freeborne.