Protecting Your Deck During Harsh Winter Months

Many homeowners are concerned with how to protect their deck during the winter. As the temperature drops, wind picks up, and snow and ice begins to fall, it's only natural to be concerned with your gorgeous deck. Luckily, if you have utilized the high quality Brazilian hardwoods from Brazilian Wood Depot, then maintenance and care is relatively instinctive and easy. Take a look below for some of the key tips to keep in mind.

First, you probably know that oiling or treating hardwood can protect it over the long haul. However, you actually cannot oil your deck when it's too cold. At this point of the year, you should wait until springtime to oil your deck, and wait for consistent temperatures of above 50 degrees. This will ensure that the oil penetrates as completely as possible.

So if you shouldn't be oiling your deck in the winter, what can you do to keep it safe and sound?

One of the quick and easy ways that you can take care of your hardwood deck during the winter is by removing debris that builds up over time. This includes all of the falling leaves and branches, along with dirt and any other built up material.

When those organic substances decompose, or if they're wet and dirty, they'll leave black spots and other marks on the decking. And while those can be cleaned up, it's always better to think about easy prevention as opposed to having to fix something down the line.

Another way to take care of wood decking during the winter is to proactively remove snow and ice from your deck's surface. As this thaws, your deck can begin soaking up some of that moisture.

This leads to unfortunate consequences such as having the boards buckle if they were installed too tightly, or other warping and distorting side effects. Instead of allowing that to happen, simply brush off any snow or ice accumulation to keep your deck looking and feeling brand new.

With the right maintenance tips and guidelines such as the ones mentioned above, you'll be able to keep your hardwood deck as beautiful and strong as the day it was installed. And finally, don't forget that you shouldn't be oiling your deck until springtime when the temperature is consistently above 50 degrees.