1. Sweep And Wash Off Debris
You can do a quick sweep with the shop broom through your patio to pick up any fallen leaves, pet fur, or dirt. Wash off your patio with the hose. This will help prevent excess muddy slush from building up on your patio when it freezes.
2. Saturate Your Patio
Dip a garden hose in a bucket of water and saturate your entire patio, working out any of the kinks in the hose before you begin so that you don't waste precious water. Let the water soak a few minutes on each area of your patio to scrub off any dirt, debris, or algae.
3. Fill Any Gaps In The Joints With Cement Or Polysand
This is where you can take the time to use quality materials from the home improvement store. Buy a bag of your favorite heavy-duty sand and add a couple of tablespoons to each joint. This will fill in any divots or cracks where water might sneak between the bricks or concrete of your patio.
4. Hardscape
If you have stone, brick, or pavers as a hardscape, you will want to consider them when preparing for winter. You can also use wooden planks that can be purchased at your home improvement store and laid out in one pass over all paths and walkways. This is a great way to repurpose materials that would otherwise be discarded, and it will give your patio the appearance of being newly prepared for the winter ahead.
5. Seal All Masonry Patios
Sealing is the final step before sitting back and enjoying the winter. A sealer has two main properties: anti-corrosive, which protects the masonry from salt in the air corroding it, and waterproofing which protects it from ice damage. A good quality sealer can prevent your home improvement investment from looking dull and dirty when spring rolls around.
6. Get A Snow Shovel Or Snowblower
Make sure that you have one of these tools on hand at all times when winter hits. It is much easier to remove the snow off of your patio before it melts. If you wait too long, you will need to break up the ice and use salt to get rid of it.
7. Install And Maintain Ground Heaters
One way to keep your patio warm during the winter months is by using a ground heater. You can install one below your patio or deck directly into the ground. Once plugged in, the ground heater will heat the soil underneath your patio or deck, giving it a frost-free footing. This can be installed easily with a shovel and is great when you have very thick clay soil.
You can also install a radiant heating pad that will run on water heated by ground heaters that are plugged into a good pump. Again, the best place to install the radiant heating pad is directly under your patio or deck to warm the ground around it.
8. Landscape Lighting
Lighting around your patio can also throw off a warm glow that will help keep it warm during the wintertime. It is important to use low-wattage lights, as they are much more efficient than high-wattage lights.
While most landscape lighting used to be incandescent, it has now become very popular to use LEDs (light-emitting diodes). In today's world of energy conservation and sustainability awareness, LEDs are very popular because they use significantly less electricity to produce a much brighter light than incandescent lights.
Bottom Line
During the winter months, your patio will be exposed to the elements, and you must take this into due consideration. Being prepared can save you a lot of frustration in the long run. The most important thing to remember is that when it comes time to prep your patio for winter, do not rush into it. If there are areas of your patio that need attention, do not skip these details when preparing your patio for winter. Visit Dako Windows for more information.
