Winterize Your Deck: MD & VA Guide

Preparing your deck for winter is essential in Montgomery County and Fairfax County, where harsh freezing temperatures, snow, and ice can cause significant damage. Proper winterization protects your investment and extends your deck's lifespan. This guide walks you through winterization steps that work for decks throughout the DMV, helping you safeguard your outdoor living space before the coldest months arrive.

Winter-proofing your deck isn’t a huge job – it just takes a little bit of time, elbow grease, and maybe a few muscles. 

1. BFF – Be Furniture Friendly. If you still want that warm-weather deck furniture to be in good shape come spring and summer, give it a little bit of attention now. Bring in all the furniture and store it in your garage or basement. Have pieces too big to move? Invest in some tarp and bungee cord and cover it securely for protection.
2. Unplant planters. Unless you’re going to try to nurture (and contain) some holly and ivy, empty your planters and flower boxes and clean them out. Store the empty pots inside out of the harsh elements.
3. Grill in. You may be one of those folks who likes to grill in snow pants and boots but, even so, clean your grill and cover it for safekeeping through the winter months.
4. Freeze protection. Disconnect your garden hoses and turn off all exterior water valves to prevent against freezing or bursting pipes.
5. Lift the leaves. Those cool patterns fallen leaves sometimes make on the sidewalks? They won’t be so neat when they stain your deck. Try to keep leaves off of your deck as much as possible to prevent them from bleeding into it. A quick sweep with the broom every few days will do the trick.
6. Sweet shovel. If you must shovel your deck, always use a plastic shovel to avoid doing any damage to your outdoor living space.

Before you know it, we’ll be giving you tips for readying your deck for spring and summer. Until then, if you’re planning interior upgrades throughout the winter, take a look at these perks.