Who said you couldn’t use your deck during the winter? Well, they’re wrong. The deck is a perfect space to relax with hot cocoa in your outdoor furniture. It’s also an option for hosting dinners and other events when the weather is just starting to become chilly in November. You just need to make sure that you have enough heat so that no one freezes up. Portable heaters will become your best friends, but you’ll also need to spruce up the deck to prepare for comfortable lounging.
But, maybe you’ve let your deck start to go since Labor Day? It’s not too late to get it ready for winter events. You just gotta follow these steps.
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1. Sweep The Dust and Debris Away
You don’t know what you’re working with until you get rid of the dust. You gotta crack out the broom and get to sweeping. The best part about the deck is that you don’t need to collect the dust and dirt; you can just sweep it off into the grass around your deck. If you’re concerned the dirt might ruin the grass around the deck, collect it in a dust bin.
2. Take The Pressure Off Pressure Washing
A pressure washer does most of the heavy cleaning work off of you. All you need to do is plug in the machine and get to spraying. There’s no need for harsh chemicals or deep cleaning. Pressure cleaning only requires one go over for the deck to look brand new again.
You can read more about the specific pressure washers that you should use here.
3. Treat The Stains Before They Become Permanent
After the initial cleaning, it’s time to get into the specific stains. These stains don’t need chemicals either; you can make a solution at home that works wonders.
- Simply take 1 cup of oxygenated bleach and mix it into 2 gallons of steaming hot water. You should do your deck in sections in order to be fully in control of the bleach solution.
- After letting the solution sit for 5 minutes (sometimes you’ll see the solution bubbling), you can tackle it with a scrub brush. Make sure that you have gloves on.
- Then go over the area again with the pressure washer, make sure to get all the bleach off your desk.
4. Now It’s Time to Decorate
With the area brand new and squeaky clean, it’s time for you to get to decorating. You have a lot of options when it comes to deck furniture. You could either spruce up the furniture you already have with table and chair covers, or you can go for something completely new. If you’re just using your old furniture, make sure that it doesn’t have stains.
With new furniture, you’ll want to get sets that match your vision for winter gatherings. If you want a lounge area, focus on couches and spaces to place small drinks/foods. If your goal is to host parties, you’ll want tables, chairs, and lounge areas to support a full dinner party. Build a permanent stone fireplace with Adirondack chair surrounding the pit.
No matter the situation, you can never go wrong with string lights, plants, and plenty of cushy pillows.
Hang Out On Your Deck This Winter
Winter is the perfect time to have a dinner party outside, especially during a light snow. Just remember the space heaters. For an added bonus you could fire up a hot tub for a nice post-dinner soak. There’s nothing like soaking in a hot tub in the dead of winter. For those feeling extra bold, play in the snow before hand)
