How to Prep Your Pool Deck for Winter

 How to Prep Your Pool Deck for Winter – Everyone knows how important it is to properly close your pool for the winter with a pool cover, but many people neglect the care of their surrounding decking. Doesn’t matter whether you have an in ground or above ground pool, your decking needs proper care so it doesn’t get damaged during the upcoming winter. Wood decks typically do better against snow and extreme cold, but they can still fall victim to the harsh New Jersey winters.
Check out these tips to properly prepare your pool deck for the cold:

Pressure Wash the Wood

First, sweep all leaves, dirt, debris, acorns and twigs off the deck. Then, use a pressure washer to thoroughly clean the entire area. Next up, stain the wood for a brilliant appearance as well as to protect it from the moisture that winter is known for.

Prevent Staining

To keep your deck from staining from leaves and other debris, be sure to remove all leaves and flower pots from the decking area. If you leave them there, you will see staining in the spring. Also, this increases your chances of experiencing mold and mildew growth. You don’t want to face even more work come spring trying to remove those unsightly stains.

Shovel After Every Storm

With New Jersey winters come many snow storms, so it’s important to shovel after every storm. Avoid using ice melt products and salt so as not to cause damage to the decking. The best course of action is to simply shovel after every snowfall to keep the added weight and moisture off your deck. These elements can damage your sealed wood surfaces. When shoveling, take care to use a lengthwise shoveling pattern to prevent scratching of the wood. And throw the snow onto the ground rather than your pool cover!

Pressure Wash the Concrete

While concrete decking is versatile and durable, its can crack through the winter due to freeze and thaw cycles. There’s not much you can do about that beforehand, except to seal it in fall and prepare for some filling of cracks come next summer. For now, sweep off all debris, then pressure wash all concrete areas.

Use a Deck Cover

A deck cover is great for keeping your deck dry and protected from the elements. You can find these at any pool supply store or online.

Prepping your pool deck for winter can be simple if you take the time to care for it. Need assistance with these tasks or want us to help with your pool closing? Contact us at Central Jersey Pools today to schedule your appointment. What are you waiting for? Winter is almost here!