December 4, 2024, 3:31 pm | Read time: 3 minutes
As the temperatures drop, the patio season is coming to an end. You should take a few precautions to ensure that it survives the winter well.
As it gets colder and more uncomfortable outside, you should start preparing your patio for winter. If you simply leave it, along with balcony furniture and plants, to the cold and weather, you may not be able to use it next year. Read on to find out what you need to consider when preparing your patio for winter.
The right time
The right time to winterize your patio depends a little on the weather. That’s why you can’t necessarily choose a fixed month. Instead, you should pay attention to the temperatures. As a rule of thumb, the patio should be prepared before the first frost arrives. This is the only way to avoid possible frost damage.
Winter protection for plants
If you have plants on your patio, they may need to be brought inside before winter or provided with suitable protection. Plants such as angel’s trumpet, hibiscus, or bougainvillea must not be exposed to frost. They should, therefore, be placed in their winter quarters beforehand.
Some citrus species, olive trees, and figs, on the other hand, can tolerate light frosts, but they still need to be protected with fleece, for example. Regardless of which plants you have on your patio – if you have winterized them, you should check again what the respective greenery needs in the cold season.
Clean and store patio furniture
To ensure that you can still use your patio furniture next year, you should also winterize it before the first frost. This includes cleaning them first. Depending on the material of the furniture, you will, of course, need to proceed differently. Plastic chairs and tables can simply be wiped down with warm water and a mild detergent. If the dirt is stubborn, a brush is helpful.
Wooden furniture can also be treated with wood oil after cleaning. Areas with stubborn stains can be sanded down and then oiled.
If you have enough space, you should put the patio furniture in the cellar or garage – there, it is optimally protected from the weather. If you can leave it outside or simply don’t have enough space, you should always protect it with a waterproof cover. It’s not just the weather that can cause damage, but also the constant UV rays.
Winterizing the patio floor
Once the furniture and plants have been taken care of, it’s time to tackle the patio floor. Here, too, the first step is cleaning. However, there are big differences here, depending on the decking you have. Wooden decking boards can quickly become infested with moss and lichen. To prevent this, you should clean the floor thoroughly. The best way to do this is with a mild wood cleaner and warm water. It is important to scrub in the direction of the wood fibers with a suitable brush. For optimum winter protection, the floor should then be impregnated with a wood oil.
Decking made from a wood-plastic composite, or WPC for short, requires little maintenance. It is enough to give them a good cleaning, and then the floor will be ready for winter.
Natural stone slabs should also be cleaned of dirt before the cold season. A mild cleaner and warm water are suitable for this. A high-pressure cleaner may also be suitable for removing stubborn green deposits.
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Check the roofing
If you have a patio roof, you should also clean it well before winter. If necessary, you should also check it for damage, as the snow can weigh heavily on the roof.