Getting Your Cedar Exteriors Ready For Winter
With the fall fast coming to an end, the winds grow colder, and in time, snow will begin to fall. Winter is coming, and your outdoor cedar furniture and structures had better be prepared. Winter is a harsh climate, especially for furniture and structures made with softwood – cedar. This is why the golden rule for outdoor furniture and winter is that you bring them indoors for storage until winter blows over. But then, immovable structures like your cedar decking, siding, and heavy furniture will be stuck outside during winter. These are the ones you need to prepare for the cold season. As a rule, you don’t start winter preparations in winter. Now that there’s still time to enjoy the midday sun is time to get your cedar exteriors ready for winter.
How to Prepare Your Cedar Exteriors For Winter
Although cedar is a softwood, it’s one of the most durable and preferred choices for exterior structures and furniture. Cedar siding, for instance, has a natural lifespan of about 20 to 40 years. However, you can only achieve that lifespan or extend it by proper maintenance. Proper maintenance doesn’t just improve the durability of your cedar exteriors; it also saves you from the expensive cost of repairs and replacements. As such, it’s in your best interest to prepare your cedar exteriors for winter. Here’s what to do:
Apply Protective Finish
One of the best maintenance tips for cedar exteriors is periodically applying a protective finish. By painting over or staining your cedar exteriors, you’ll cover the wood with a protective layer that’ll suffer the brunt of winter. At the end of winter, all you’ll have is worn-out paint or stain finish, which you can easily replace at little cost. The best part is that the protective finish doesn’t just shield your cedar exteriors from winter. It also protects from rot and insect attack. It’s advisable to reapply the protective finish at least a week before winter starts.
Inspect Your Cedar Exteriors
There are lots of issues that would have been resolved if people had paid attention. That tiny crack, moisture stain, or rot you think is harmless will grow worse, and you’ll be stuck with a costly repair or an outright replacement. To avoid aggravated damage to your cedar exteriors, inspect every nook and cranny of your cedar structures and furniture. While you may ignore certain signs during a dry and favorable climate, winter is a harsh climate that’ll aggravate those seemingly harmless signs. So, when you routinely check your cedar exteriors, it’ll be easy to spot warning signs of deterioration or damage. And when you spot these signs, fix them as soon as possible – fill in the cracks with sealant and repaint.
Clean Your Cedar Exteriors
Cleaning your cedar exteriors is a simple and relatively cheap maintenance requirement. To preserve your cedar exteriors from the harshness of winter, ensure that you give them a thorough cleaning. If your cedar exteriors haven’t been treated, treating them before the season starts is a good idea. A pressure wash to clear off the dirt and dust before winter would ensure that your cedar exteriors are preserved from the ugly blend of moisture and dirt.
Conclusion
The cold season is coming, and with it comes a tough season of harsh temperature drops and heavy dumps of snow on every surface. Your home cedar exteriors need to be prepared for the days ahead; it all starts with you. Most of what you need to do are to inspect and clean your home’s cedar exteriors. At best, you’ll need to make a few repairs or finish to ensure that your home is ready to take on the winter’s fury. Before you frown at the responsibility, remember that preparing your cedar exteriors for winter saves you from worse maintenance stress and avoidable expenses after winter.
Contact Longhouse Cedar today and let us help you get your home looking great for the season! We have a wide variety of forest products available, so you can find the perfect option for your home. Don’t wait – contact us today and let us know what we can do for you!