Tips To Prepare Your Patio For Winter
In many places, winter can be a time of whipping winds, biting cold, and accumulating snow. We will tell you a few tips to prepare your patio for winter because we know most homeowners choose to pack up their patios once winter arrives and “hibernate.” However, you can prepare this part of your home for the harsh winter months with a few simple patio maintenance tasks.
You may actually be able to use your patio every now and then if you wish to. Here are a couple of outdoor patio ideas that will the transition to the winter season a little more bearable for you – you may even be able to enjoy your morning cup of coffee outside.
Remove Your Patio Furniture: The first thing you need to do before winter comes is remove all furniture and other large items from your patio. Clear away all tables, chairs, backyard tools and plants. Remove debris from all items by giving each a quick wash with a hose and then dry in the sun. If you have an umbrella, take it down from the table and give it a good wipe down to remove accumulated dust and dirt from the summer. Next, cover all the furniture, etc, with a large garbage bag and store them neatly in the shed, garage or beneath a large tarp.
Clean the BBQ Grill: Many people do not think to thoroughly clean their barbeque grill before the winter season sets in. This is often why it looks terrible when spring comes back. If yours is a charcoal, get rid of the ash and old coals.
Scrub it down with a degreasing agent and rinse it thoroughly with a hose. If you have a gas grill, make that you shut off and unscrew the gas lines safely, and then store the tank in a cool, dry place and have your local retailer take it back. Read the manufacturer’s instructions on how to store or dispose it properly.
Tidy Up: If you have trees close to your patio, sweep up the leaves and other debris before they get covered in snow when winter comes. Use a driveway or patio cleaning solution with a high-powered nozzle to thoroughly wash the cement surface 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.
Get New Benches and Lights: If you think that you will be spending time on your patio during the winter, you will need to get weather-proof seating that you can move round 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 do 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 that you can try are landscape lighting systems or mini holiday lights to give your patio a warm glow and great ambiance even on those cold, frosty evenings.
Get Ceiling to Floor Shades: There will be times when you crave spending a little time on your patio during the winter. Wind chill, however, deters you from doing so. So how do you solve this problem? A wonderful idea is to get ceiling to floor shades for your patio and reduce wind chill. You will find many different shades and blinds that are made out of natural materials like bamboo or wood.
These are inexpensive additions that will make your outdoor space look beautiful and make it more comfortable when you sit outdoors in winter. You do not have to spend a lot of money on beautiful shades or blinds. Another advantage of this idea is that you can use the shades even when winter passes and spring arrives and the weather gets warmer. It is also a clever way to get a little privacy in your outdoor sitting space.
Maintaining and preparing your patio for winter is not at 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 look 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.