Prepping Your Outdoor Furniture for Winter
Thanksgiving has come and gone. We hope you were able to enjoy time with your family and spend some time outside as well. You may have left your outdoor furniture on the patio to accommodate guests who thought things were a bit crowded in the house. That’s fine, but now really is the time to prep your outdoor furniture for winter.
Cold rain, ice, and snow can do some serious damage to patio furniture if you don’t take some basic precautions. Today we’re going to go over some tips for prepping your outdoor furniture for winter so that it’s in top shape next spring.
1. Clean Your Outdoor Furniture
The first step in preparing your outdoor patio furniture for winter is to give it a good cleaning. Use mild dish soap and a soft cloth to clean wicker, iron, plastic, or resin furniture, and a wood furniture cleaner on wood.
RELATED READING: How to Clean Outdoor Furniture
Check for any signs of rust, mold, or mildew, and eradicate those issues. Allow the furniture to thoroughly dry before moving on to the next step.
2. Cover It or Store It
No matter what material your outdoor furniture is made of, you don’t want to leave it unprotected where it can be buried in snow. This can cause problems with moss, mold, and mildew.
Teak outdoor furniture can stay out all winter long, but you need to cover it with quality, durable furniture covers. Synthetic wicker can also say outside as long as it is covered. Ensure the furniture covers fit well by measuring your furniture before you purchase covers.
Metal furniture and plastic or resin furniture should be stored in an outdoor shed, your garage, or basement – wherever you have the space. Consider covering this furniture as well with plastic sheeting or a tarp to keep the dust and debris off of it.
Be sure to check on your furniture a few times over the winter. Rodents and even birds can make their way into storage sheds and garages, and take up residence in and around your furniture.
3. Don’t Forget the Cushions
Lastly, don’t forget to prep outdoor furniture cushions. You need to hose cushions down to get rid of any grime that accumulated over the summer. Then you need to let the cushions thoroughly dry before storing them away for the winter.
By skipping this step and rushing things, you encourage mold and mildew growth, which will ruin the cushions. Once they are good and dry, you can store the cushions in large plastic bags or outdoor cushion storage bags. Just make sure the bags are sealed tightly. Again, rodents and other critters will use them as winter bedding if they can get to them.
4. Start Dreaming of Next Spring
Some people absolutely LOVE winter. If you’re one of them, you’re already thinking about going snow skiing or building a snowman with the kids. If, however, you’re more of a warm-weather person, December is the perfect time to start planning for next summer. Getting estimates, hiring a contractor, approving a design, getting permits, and the actual construction can take months.
RELATED READING: Navigating HOA Rules and the Permitting Process
By starting now, you give yourself and your contractor plenty of time to finish your project in time for the first warm weather of springtime.
Dream It. Build It. Live It.
Just because you’re packing up and covering your outdoor furniture doesn’t mean you can’t still enjoy your outdoor living spaces. If you’re lucky, you have built-in seating near the fire pit or outdoor fireplace or even a portable patio heater.
But you can always pull out some portable chairs to enjoy the stray warm day outside and dream of warmer days. Maybe you’re thinking about adding an inground pool to the mix next summer. You don’t need to wait to start planning and getting estimates. We are now booking for 2022. Call 301.720.1000 or use the contact form to schedule a consultation.
We work with homeowners throughout the Capital Region, including Maryland, DC, and Northern Virginia.
