Enjoy Vinyl Patios this Fall & Prepare for Winter
We’re sorry to relay that fall is here so it may be time to start preparing you vinyl patio for winter.
Fall is heralded by the changing colours, falling leaves, and cooler temperatures that may have you packing up and taking your leisure time indoors. But before abandoning vinyl patios altogether, consider these tips to lengthen enjoyment and reduce maintenance:
Tip One: Pre-Pack up for Winter
Don’t give up on your patio just yet even if you are preparing your vinyl patio for winter. There will still be a few days left that are warm and sunny enough to have you wishing you’d left a few pieces of furniture out to use. However, resist the urge to just leave vinyl patios as is until the snow flies. Reduce the clean up and hassle by removing items from vinyl patios that you won’t use or that won’t stand up to regular rain well. A handful of chairs, plus cushions and area rugs can all go away now and reduce your workload later.
Also remove (or at least clean under) other items that may accumulate dust, dirt, or leaves. Otherwise this debris will combine with rain to create a cleaning nightmare come later this fall. The more you tidy now, the less work it will be later – trust us!
Tip Two: Remove Leaves, Debris & Sweep
Falling leaves are pretty, but as you know once they get wet they can be a pain to rake of a lawn, let alone clean off from vinyl patios. Regularly removing leaves and other debris should be part of preparing your patio for winter. This can ensure that your vinyl surface doesn’t accumulate debris, as well as making it much quicker to prepare once winter sets in.
Tip Three: Welcome Winter (But First, Prepare)
You could sit indoors and watch fall meld into winter, but first it’s important that vinyl patios are prepared. Put the rest of your furniture away, clear other items, sweep, hose and scrub (if needed) – that’s it! With all of your earlier dedication to keeping debris off your patio surface, you should have a simple time of getting ready for winter now.
Tip Four: Make Improvements
With winter fast approaching, you will want to do whatever you can to avoid ice dams on your patio or deck. See this helpful article on what ice dams are and how to prevent them. Fall is a terrific time to make improvements to vinyl patios, balconies and other outdoor living spaces. You might be tempted to wait until spring, but there are two reasons not to do that.
- First, you’ll want to use your patio in the spring and won’t want to spend too much time getting it ready.
- Second, if for any reason your vinyl deck surface on your patio is having issues you’ll want to get that taken care of before the wet months create more damage.
Vinyl patios should be looked over every fall to identify potential problems. This should be part of preparing your vinyl patio for winter. If any problems are found, they should be corrected right away. Proper drainage is critical and if necessary, installing a new waterproof vinyl membrane this fall can help prevent damage over the winter. Come spring, you will have a beautiful, waterproof deck surface that will last many years to come!
Contact Our Deck Waterproofing Experts
If you have any questions about your vinyl patio or how to waterproof your outdoor living space in preparation for winter, please get in touch with us.
You can reach us by email or by calling our deck waterproofing experts at 1-877-860-9333.
