A common question we get from new wood deck owners is whether shoveling their deck is needed and if it will damage it or not.
Shoveling can damage your wood deck — but it doesn’t have to if you use precautions and common sense.
Wood decking is much stronger than composite, and denser woods such as mahogany and ipe are particularly resistant to scratching. But even hardwood can fall victim to careless gouging from metal shovel blades.
Regardless of the kind of material your deck is made of, there are ways you can prevent shovel damage this winter.
Brooms and plastic shovels are the tools for keeping your deck clear of snow and ice all winter long. We recommend designating a plastic shovel specifically for clearing the deck and keeping it accessible throughout the snow season. Here’s our guide of 6 tips to avoid damaging your deck this winter.
1. Use a Plastic Shovel
If a broom isn’t enough to clear snow, you can use a shovel. But be sure to use either a plastic shovel or a shovel with a rubber edge. A metal shovel can scrape, scratch, gouge, or chip your deck.
Check that the plastic shovel you use doesn’t have a metal wear strip, which can also cause damage.
Just be sure to be careful of any existing chips or cracks in the wood. If your shovel’s edge gets under a chip or crack, it could further damage the deck.
2. Sweep Instead of Shovel
If the snow is light and you do want to clear snow from your deck, we recommend using a broom to sweep it away as it falls. A broom is a safe way to remove snow without risking damage to your deck.
A shovel can chip or scratch the deck. Even a plastic shovel could catch an existing chip or crack (which are more common on old decks) and cause damage.
3. Don’t Overdo it
We love this first tip, because it means your life this winter just got a whole lot easier.
Believe it or not, in most cases, unless your deck is over 25 years old, poorly built, or of non-decay-resistant material, it is not critical that you do it right away, the deck can handle it. If you get enough sun exposure to do the job for you, you don’t need to shovel the snow off your deck. Assuming your wood deck is decay-resistant and water-sealed (as all the decks we build are), moisture poses no short-term danger. In fact, shoveling can scrape or wear away the finish on your deck.
There are four reasons you might want to shovel your deck:
- You want to use it! After all, the grill is out there.
- You want exercise (shoveling is a great workout).
- You want your deck to be available as an exit route in case of a fire or other emergency.
- The snow’s weight shouldn’t pose a risk to the deck if professionally built, permitted, and inspected — our decks are rated for a lot of weight, so this really isn’t a concern unless the snow is piled all the way up to the railings (3 feet or deeper).
- Shovel your driveway and walkways first
4. Shovel in the Right Direction
When you shovel your deck, make it a point to shovel in the same direction that the boards lie.
By shoveling in a direction parallel to the boards, you limit the chance of catching an edge on the side of a board and damaging it that way.
5. Keep Your Deck Clear Before the Snow Falls
If you know snowfall is on the way, make sure your deck is clear. Sweep away branches, leaves, and debris, and put away planters, rugs, and another decor.
Debris on your deck can clog the create air gaps and cause moisture to build up and turn into ice, which may be harder to remove. Removing furnishing and accessories makes shoveling easier and avoids accidental damage to the furnishing as well as the deck.
Items like rugs and pots can leave behind water stains as snow melts, which is another reason it’s important to clear off deck accessories in the winter months.
6. Invest in a Deck Roof Addition
Covered decks provide many benefits year-round. You can stay dry on rainy days, cool on hot, sunny days, and the coverage keeps your deck clear from snow all winter long.
If you already have a deck, you can turn it into a covered deck with a custom roof addition. This covering creates an outdoor living room where you can entertain and relax all year round.
A roof addition will make your deck last longer by protecting the decking material from the elements. Plus, a roof improves your deck’s usability, which means a higher ROI if you sell your home.
Plus, a roof will keep your deck cooler in the summer and warmer during the winter, a particularly valuable feature if you decide to put in a fire pit or outdoor heater. Suddenly, grilling steaks in December or hosting an outdoor Superbowl party becomes a possibility!
The outdoor design specialists at DeckTec can come up with a custom roof addition for your deck that’ll allow you to make the most of Colorado outdoor living.
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