Don't wait until the first frost to start winterizing your balcony and terrace. Here are all the tips on what to do and when.
Not only plants now need the care of eager hobby gardeners so that they can keep their winter sheep in the cold season. The rest of the furnishings on the balcony and terrace also need your attention so that everything gets through the winter unscathed. Small items such as wind turbines, lanterns, flower pots and plant decorations now belong carefully packed in the basement, tool shed or in the attic. If you leave these small parts outside over the winter, damage from frost and snow is inevitable. But even larger pieces of furniture, i.e. all your balcony or terrace furniture, now need an extra portion of care before they can be stowed away completely winter-proof.Balcony and patio furniture ready for winter
Balcony and terrace furniture should not be left unprotected against the weather during the cold months, otherwise in the spring it may no longer be very attractive and may even be damaged. Snow and rain can run into cracks and cause significant damage when they freeze.
Impregnating patio furniture
It is therefore important to carefully waterproof the balcony and terrace furniture before the first onset of winter. In hardware stores such as Bauhaus or OBI, care products for wood and plastic furniture are available, with which individual pieces of furniture can be treated. Ideally start with the waterproofing in autumn, when the temperatures are not too bad.
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So that the care product can penetrate the wood or plastic sufficiently, store the furniture in a dry room for one to two days after processing.
Plastic Garden Furniture Covers Protect Outdoors
Don't let your garden furniture overwinter without protection! If you don't have space to store your balcony and patio furniture under winter protection, you should protect it from frost and moisture with plastic covers. In this way, the furniture remains protected from rain, snow and wind and survives the winter unscathed. Plastic sleeves in different sizes are also availableHardware store or on the Internet, for example on Amazon or eBay.
Balcony and patio furniture is of course safest for the winter in sheltered rooms such as the basement or garden shed. If there is enough storage space, putting the furniture underneath is still the best protection against frost.
Remove dirt from pipes and gutters
Especially when the days get wet and cold, functional drainage channels on the balcony and terrace are very important so that rainwater and snow cannot accumulate. It is therefore advisable to carry out a thorough cleaning of the pipes in autumn. Use a shovel and a hand brush to remove leaves and mud from the gutters. This allows the water to drain away unhindered.Have your balcony and terrace winterized by a specialist
Anyone who is not sufficiently familiar with the necessary work and suspects particularly heavy or stubborn dirt should, as a precaution, hire a specialist to clean drainpipes and gutters. In the Yellow Pages or on eBay classifieds there is a large selection of regional suppliers who understand the cleaning work and who can make the inlets and outlets on balconies and terraces winter-proof in just a few simple steps. Incidentally, fallen leaves and mud should be regularly removed from the floor of the balcony and terrace in autumn and winter, otherwise there is a considerable risk of slipping in wet and frosty conditions. However, dirt can be removed in a few minutes with a rake or a strong broom.
When autumn and winter have a firm grip on Germany, it's high time to prepare the outside area for the cold season as well. The balcony and terrace need a little extra care during these weeks so that plants, furniture and other furnishings can survive the winter undamaged. In spring, the outdoor seating area can be turned into an oasis of well-being in just a few simple steps.