How to Take Care of Your Patio in Winter

A covered patio is a great place to relax on a comfy chair with a glass of iced tea and a book on a hot summer day, or share a homemade meal and create fun memories with your family and friends. 

Winter is here and it’s time to take special care of your patio cover. If you have a patio cover and patio furniture, your primary concern right now would be how to protect it from the rain, snow, and winter wind and cold. It’s important to not only protect and take care of your patio space but also protect and take special care of your appliances such as the grill, outdoor kitchen, fire pit as well as patio furniture.

That’s right, in winter you would need to take a special care of your outdoor space, including your patio, appliances and furniture. In today’s post we’ll talk about just that: how to look after your patio in winter and things you need to pay attention to. 

1. PATIO SURFACE

Building and maintaining a patio cover can be expensive, we completely understand that. This is why proper care and regular maintenance are so important. They will help you avoid future costly repairs and will keep your patio look beautiful and cozy for a long time. 

Especially during harsh temperature changes and in wet and cold weather conditions. If you want to get the best out of your patio cover and make your outdoor place last as long as possible, you need to provide it with special care and regular cleaning. 

To clean your patio cover surface, make sure to sweep off the dust, debris, fallen leaves, or anything else that can be considered trash or dirt. Once this is done, take a hose, ideally with a strong jet, to wash the patio surface thoroughly. Do not keep any trash on the patio or around your wooden patio as this can create excessive unnecessary moisture and cause fungi infection. If your wood is infected by fungi it may develop dry rot.

If you notice any grill stains, use a degreaser to remove them. Further steps for cleaning your patio cover surface will depend on the materials used to build it. Let’s take a closer look at some of these materials and how they can be cleaned: 

• Stone Or Pavers — For patio surface made with stone or pavers, you might need a power wash. However, we recommend you wash your patio with very light pressure. Using strong pressure might rip the joint sand apart from the paver, and of course, you don’t want that to happen.
• Natural Stone — For natural stone you will need a mild and environmentally friendly detergent. Frequent light pressure washing of the concrete pavers will leave it sparkling. While for porous stones, you need to get special cleaning products from a home improvement store. 

2. PATIO FURNITURE

Just as with the patio surface, you will also need to clean your patio furniture, cushions and fabric before covering them and getting them ready for storage. To clean these, you need to consider the materials used to manufacture them. Gently brush the cushion using a soft brush with water and mild soap. After that lightly rinse the cushion and let it dry properly to prevent mildew or mold during storage. 

Metal frames and metal tables can be wiped with a wet cloth washed in soapy water and wiped dry.

To keep your wooden frames in good shape during winter, you will need to apply a protective sealant and then cover them to prevent snow and ice from having any direct contact with the frame wood.

Plastic furniture will need to be kept indoors away from the cold. Plastics tends to become brittle and prone to cracks when exposed to extreme temperatures and cold weather conditions.

3. GRILL

Luckily, your grill doesn’t need much protection and maintenance during winter.  To help it last longer always ensure proper cleaning and then simply cover them up during winter. In case of any stains, use a degreaser to clean them up. If you are not planning to use your grill during the winter months, then it would be a good idea to disconnect the propane pipes and keep the gas cylinder in a safe place away from the cold. This will ensure that your grill is properly stored and ready for use as soon as spring comes. 

If you need any help with your patio or any other type of outdoor space, GL Patios would be happy to help. We strive on providing our clients with high-quality work at a reasonable price and support with excellent customer service. Whether you need us to build a new patio or improve an existing patio or deck, we are here for you! Call us today (916) 812-2054 and our team of friendly professionals would be more than happy to provide you with an in-house consultation.