Prepping your Deck for Winter

Are You prepping your Deck for Winter?

Old Man winter is coming in quick.

Is you deck ready for another brutal winter?

Preparing your deck for winter is easy and can save you time an money next year.

Exterior decking takes a brutal beating from ice, shoveling and freezing temperatures.

The freezing temperatures at night and the warming from the sun makes the wood expand and contract along with a layer of ice tests your finish on your deck to the ultimate limits.

The easiest piece of prevention for the deck would be to remove all standing leaves on the deck.  Standing leaves will become like a giant tea bags. They will stain your deck and most times you will not be able to wash off the stain in the spring.
The second most important thing to do for your deck prior to this winter is remove all dead flowers and plants from the deck.  Dead flowers will fall to the deck and become stuck and will need scrubbing if they come off, often discoloring the decking below.

Additional Preventative steps:

• Rinse down your deck at the end of the summer to remove any spills and stains.
• Do not chop ice on the deck.
• Remove any rugs or mats from decks as they trap moisture.
• When shoveling snow from the deck utilize a plastic shovel with a metal edge to prevent scrapes.

We would be happy to assist you in refinishing your decking or answering any questions you may have.  please contact us at 978-683-9119 or visit us at www.RamsdenPainting.com