Ensure the safety of your deck and railings in harsh weather conditions

It is a no-brainer that Canadian winters are quite extreme and mostly often known for their heavy rainfalls and snowfalls. Naturally, this makes it quite hard for people whose homes are equipped with a deck, railings or patio sets to actually use them during these hazardous times. Maintaining them is even harder, though, as you have to deal with the egregious amount of snow falling endlessly. Nevertheless, if you want to fully enjoy them is spring and summer, ensuing their safety in winter is paramount. Luckily, there are a series of actions you can take to make the maintenance of deck and railings easier throughout the year.

The following tips will help you in ensuring the top condition of your deck and railing regardless of what the harsh Canadian winter throws at you.

·       Rigorous inspections 

Inspections ought to be done continuously all year long, not only in winter. This will give you the chance to identify damages, no matter how minor it is, as soon as they become apparent which will, in turn, give you the opportunity to fix it before it starts to escalate into a bigger problem. Rigorous inspections are a must if you want your deck and patio to last as long as possible.

·       Ensure it’s clean

Cleaning in summer and in fall will help greatly since when winter comes you will have to fight off the nightmarish amount of snow over the deck and railing to make any meaningful progress.

Clean dirt, debris and leaves off without letting them pile up. Especially mold, as it is the most damaging to wood and can cause irreparable damage. Just make sure to avoid the use of metallic instruments as they tend to scratch and scrape the surface of the wood resulting in more bad than good.

·       Seal it before winter gets you

Comes fall, it’s time to start sealing away your deck. The most important part in this step is to always remember to dry the deck before sealing to avoid rotting wood due to moisture. In case your deck is new, be sure to wait 30 days before sealing. To check if it’s ready for sealing pour some water on it. If it forms beads it means it’s still too early. When the water gets absorbed it’s proof it is ready to seal.

·       Store away what you can

While you can’t store your entire deck and railing even if you have to space for it, you can at least stow smaller furniture such as seats, tables and pots. In case you don’t have enough space to store everything or some items are tedious to move around you can simply cover what’s left with a tarpaulin sheet.

·       Thaw snow continuously 

During winter, snow will most likely accumulate very quickly as a result of the frequent hail and snowfall. While meager amounts of snow can simply be removed with the use of a broom, larger quantities will require a tad bit more work than that. In such cases the best option is to thaw the snow with rock salt that is advertised as safe for children and pets. Just don’t forget to clean after a while as it will seep through and degrade the quality of the wood, ruining your deck and railing.

·       Equip new aluminum and glass railings

Equipping your deck or patio with the appropriate railing can make a big difference. Aside from the easily notable improvement in the style and finesse department, the biggest selling point of glass panels with aluminum railing is the impressive amount of protection they offer to your deck and patio while also being some of the most easily maintainable pieces of furniture. All it takes to keep them in top condition is to clean the aluminum railing with a cloth damped in the cleaning detergent and then rinse with water. Whereas the glass panels require even less work as you can keep them pristine by simply wiping the glass with a cloth and general glass cleaner. 

As aluminum is both non-flexible and resistant to corrosion it is the perfect material for protection against the harsh Canadian winter, be it strong wind, heavy precipitation, or snowfall.