Tips for Winterizing Your Patio Experience

 When the warm weather turns chilly, that doesn’t mean you need to close up the backyard for the winter. Go ahead, put on that comfy fall jacket, grab a pumpkin spice latte and consider these tips for enjoying your patio for the fall, as well as winterizing your patio experience.

1. What products can help people easily upgrade their patio or update the look of their patio space? 

If it’s fall and winter, the answer has to be heat, such as from a chiminea or outdoor fire table. This simple addition brings the comfort of the indoors right to your patio. Linear fireplaces offer a sleek and modern design that will make your backyard feel like an exotic getaway. 

 To make the most of your patio throughout the fall, simply consider it as another room for your family and friends. What special occasions or fun meals do you plan to mark throughout the season? With a jacket and heat lamp, would it be even more enjoyable outside in the fresh air? Chances are the answer will almost always be “yes” to the patio.

2. What features can people add to the backyard to best meet their needs? 

 Foremost, you will want to speak with your specialty outdoor retailer to help plan updates. In general, when it comes to features, ask yourself what you enjoy the most IN your house. Is it watching television or listening to music? Specialty retailers can help you with mounted, four-season, outdoor home entertainment systems.  

 Is it cooking? Think outdoor kitchens, which invite the openness of the great outdoors and are similar to indoor kitchens with expansive counter space and full food preparation areas complete with sinks and plumbing. Or, do you most enjoy relaxing around the fireplace? Retailers have an array of outdoor fireplaces that give warmth and comfort. 

Most important, when you plan your outdoor space – unless you are planning to move in the next year or host weekly parties – customize it to you and your family’s personal needs. After all, it’s just you and your family at your house 99% of the time. Make it your own.

 3. How should people prepare their backyard for the winter – especially if they live in colder climes?

 First, we at the Hearth, Patio & Barbecue Association advocate using your backyard patio year-round. Winter is just one more opportunity to create memorable backyard experiences, whether it’s for a holiday gathering under lights and heat lamps, enjoying hot cider on a brisk December evening or a Super Bowl grilling party for friends and family around a fire table on a sunny February afternoon.

 With that in mind, even if you keep your patio open for enjoyment throughout the winter, you still need to make preparations for the elements. Foremost, particularly in the late fall, we encourage consistent sweeping of fallen leaves and any other debris off your hard surfaces. You will also want to give it a strong scrubbing and multiple cleanings to ensure fall foliage doesn’t turn into winter stains if left untended on your surfaces.

 Also, it’s an ideal time to ensure you’ve sealed any cracks and that your patio edging is clean and tight against its neighboring surfaces i.e., soil, driveway, etc. This will help prevent water from seeping into the cracks or on the edges and freezing, which would likely unsettle the surface and make any cracks worse by springtime.

4. Why is fall a good time to make patio updates and upgrades?

 Several reasons: First, you’ve just experienced a full summer season on the patio, and it gives you the opportunity to envision what you truly want out of your patio. Second, the shortening days and cooling weather give you a perspective on how to best use your patio year-round.  

In addition, we strongly encourage you to visit a specialty retailer to make your patio update plans. By fall, the specialty retailer’s spring and summer rush will have passed, and they can give you even greater service and expert advice to help personalize your needs.

5. Why should people consider updating their patios?

Your backyard is your oasis. When you update a room in your house, it’s typically for function. When you update your patio, it’s for relaxation. It’s also one of the more affordable rooms in your home to update. When you update a patio, you’re not displaced, and there are no contractors working in your house throughout the day.