Tips to Protect your Deck in Chantilly, VA
Are you on the hunt for tips to help protect your Chantilly, VA deck this winter? If so, then you’ve come to the right place. Below, you’ll find everything you need to protect your investment and make sure that your deck is ready for entertaining when the weather turns warm again.
Let’s Start With The Basics
The first thing we recommend is to give your deck a good cleaning. This involves the obvious stuff like sweeping the surface of your deck and putting things like planters and other decorative items into storage for the winter.
In addition to that, though, we recommend giving your deck a bath before the first snowfalls. If you have a composite deck, warm soapy water will suffice. If you’ve got a wooden deck, we recommend a power washing. If that’s not something you have time for, we’re happy to help. It is one of the many services we provide.
Repairs and Maintenance
Once the basics have been attended to, we also recommend re–staining and re–sealing your wooden deck so that it’s got an added layer of protection against the elements. Composite deck owners can skip this step.
After that, an annual inspection is in order. Routine maintenance is an important aspect of any strategy designed to protect your Chantilly, VA deck this winter. It gives us the opportunity to spot and repair problems while they’re still small and relatively inexpensive to fix, which means that come spring, your deck will be ready for the first outdoor party of the year.
Then There’s The Simple Tarp
The lowly tarp is perhaps the single best way to protect your Chantilly, VA deck this winter. It might not win any beauty contests, but if you’re not planning to use your deck during the winter months, that won’t be much of a concern. It’s simple, cheap, and effective.
What About Snow Shoveling?
Opinions are divided on this point, but in general, we don’t recommend it. If you’ve got a composite deck, it’s already quite well protected from the moisture from the snow, and if you have re–sealed your wooden deck, it will be similarly protected.
If you find yourself having to shovel snow from your deck to clear a path so you can get outside, we recommend the following:
- Don’t use a metal shovel.
- Always shovel in a direction parallel to the deck boards.
- And limit your efforts to the minimum necessary to clear the path you need.
If you follow the tips above, you’ll help ensure your deck provides you and your family with years of entertaining fun. If you need a hand with some of the items mentioned above, just give our office a call. We’d love to add you to our growing family of satisfied customers.