This year we had our back yard landscaped to continue our outside living overhaul – fences have been done, patio in place, yard re-graded, shelter built – we spent an amazing summer outside enjoying a secluded oasis in the city. As I write this the weather has started to turn towards cold and we’re getting the yard and garage ready for the coming winter. As I was pondering winterizing the back yard I wondered to myself – do I need to shove my patio to try and minimize the impact the winter is going to have on it? Our old patio was in rough shape and to be frank we didn’t care about it at all – but the new one is beautiful and we want to enjoy it for years to come. So I did a little digging and here’s what I came up with.
You don’t need to shovel your patio whether concrete or paver stone if the patio is well maintained throughout the year. Shovelling can help minimize additional damage if there are already cracks or holes in the patio that haven’t been repaired, and will allow you to use the patio during the winter season for things like grilling on your BBQ or access for your pet to the grassy area of the backyard.
So let’s take a little deeper look into keeping your patio clear of snow.
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When Should I Shovel My Patio
Patios are meant to withstand all the seasons and temperatures that you might face in more northern climates from the heat of summer to the deep freeze of winter – and you might see a huge swing during that time (especially around the great lakes.). Like everything else, your patio will contract with the cold and expand with the heat which is normal and expected. Where there can be additional problems is the thaw-freeze-thaw-freeze cycle that can be encountered for patios that are not well maintained and have cracks or holes in them. This can include cracks in a concrete patio or masonry, missing polymeric sand or cracked grout between pavers, or any kind of physical damage to the patio.
If there is damage to your patio, snow falling in the winter will melt into the holes and cracks in the patio, and when it refreezes can expand to widen the crack and create additional damage. Minimizing the amount of snow on the patio (assuming you have good drainage on your property) will help minimize the additional damage to the patio.
Shovelling the patio is also a good idea if you’re going to make use of anything on the patio. If you have a grill that you may want to use or a pet that needs to get to the grass on a daily bases, clearing at least a part of the patio to allow for easy access will make both uses more practical. If you’ve gone the extra step and have outdoor heaters you may want to clear out additional space and use your patio during the winter. A hot beverage is a fantastic thing on a cold day under a heater.
When winter does come, make sure you check out our article on 12 Winter Activities for Adults
How to Shovel Your Patio Without Damage
If you want to both keep your patio looking good year after year and keep it clear of snow, you’ll need to take some special care when you’re shovelling your patio. A couple of easy tips to follow when shovelling your patio:
Use a plastic shovel without a metal tip or blade – using a metal shovel, or a shovel with a metal tip or blade on it will increase the chances of scratching your patio. While that’s perfectly acceptable on an asphalt driveway, it’s not the look you’re going for while entertaining in the summer! Use a completely plastic shovel (and the best place to get that will be the local hardware store) to avoid or minimize scratching on the patio.
Don’t use ice melters – both commercial ice melters and basic rock salt can damage your patio – both stone and concrete patios – and can kill your grass and plants as it washes off the patio in the spring. Avoiding ice melters is important to keep your patio and yard in great shape.
If you need additional traction, use sand – while you don’t want to use an ice melter on your patio, sand is a great option for adding a little traction to slippery surfaces. Sand will be absorbed into your lawn or garden without significant impact and will prevent slips and falls on any slippery surfaces.
Winter Patio Maintenance
Whether or not you’re planning to shovel part or all of your patio this winter, keeping your patio in good shape is an great way to minimize damage in the future. During the fall season before the first snowfall, take the following steps to maintain your patio for the winter months.
- Sweep any debris off the patio. Removing debris will help minimize staining and scratching.
- Fill any holes and cracks. This could be new polymeric sand or a concrete filler product. Don’t fill the deliberate expansion cuts in a concrete patio
- If you have a concrete patio apply sealant if required. We’re not going to go in depth into sealing a concrete patio, but if you don’t seal your concrete take a look into it.
Patio Furniture in the Winter
While your patio may be fine with the snow in the winter, your patio furniture will take a real beating if it’s fully exposed to the elements over the winter. In order to maximize the life and look of your patio furniture, store patio furniture that could be damaged by snow inside or cover it (with a handy dandy furniture cover at Amazon) that can be removed.
We cover our fire table and it has helped compared to many reviews that we’ve read on the brand. If you’ve got the space under a shelter of some kind (gazebo, shed, etc…) that’s also an option for anything that fits. We like to store our patio furniture in the shelter we built with an extra cover on it, and it’s come through pretty well. We store chairs with a plastic band or mesh in a fully enclosed shed in order to preserve the strength of the mesh.
Take care of your patio furniture, and it will take care of you!
