Once again winter is beckoning and there are a lot of preparations to make around the house exteriors. The sign of leaves dropping their usual color is a clear pointer the dreaded time of the year is around the corner. As you prepare your home, one of the most important areas to consider is the outdoor living space.
Nowadays, most people are taking their living rooms outside. You don’t want the harsh winter weather to spoil your valuable furniture. Preparing the space for winter means doing a few things on the house exteriors.
Outdoor Furniture and Fixtures
Firstly, you need to take care of every piece of wood in your outdoor space that will be exposed to the weather. In other words, you have to prevent the effects moisture will have on any wooden furniture in your living space. Moisture is not the only thing that can spoil your furniture. You also need to remove all mildew and algae from the deck. Once you have removed all the debris from the deck, it’s time to polish and seal it to prevent moisture damage. Furniture which is prone to rust needs to be painted in time for winter.
Plants and Lawns
The lawn is an important part of the outdoor living space, so include it in the list of house exteriors you’re working on. The first step is to remove all the scattered leaves and make mulch from them. Then, you might want to fortify the lawn and maintain a level of moisture on it throughout winter. As you attend to the lawn, check on the plants, especially the flowering ones. There are those that will require some pruning. If you wish, you might also introduce some bulbs, and apply the mulch on them to keep off frost. Still on the plants, make sure there are no dead plants around as they might harbour diseases and undesirable insects.
Weeds can be a menace if they are left during the winter and plus dealing with them now makes your spring gardening work easier. Because weeds compete for resources with the plants, removing the weeds is an important part of the winterizing process.
Outdoor Plumbing
Winterizing your house’s outdoor exteriors is not complete if you’re unsure about the condition of the plumbing system. Freezing conditions could affect and burst pipes for the kitchen, swimming pool and sprinkler. Remember that repairing the plumbing for the house exterior isn’t too much fun in freezing conditions. So as winter approaches, identify any anomalies in the outdoor plumbing system and repair them in good time before the temperatures drop. For water features and pools around the outdoor living space, adding winterizing chemicals does the trick.
Just as you take care of the outdoor space, extend the same to furniture and equipment. For instance, it’s advisable to clean up the mower and other lawn equipment before storing. As for the outdoor furniture, make sure you cover them with moisture resistant materials.
These are workable tips that will ensure your house exteriors last through the harsh winter weather. Taking care of the furniture, lawn, and deck ensures the space is maintained throughout winter. In addition, there won’t be a lot to do when spring finally arrives. Use these and other tips to ensure that the punishing winter leaves your house exteriors unscathed.
Featured images:
- License: Image author owned
- License: Image author owned
Rob Gold works in home construction and renovation in Vancouver, Canada with Gold Coast Stucco and Design. When he’s not working, he loves gardening and fixing up old furniture.