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Care for your patio
How to Prep Your Patio For Winter
Here’s a look at some tips on how to best prepare:
- Aluminum and wood furniture are weather resistant and actually can be left out in the cold during the winter months. However, there are a few things to keep in mind when dealing with this type of furniture. When wood is left out in the rain or snow, moisture gets into all the cracks and grain causing it to contract when it’s frozen. By leaving wood furniture outside all year long, it can develop mold or even warp and break from the contracting and swelling over the years. It is Typically best to cover your wood furniture when leaving them outside.
- With aluminum furniture, it’s important to drain any water out before freezing temperatures set in.
- Wicker and steel furniture should never be left out in the cold. The former type of material is prone to expansion and contraction in cold temperatures while the latter material easily rusts.
- Despite the fact that some furniture is better able to handle the cold weather than others, it’s usually best to store all types of outdoor furniture during the winter. But before you do that, there are a few housekeeping items to keep in mind. For instance, clean all furniture – regardless of the material – to remove dirt and moisture to prevent widespread mold growth. Your furniture can be easily cleaned with dish soap and water. Don’t forget to clean the cushions, either.
- If you have metal furniture, check it for signs of rust before storing it for the winter. Use a wire brush to remove any rust and consider adding a protective coating of wax and using a silicone sealant to help preserve it for the future.
All over Hoffman Estates and Chicagoland, the leaves are changing colors and falling, there’s a chill in the air and the days are getting shorter and shorter. Yes, it’s fall now – but soon, it will be winter. During every fall season, there’s a checklist of household chores that should be completed before winter weather arrives, such as raking leaves, turning off outdoor faucets, winterizing the lawn mower and putting snow tires on your car.
But not to be forgotten is the all-important chore of properly prepping your patio and porch furniture. Failure to act appropriately could drastically impact the lifespan of such furniture, forcing you to shell out big bucks to have it replaced well before you had anticipated. Needless to say, this is something that shouldn’t be neglected.
A big part of prepping your porch or patio furniture for the cold winter months is obviously making sure you have a place to store it. Sheds, garages and basements are the most common areas where such items are shelved away for the season. If you have an umbrella, take it down from the table or stand and give it a good wipe don to remove accumulated dust and dirt from the summer. Then store either in the shed or wherever you are keeping the furniture under a large tarp.
Cleaning the BBQ grill before winter tends to almost always go forgotten. By cleaning the grill and getting rid of the charcoal, ash, and old coals leaves you a clean grill for the spring and will save you hours of cleaning the grates later.
Scrub it down with a degreasing agent and rinse it thoroughly with a hose. If you have a gas grill, make sure you shut off and unscrew the gas lines safely, then store the tank in a cool, dry place or have your local retailer take it back. But always read the manufacturer’s instructions on how to store or dispose it properly.
If you have trees close to your patio, sweep up the leaves and other debris before they get covered in snow when winter comes. This will prevent mold and stains from forming on your patio surface. Use a driveway or patio cleaning solution with a high-powered nozzle to thoroughly wash the cement service or bricks. You need to make sure that your patio gets a fresh start so that when spring arrives again, it will be nice and clean and fully ready to be arranged.
If you think that you will be spending time on your patio during the winter, you will need to get weatherproof seating that you can move around easily. A sagacious option is a lightweight plastic bench that is made of recycled materials. Benches like these are usually attractive, easy to lift and move around and can accommodate quite a few people.
If you don’t want to spend money on a new bench, leave out two patio chairs and get them covered with a heavy-duty, weather-resistant furniture cover. Also, keep in mind that it gets dark earlier outside in the fall and winter, so it is a good idea to get some additional outdoor lighting for your patio, making it more welcoming.
Other tips to prepare your patio for winter is you can try landscaping lighting systems or mini holiday lights to give your patio a warm glow and great ambiance even on those cold, frosty evenings.
Maintaining and preparing your patio for winter is not all a difficult task. Removing and adding a few items is about all you need to do. Nowadays, you will find a wide range of outdoor furniture and other items that are made exclusively for winter.
Make your outdoor living space looking chic and cozy for the winter and make sure that it is ready for spring as well by removing your patio furniture or using protective covers on them and add all-weather items. You can still spend time enjoying the winter air outside without damaging any of the furniture and other items you keep out during the rest of the year.
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