1. Clean your deck.

The goal here is to rid your deck of leaves, twigs and dirt so that snow falls directly on the deck. You want to avoid having leaves and branches decaying on the deck surface in the spring.

When should I clean my deck?

• Sweep and clean your deck after the trees have shed most of their leaves, and your lawn has also been cleared of fallen leaves. Make sure to remove leaves/twigs from the cracks and eliminate as much debris and dirt as possible.
• While you might prefer to clean your deck on a warm and sunny day…your deck doesn’t mind being cleaned in less-than-ideal weather. However, if you plan to wash your deck with water, make sure the weatherman isn’t forecasting a freeze in the 48 hours after the deck is washed. That way, you’ll avoid a slippery, frozen surface if the deck doesn’t dry quickly in the cooler weather.

How do I wash my deck?

• Soak the deck and rail with water, then scrub with a mild detergent (like Dawn or a deck cleaner from a big box store), then rinse well.
• Use a deck brush (which has softer, plastic bristles) or a soft sponge to wash by hand.
• If you use a power washer, use a fan tip nozzle and the lowest setting.
• Don’t forget to wash dirt and grass clippings from the deck fascia. To clean fascia on an elevated deck, use a power washer on its low setting in order to avoid having to use a ladder.

2. Clear your deck.

The goal here is to leave as much open space as possible on your deck, while minimizing areas where blown leaves and twigs can become trapped and frozen in the snow. Also, if you decide to clear snow from your deck, you won’t have frozen-in furniture standing in your way.

• Remove planters and flowerpots. The space under a flowerpot can get really dirty and moldy after a few cycles of freezing/thawing.
• Remove outdoor carpet. This will freeze itself to the deck and trap dirt between it and the deck surface.
• Think about where stray leaves can build up (behind items stacked near the house, for instance). Store small, unneeded items in the garage instead of on the deck.
• Cover any furniture you do plan to leave on the deck over the winter months.

• Sweep away snow with a broom whenever possible. Hardware stores sell soft to medium, plastic-bristled brooms that are advertised as deck safe.
• When a shovel is required, use a plastic shovel, and shovel along the length of the deck boards (in the same direction as the decking). Never use a metal shovel.

Can I use rock salt or “snow melt” products on my deck?

• Yes. However, if you have a wood deck, make sure to use wood-deck safe snow melt. Do not use rock salt on a wood deck. Do not use sand on any type of decking. Composite decking is more forgiving when it comes to the use of rock salt, but it’s still best to stick with an ice-and-snow melt product that is advertised as deck-safe and non-abrasive.
• When the snow melter has reduced the snow to slush, gently use a plastic shovel to push the slush off the deck surface before it re-freezes.

Can I use a portable snow-melting mat on my deck or steps?

• Possibly yes. Check with the portable snow melt mat manufacturer and the decking manufacturer to confirm that the two are compatible, and if so, whether any protective layer should be placed in between the mat and the decking to avoid overheating the decking.