Nothing is better in the summer than hanging out with family and friends in your backyard, sipping cold drinks and eating food hot off the grill. But it’s harder to relax and unwind when you’re looking at a grimy deck or patio and sitting on dirty furniture.
Make Your Outdoor Living Space Inviting
You don’t want your guests to feel anything but comfortable when visiting your home. To get your outdoor living space ready for summer and your next backyard get-together, follow these tips:
- Sweep it up. Remove everything from the deck or patio surface. Sweep off leaves and loose debris with a broom, and don’t forget to get spider webs and dust in the upper corners.
- Inspect for problems. Examine your deck for any damage, including rot, loose boards, protruding nails and rough spots. Rough spots can be lightly sanded to prevent splinters in bare feet.
- Cover greenery. Before washing down the deck or patio, be sure to cover up nearby shrubs and plants if you’re not using an organic cleaner.
- Clean surfaces. Use a deck cleaning solution from your local hardware store to remove stains and kill any mold or mildew. Scrub the surface with a stiff-bristled broom for a gentle clean or use a power washer for more intense action. Rinse the surface with plenty of clear water immediately after scrubbing.
- Refresh patio furniture. Brush loose dirt off patio furniture, then wash both the furniture and the cushions with soapy water and rinse. Examine wood furniture to determine if it needs to be repainted or restained.
- Spruce up the landscaping. Pull weeds in flower beds and from between brick pavers and stone tiles. Trim back tree branches that are encroaching into the deck area. Add mulch in flower beds and around trees.
- Stain or seal. If your deck is made of wood, apply a stain or waterproofing deck sealant if needed to repel water and make the deck last longer.
The Importance of Examining Your Gutters
Even a once-a-year scrubbing and touch-up can greatly extend the life of a wood deck, concrete patio or brick walkway. While you’re caring for your deck or patio, remember to check on the condition of your rain gutter system as well. Clogs will result in overflowing gutters that dump water and debris onto your newly cleaned space, in addition to potentially causing water damage, so take the time to ensure they are functioning properly.
Give Gutter Helmet a Call Today
To find out how Gutter Helmet® gutter covers can help protect your gutter system, give us a call anytime at (800) 824-3772. You can also check out our website to read our customers’ gutter cover reviews and find out more about our top-of-the-line gutter protection system.
