How to properly prepare the terrace for winter?

How to properly prepare the terrace for winter?

The past warm season, spending cozy summer evenings on the terrace turned into pleasant memories that can be repeated in a few months. What can be done so that the terrace does not lose its aesthetic appearance during the winter, looks as new, is well-equipped and is tempting to spend time on?

Is it worth washing if it will not be used after the weather cools, if it will be constantly exposed to fall and winter precipitation?

Is it mandatory to impregnate, oil or otherwise process the wooden terrace boards, or is it better to leave this work for spring?

Do you need to cover the terrace with a special coating, film, awning or other protective covering for the winter?

We will answer these and other questions for terrace owners in this article.

The company developing the terrace center concept knows almost everything about the installation and maintenance of terraces and is happy to share its expert knowledge. According to the representative of “MDS terasas”, at least the minimal proper preparation of the terrace for the winter will pay off handsomely in the spring. Therefore, with the inexorable approach of the winter season, it is worth investing time and energy in several basic steps of terrace preparation.

Tomas Sakalauskas, the manager of MDS terrasos, advises not to forget to take care of your terrace after its active period of operation. After all, after a few months, when the spring sun shines, the terrace will be needed again. Where should you start preparing the terrace for winter and what will it take?

Inventory storage

The first step before preparing the terrace for winter is to store the things that we enjoyed during the summer season. It is advisable not to leave outdoor furniture, barbecues, flowerpots, candlesticks, lanterns, textile products and other exterior accessories that were used on the terrace during the summer on the terrace for the winter.

Without the possibility to store terrace inventory indoors, barbecues, sports equipment, racks, outdoor wardrobes, boxes and other heavier items should be lifted from the ground on stable supports. In this way, moisture will not accumulate under the things, and the terrace covering will be ventilated.

Terrace covering

Those who want to keep the terrace in its original appearance during the cold season ask whether it is necessary to cover it with protective coverings in order to avoid unwanted effects of precipitation. Experts say that the terrace can be used even in the cold season, so there is no need to cover it, regardless of whether the terrace has a roof or not. It should be covered only for outdoor furniture, barbecues or other items wintering outside, but it is not recommended to cover wooden or wood-plastic composite terrace flooring. Covered wood will not breathe, moisture will accumulate between the covering and the terrace, so the terrace may begin to rot, and mold may appear in it. Spruce or pine boards used to install terraces in Lithuania are impregnated or thermally treated, so they are resistant to cold and moisture. Larch or wood-plastic composite terraces are also characterized by resistance to changing weather conditions. True, they acquire such properties only after proper preparation and operation.

Terrace washing

It is good if you installed the terrace floor from quality and long-lasting materials, but they require at least minimal maintenance. The memories of the summer spent on the terrace will remain in the memory for a long time, and the marks of parties or active time should be washed away. This step will help not only to keep it clean, but also to take care of the protection of the terrace so that it will last as long as possible. If you leave the wooden terrace floor unwashed during the winter, the mud stains formed during the summer will be deepened and accentuated by the winter rainfall, and cleaning the terrace in the spring will require much more effort.

Representatives of “MDS terasos” advise to wash the dirt of the terrace formed during the summer with a special cleaner intended for this purpose. Decking care products are plentiful, but long-time decking professionals recommend using WOCA exterior wood cleaner .

Terrace impregnation

The most important and most frequently asked question by terrace owners to terrace professionals is how many times a year and when to impregnate outdoor terrace boards. Is it enough to oil the terrace boards in the spring, or should the same be done as the rainy and cold season approaches?

The truth is that in the warm season, wooden terraces, especially those that are open (without a roof), are exposed to extremely hot sun, and extremely strong rain and wind, so the oil naturally wears out a little. It is also important to mention that if the terrace has been maintained regularly, for example every year for four years, such terrace boards may be sufficiently enriched with oil, so they will have a protective layer for the winter season. To the question of whether it is worth oiling the terraces in autumn, the professionals of “MDS teras” answer positively: yes, it is the best protection for the tree, but it is also more expensive and not a “pleasure” acceptable to everyone. This year, WOCA introduced a new product that is ideal as an intermediate option. This is an oil replenishing product – “WOCA exterior oil refresher”. The tool acts as a washing liquid (after diluting it in a certain ratio with water). It is enough just to wash the terrace and the boards will get additional protection. It is recommended to wash the terraces with such a tool several times a year and the oil layer and color will be the same throughout the year.

Care in winter

After properly preparing the terrace for the cold season, washing and impregnating the coating, removing loads of objects and other factors that would encourage moisture accumulation, the terrace does not need to be maintained additionally. If there is a lot of snow in winter, it should be shoveled regularly from the terrace. It is important to emphasize that you should not scrape ice or frozen snow, as this can also damage the oil layer. Those who want to avoid digging snow should consider installing a patio shed. The roof will protect against precipitation and sunlight, reduce seasonality, extend the time of use of the terrace, facilitate maintenance and create aesthetic value.

We have shared some tips on how to properly prepare a terrace for winter, which we hope will help protect terraces from winter frosts and other challenges caused by the cold season.