The Simple Snow Shoveling Method That'll Protect Your Deck From Damage

Snow covering the trees and lawn beautifies the landscape and creates a calm, quiet atmosphere, until it's time to get out there and shovel it. Allowing heavy snow to pile up on the deck and stay there can lead to significant damage to the boards. When removing the snow, the goal is to clear snow from the deck without causing any damage. And with the right snow shoveling method, you can do it.

When snow piles up on the deck, the heavy snow can result in the wood warping and cracking over time. In extreme cases, a neglected deck that is not structurally sound could even collapse. Throughout the winter, the snow will fall, melt, and refreeze, which can cause water damage to the wood. That freezing and thawing cycle can also prevent water from draining between the boards, which can deteriorate the wood.

One of the things you can do to get your yard winter ready is to clean, repair, and seal your deck. Winter brings snow, ice, freezing temperatures, and moisture that can ravage the surface of the deck, causing wood discoloration, wood rot, and popped nails. Unfortunately, shoveling snow can cause scrapes and gouges in the boards, too. Wood is more vulnerable to damage when it is wet and becomes soft under the melting snow.

When shoveling snow on the deck, the right method is to shovel the snow parallel to the deck boards. If you shovel in the opposite direction, across the deck boards, it increases the risk of the shovel catching the sides of the deck boards and causing damage.

Remove the snow from your deck as soon as you can because snow is more difficult to get off when it freezes and turns to ice. When you are shoveling  along the length of the boards, be sure to use gentle pressure and stay aware of any areas of the deck that may already be cracked or damaged. Use more care in these areas to avoid catching on any cracks or gaps with the shovel and causing additional damage.

In addition to shoveling the snow in the right direction, it's important to use the right kind of shovel. You may even want to ditch the shovel for better ways to remove snow, such as a snow blower or broom. Using a broom to sweep away light snow is less abrasive, so you won't have to worry about damaging the boards. When you have more snow to remove, a snow blower or a plastic shovel will also prevent damage to the deck boards. Just make sure the plastic shovel does not have a metal edge.