Leaving garden structures alone and not prepping until spring is a common practice for many people. In many cases, there isn’t a lot of harm that comes from this. However, winter damage comes from the slow and cumulative nature of the season. Over winter the structures will get moisture collecting in the joints, hairline cracks will form, and the freeze-thaw cycles will get worse, and debris will rest for long periods of time against metal and wood surfaces. Most of this damage is not dramatic, but winter does a lot of damage and some of it can be easy to prevent with a few hours of preparation in the fall before the worst weather hits.
Metal Gates and Railings
The most important part of metal gates and railings is the paint or powder coating, especially on the surface of joints and the base of vertical bars as well as fixings. There is a point at which moisture will cause the surface coating to peel. In the fall, these spots can be treated with rust converter and paint to mitigate the spread. However, if left untreated during winter, these rust spots will spread, and in the spring the only option will be to grind the rust spots.
Hinges and pivots on swing gates should be lubricated before winter. The grease or oil that was applied when it was first installed will not last forever. If the hinges go through the wet and cold cycles with no lubrication, dry hinges will wear out much more quickly than hinges that are regularly lubricated. Most domestic gate hinges will accept standard grease used sparingly on the pivots, and worked in by moving the gate through its full range. It only takes about 5 minutes and only needs to be done once a year.
If the gates are automated, you should check to see if there are any gaps or cracks in the motor housings. Most gate motors are made to be rainproof to an extent, but a housing with a crack that pools water within is a problem. In the fall, you should also check the battery backup of solar systems. The batteries will degrade faster during the winter because they have to compensate for the solar input. This will cause the batteries to die, and will carry the most degradation during winter.
Timber Structures and Decking
The biggest disadvantages that come with outdoor timber in the winter are the damp cycles. The biggest problems come after the rainy season and prolonged damp cycles along with poor drainage or debris accumulation. A deck that drains and is designed to dry will suffer a lot less than one that allows water to pool on the surface or in the spaces between the boards.
For winterizing a deck, clearing the drainage gaps between the boards is more important than any treatment applied to a deck with trapped debris. Mould occurs along with the splitting of deck boards due to the retention of moisture from leaves and organic matter in the gaps. A stiff brush and a hose are generally enough to clean a deck. A pressure washer should be carefully applied to timber decking; it raises the wood and causes pressure treated water to be driven deeper into the wood and retains dirt on the surface.
The best time to oil or stain a deck is early autumn as the treatment will provide the deck the best protection during the winter. A treatment applied to a surface that is wet or dirty will not penetrate timber and will lift off during the first heavy rain. A dry spell in September or October is the best time to oil or stain a deck in preparation for the winter. It is best to avoid applying treatments in November as the timber will be holding moisture.
Timber structures like pergolas should be checked at the bases of their posts and at any point that timber meets a fastening or a wall. These are the first places that timber will begin to rot, and in the beginning stages, it can go completely unnoticed for the first couple years. The bases of timber posts can be tested by penetrating the wood with a pocket knife. If the blade goes through easily, then the timber has significantly degraded. One post that has lost its integrity is one post too many. Because this will eventually happen to all posts, it is best to mitigate this situation before a post completely fails. It is always better to be proactive.
Awnings
You should always keep your awnings fully rolled in before frost or snow makes an appearance. Leaving awnings rolled out overnight when the temperatures drop can produce ice in the cloth and fold. Snow has the potential to exceed the design limit of the awning and the structure that supports it. Manufacturer warranties will cover damage to the awning caused by these situations, but not if the awning was extended.
The cassette or roller housing should be examined for debris that may have built up during the summer months. Insects, leaves, and in coastal regions, salt, can penetrate the housing mechanism. A fast inspection with the awning partially opened, and a wipe of the exposed surfaces, can stop the blockage that causes the housing mechanism to work inefficiently, or causes the fabric to retract unevenly.
If the awning is not to be used at all during the winter, for example, at a property that is used seasonally, removing the fabric and storing it indoors is the best option. This is not always practical, but a fabric that is stored flat and dry during winter is better than one that is left in the cassette for three months of cold, damp weather.
The One Thing Most People Overlook
The common thread of all outdoor construction is drainage, and it is probably the most neglected. If water is unable to drain away from the base of gate posts, the edges of decks, or the ground around the base of a pergola, it will cause the deterioration of the structure. A drain that is partially blocked, a ditch that is full of silt, or a lawn that has become so compact that it is not absorbing water will cause more detrimental effects to surrounding structures than almost anything else.
I find clearing drainage around outdoor structures in autumn isn’t the most exciting task. In saying that, it is one of those things that will impact the appearance and performance of those structures five years down the road.