How to Prepare your Patio for Winter

The leaves are changing colors and falling, there’s a chill in the air and the days are getting shorter and shorter. Yes, its fall now – but soon, it will be winter. During every fall season, there’s a checklist of household chores that should be completed before winter weather arrives, such as raking leaves, turning off outdoor faucets, winterizing the lawnmower and putting snow tires on your car.

But not to be forgotten is the all-important chore of properly prepping your patio and porch furniture. Failure to act appropriately could drastically impact the lifespan of such furniture, forcing you to shell out big bucks to have it replaced well before you had anticipated. Needless to say, this is something that shouldn’t be neglected. Here’s a look at some tips on how to best prepare:

• Aluminum and wood furniture are weather resistant and actually can be left out in the cold during the winter months. However, there are a few things to keep in mind when dealing with this type of furniture.
• With aluminum furniture, it’s important to drain any water out before freezing temperatures set in. And with wood furniture, don’t place a protective cover over it. That’s because moisture can get underneath the cover and wreak havoc on it.
• Wicker and steel furniture should never be left out in the cold. The former type of material is prone to expansion and contraction in cold temperatures while the latter material easily rusts.
• Despite the fact that some furniture is better able to handle the cold weather than others, it’s usually best to store all types of outdoor furniture during the winter. But before you do that, there are a few housekeeping items to keep in mind. For instance, clean all furniture – regardless of the material – to remove dirt and moisture to prevent widespread mold growth. Your furniture can be easily cleaned with dish soap and water. Don’t forget to clean the cushions, either.
• If you have metal furniture, check it for signs of rust before storing it for the winter. Use a wire brush to remove any rust and consider adding a protective coating of wax and using a silicone sealant to help preserve it for the future.

A big part of prepping your porch or patio furniture for the cold winter months is obviously making sure you have a place to store it. Sheds, garages and basements are the most common areas where such items are shelved away for the season, but often times it’s hard to make extra room for yard furniture. That’s where a company like Porch & Patio comes in. Before every winter, they’ll come out to your home and pick up your yard furniture to store in their warehouse over the winter. Pricing for storage of outdoor furniture pieces ranges per piece. 1-5 pieces will cost: $399, 6-11: $499, 12 & over: $599. Porch & Patio can also repair a broken strap, fix a broken weld and mend your sling or cushion before returning the furniture to you. Then in the spring, they’ll return it to your yard and place it just as they found it so you can enjoy it once again. It’s a value-added service that takes all the guesswork and hassle out of prepping your yard furniture.

For more information on how to prepare your porch and patio for the winter months and more details on Porch & Patio’s winter storage program, contact the company today.