Here’s How to Close Up Your Yard for the Season

Winter will be upon us soon and part of getting ready involves protecting your outdoor environment. This includes your lawn and garden, power equipment, patio furniture, and other cold-averse items. Follow these care and maintenance tips to help your yard and gear emerge unscathed and ready to go in the spring.

Outdoor Winter Storage

Take a close look at your outdoor shed and outdoor storage boxes. If you find any holes or cracks, now’s the time to fix them. A sound waterproof shell will keep rodents and rain/snow from getting inside and damaging the contents. You’ll also need to keep fertilizers, seeds, and other lawn and garden products dry and ready for use. If repairs are impractical or you simply need more storage, consider getting a new shed and some deck boxes for added protection.

Outdoor Furniture

Outdoor furniture takes up a lot of space and is best stored in an outdoor shed, garage, or your basement. If that’s not an option, give your furniture a good cleaning, let it dry and then cover it well. Check out a variety of chair and table covers to protect your outdoor furniture from the elements.

Protect Your Tools

Your outdoor tools served you well all summer so be sure to safeguard them in the off season. Here’s some tool protection tips to follow.

Lawn Mower

Clean out any caked-on grass clippings under the deck of your lawn mower. A stiff brush will loosen stubborn debris. Take a close look at the cutting blades. Wipe them down and sharpen or replace them if necessary.

Grass Trimmer

Clean out the area under the deck of your lawn trimmer, just as you cleaned the lawn mower. Now’s a good time to check the trimmer line too, and replace it if necessary.

Chainsaws & Hedge Trimmers

Your chainsaw will benefit from a thorough cleaning of the chain. Mix a gallon of water with a cup of ammonia and soak the chain for15-minutes. Wearing protective gloves, scrub the sections of the chain with a small-headed brush. Hedge trimmer blades can be cleaned with soapy water and a cloth.

Spades, Rakes and Other Hand Tools

To keep your lawn tools and garden tools in top condition, hose them down and scrub off any debris before storing them away.

Walkways & Paths

Inspect your walkways and paths carefully. If there are cracks on the surface, you may see weeds already taking root. Pull them out and reseal the broken areas to prevent moisture from rain and snow from expanding the damage. Paving stones are different than concrete and require different treatment:

Concrete

For concrete patio maintenance, clean out any cracks with a pressure washer and allow to dry. All you need to fill in the cracks is a stiff brush and some concrete crack filler. Simply fill the crack and smooth the surface with a putty knife.

Pavers

Over time, the expansion joints between pavers require maintenance. The felt-like material that was laid during installation can break down. You can replace this by filling the joints with foam window insulation and topping that with liquid tar. The foam and tar joints are flexible so they can withstand winter conditions.

Clean Your Gutters

Blocked drainpipes can cause gutters to freeze and rupture, resulting in costly repairs. Gutters can also collect leaves, and even grow weeds from seeds blown in by the wind. It’s a good idea to do a thorough gutter cleaning. You’ll need a sturdy extension ladder, a pressure washer with extension hose and perhaps a portable drill to repair any loose joints. If you don’t feel confident working at height, call in a professional gutter cleaner.

Prepping Your Deck

Proper deck maintenance will add years to the life of your deck. Take some time to look closely at the foundation, the areas where it attaches to your house, and the condition of the deck boards. Make necessary repairs like replacing rotted boards and any popped or rusty screws. Give the deck a thorough sweep with a good broom, and strong power wash. A coat of weatherproofing stain will give it a new lease on life and protection through the winter.

Outdoor Water Features

Outdoor water features such as faucets, swimming pools, fishponds, fountains, and bird baths need special attention during the winter:

Swimming Pools

A swimming pool requires specific care and maintenance to close up for the winter. After an end-of-season cleaning, you will probably need to lower the water level and cover the pool with a sturdy, made-to-measure canopy. We offer a wide variety of pool maintenance products to help you care for your pool.

Fishponds

The depth of your fishpond will dictate whether or not live fish can survive in it through the winter. Some owners with shallower models bring the fish inside to live in a glass tank for the duration of the winter season.

Bird Baths

Drain your bird bath of water and dry out the inside. You can also purchase a bird bath with a heat attachment, or a bird bath de-icer if you want to provide water throughout the winter.

Exposed Faucets

Open your outdoor faucets and drain them, then turn off the indoor supply lines. Check your hoses and sprinklers for wear, and bring them inside your home to avoid cracking in freezing temperatures.

Check Outdoor Lighting

Check all of your outdoor lighting fixtures and replace any burned-out bulbs before winter sets in. For safety reasons, you don’t want to be replacing lights during freezing temperatures.

Outdoor Cook Stations

If you have an outdoor fire pit or fireplace, remove the ashes and give it a thorough cleaning before covering up for the winter. If you plan on cooking outside throughout the cold months, bring your barbecue closer to the house for easy access. 

Closing up for season is a sizeable job with many tasks, so why not get the whole family involved? Just make sure you leave the BBQ till the end and have one last family cookout before heading inside to hibernate for the winter.