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Winter Deck Maintenance and Preparation
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Maintaining your deck is an important part of ensuring that your deck lasts for many years. As the temperatures continue to drop here in Omaha, it’s time to think about doing important winter deck maintenance and preparation work. This will help you maintain the quality of your deck throughout the winter. Here are a few steps you should take now to help keep your deck sturdy and usable through months of wind, cold, rain, and snow.

 

Clean It Up

Bring anything you don’t want to be damaged during the winter into your garage, basement, or other storage areas. If you have planters, chairs, umbrellas, or grills sitting on your deck, now is the time to move them inside. Move furnishings and other items from your deck to a safe place for the winter. Then give your deck a thorough sweep and remove any natural debris or trash that may have piled up throughout the fall months. This will ensure the least amount of moisture is trapped on your deck throughout this season.

 

Wash it Down

It’s not just enough to pick up around your deck. Giving your deck a thorough washing before the winter chill sets in will help keep your deck free from anything that will cause damage. Small amounts of debris can cause abrasions to your decks surface, and mildew will spread through the wet winter months and can cause serious damage.

 

Check for Defects

If your deck has any major repair needs, you should check for those now before winter truly sets in. If you need maintenance, you may not need to wait until summer to get it. Check out our list of deck maintenance tasks you can get done in the winter to see what you can fix now before it gets worse.

 

Shovel the Snow

While tedious, it is important to shovel the snow off your deck throughout the winter months. Use a rubber-tipped shovel (not a steel-tipped shovel) along the grain of the wood. This prevents damage to the deck’s finish. Doing this frequently prevents accumulation. If you have a dusting of snow, consider using a broom instead of a shovel to remove the snow. Avoid salting your deck if possible, as it can ruin the finish of your deck and corrode the fasteners and other metal parts.

 

The wintertime brings the joy of the holiday season and the upkeep of our home’s exterior. This includes the decks we love to utilize during the warmer, dryer months. Take these few steps of winter deck maintenance and preparation now and, come spring, you’ll enjoy a problem-free deck with little or no maintenance needed.

If you live in the Omaha area and all this sounds like a lot of work that you’d rather not do out in the cold, we are your Year-Round Deck Company. We’ll come out and do whatever is needed to make sure your deck can handle all the effects of winter. Reach out today.

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deck for entertaining can build in Omaha Year Round Deck Builder

4 Reasons Why It’s Wise to Build Your Deck During the Winter Months
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It’s hard to believe that the cool fall weather we’ve been experiencing here in Omaha will soon turn cold and freezing. With winter fast-approaching, it may seem like it’s time to put your deck-building dreams on hold until next spring. However, just because the winter chill may slow down some aspects of the project, this is definitely a great time to work on a new deck project. If you’ve ever wondered whether you can build your deck during the winter months, there are a few things to think about to help you decide if it you’d like your deck building project to get started soon.

Planning Takes Time

As with every major building project, a certain amount of time must be invested into the planning process. After you approve of your deck design, prints need to be drawn up and then submitted to the city to obtain permits. At this point in time, it’s taking anywhere from three-and-a-half to four (3.5-4) weeks to get permits for deck construction projects.

Then there’s the all-important task of selecting the materials you want for your deck, which can be quick if you choose a wood deck because there are fewer selections available.

However, should you choose a composite deck, there are many different selections from which to choose, and it may take you some time to decide and finalize your composite deck finish and handrail choices.

Sometimes the materials selection process takes longer than expected, but the materials need to be obtained before breaking ground on a new deck project. Taking the winter months to make sure all these factors are in place makes it easier to get the new project going and completed on time. This is true whether we wait until the first moments of spring to work on your deck project, or we take advantage of breaks in the winter weather to build your deck.

Spring is the Busiest Season, But Spring Delays Can Occur Due to Wet Weather

Once the weather warms up during the early spring months, a large number of deck-building inquiries are made, as homeowners begin to look toward those sweet summer nights of bonfires and barbeques on their newly built decks. And don’t forget the plethora of backyard graduation parties each year in May, that are only possible because of well-built, party-ready decks that smart homeowners took the time to plan during the colder months before.

deck in the rain Omaha's year round deck company

A well-built deck withstands all weather and traffic conditions

Deck building contractors are busier than ever once the spring hits, and hopefully won’t be slowed down by the often-precipitous months of April and May. By making your inquiries now, you can completely avoid being stuck in the spring rush. If you wait until spring to begin the process, you may be behind and fall victim to further delays in completing your deck due to the spring rains. Having your selections made and permits obtained ahead of spring will make the entire deck building process go more smoothly and give you the peace of mind that your project will be taken care of exactly the way you want it.

Your Landscaping May Be Less Affected on More Solid (Less Mushy) Ground

In any deck project, there is a lot of foot traffic back and forth to your deck location, as we work to construct a new deck or rehab your existing deck. During the spring, this can be especially difficult on the landscaping in your space. Excessive foot traffic, on land that is either soft from precipitation or trying to re-grow grass or other plants, can be detrimental to their growth. When decks are built in the winter, you won’t have to worry about landscaping as much (though we’re still very careful) as plants naturally start to either go dormant or die in the cold. By building your deck during this time, you will see less of an impact on your landscaping, giving your brand new deck the perfect view once spring arrives.

deck for entertaining can build in Omaha Year Round Deck Builder

This beautiful deck can be built in your yard in time for spring or your next graduation party!

You Can Enjoy Your Deck Sooner

Of course, the best part about any new deck is the ability to enjoy it. Getting your family and friends together outdoors can happen earlier than ever if you plan your deck project now. You won’t have to wait for the coveted summer months in order to enjoy your community, and you can be the house everyone goes to for this year’s graduation parties! With a winter deck project, you can be ready to use your new space just a few months into the new year, if not sooner. If you factor heaters and other comfort amenities into your build, you won’t even have to wait for the weather to improve before you can start using your deck.

Tell us about your deck project, what you’re looking for and when you’d like it completed. Let us know if you want to build your deck during the winter months.

Dave Ehrenberg

dave@allaboutdecksomaha.com

 

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