Making your deck cozier for winter is a wonderful way to extend your outdoor living space and enjoy the colder months more comfortably.
Transforming your deck into a winter-friendly space is a fantastic strategy to extend your outdoor living throughout the chilly season.
Creating a cozy atmosphere on your deck involves adding warmth, comfort, and protection from the elements. Along with learning how to make your deck cozier, you’ll also want to safeguard your decking from the weather to minimize issues like water damage.
To help you prepare for winter, this article features 10 cozy deck decorating tips, plus some winter deck maintenance advice. So, keep reading to discover how to enhance your outdoor space throughout the colder months.
10 Ways To Make Your Deck Cozier for Winter
1. Decorate With Outdoor Furniture
If you want to continue using your deck in winter, adding outdoor furniture is a must. Invest in comfortable pieces with soft seating. Alternatively, add cozy cushions to your existing outdoor furniture.
Another excellent piece to enhance your winter outdoor space is a fire pit or fire pit table. You’ll want all outdoor furniture to be weather-resistant and easy to clean. Materials like teak, aluminum, or all-weather wicker are good choices. When not in use, protect furniture with outdoor furniture covers or put into storage.
2. Incorporate Cozy Accessories
Once you have your winter outdoor furniture arranged, you can make your deck cozier by incorporating accessories. These can include throw pillows and blankets. Heated blankets or seating pads could be added as well.
If you have a pergola over your deck, you could even put up outdoor curtains, which help protect from wind and provide added privacy. They will also make the space warmer and cozier.
Add Outdoor Rugs
Outdoor rugs are one of the best outdoor accessories to make your deck cozier. Rugs add warmth and colour to your space, making it more welcoming. If opting for outdoor rugs, ensure they are made for outdoor usage, meaning they are weather-resistant and created to withstand winter conditions.
Use Warm Colours
Decorate your deck with warm, earthy colours like deep reds, browns, and oranges. These shades visually warm up the space, making it feel cozier. Purchasing soft furnishings like rugs, cushions, and throws in these colours is the perfect way to incorporate them into your outdoor area.
Embrace Seasonal Décor
One of the best cozy deck decorating tips for winter is to add some seasonal décor. This can include pieces related to holidays during the season. It could also include decor items connected to winter in other ways, like potted plants that thrive during colder weather, such as evergreens. Holiday lights look great as well. They add festive cheer and make your deck cozier and more welcoming during darker winter evenings.
3. Build Windbreaks
Along with cold weather, winter is prone to wind, which you’ll want to protect yourself from as much as possible while enjoying your deck. Windbreaks are the perfect product to use to accomplish this. They help to retain heat within the deck area as well.
One of the best windbreak options is a TruNorth Slide & Go Fence. This easy-to-install fence comes in 12 beautiful shades, with a colour to match or complement your deck guaranteed. Not only does the Slide & Go Fence act as a windbreak, but it also offers privacy.
Other options include curtains and bamboo screens. You could even use tall potted plants to make a windbreak and add a bit of colour to your space.
4. Strategically Place Heaters Around Your Deck
One of the drawbacks to being outside during the winter is the cold temperatures. However, winter weather doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy your outdoor space. To keep warm while relaxing on your deck, install outdoor heaters.
You can opt for propane or electric patio heaters, tabletop heaters, or even a mounted radiant heater on a nearby wall. Place heaters strategically to create warm zones on your deck.
Install a Fire Pit
There are many kinds of outdoor heating systems to choose from, but one of the most aesthetically pleasing is a fire pit. As mentioned already, you can opt for a fire pit table. Alternatively, incorporate a stand-alone fire pit into your design.
Whichever option you go for, arrange seating around the fire pit to create a cozy and social gathering area. If you have the space and budget, you could even build an outdoor fireplace. Not only does this feature make your deck cozier, but it also creates a unique atmosphere and provides ample heat.
5. Insulate the Floor
One of the more practical things to do to make your deck cozier is insulating the floor. Your deck may have gaps between the boards, which allows drafts to come through. You can simply insulate your deck by adding outdoor rugs.
Alternatively, if you have a Clubhouse deck, opt for a Clubhouse Dexerdry Weather Diverting System. This product fills in spaces between the deck boards to reduce drafts. It also helps protect the space under your deck from water issues.
6. Add Ambiance to Your Deck with Lighting
Another of the cozy deck ideas is to illuminate the space with outdoor lighting. Well-placed lighting makes your deck feel inviting during dark and cold winter evenings.
String lights, LED candles, or lanterns are all excellent choices. In all cases, soft and warm lighting is optimal for creating a cozy atmosphere. Adding lighting is also one of the best small outdoor space ideas to maximize your backyard.
7. Consider a Roof or Canopy
If your budget allows, consider adding a retractable roof or canopy to protect your deck from rain and snow. This simple addition helps to create a space that’s ideal for all-seasons outdoor living. You could also build a pergola, gazebo, or screened-in porch.
8. Add Plants and Greenery
Potted plants and greenery add colour and height to your outdoor space. For winter, opt for winter-friendly shrubs, like evergreens, holly bushes, or poinsettias (if you have pets, remember to check which winter plants are pet-friendly).
Tall potted plants around the deck can act as a windbreak and privacy screen as well. You could also incorporate hanging baskets for additional colour and dimension.
9. Create a Hot Beverage Station
One of the unique ways to make your deck cozier is by setting up a hot beverage station. You can add a small table with a hot water heater to your deck or set the station up just inside your home by the door to the deck.
Add drinks like cocoa, tea, coffee, and hot chocolate, plus seasonal drinks like mulled wine or hot cider; perfect for entertaining guests and snuggling up with a warm drink on your cozy winter deck!
10. Enjoy Outdoor Cooking and Dining
Providing warm drinks isn’t the only way to make your deck cozy in the winter. You can also embrace winter al fresco dining.
Installing an outdoor kitchen or grilling area is something you can benefit from year-round. In winter, just add some heat sources, like heat lamps, to make outdoor dining warm and atmospheric.
5 Winter Deck Maintenance Tips
While crafting a cozy deck ambiance is essential, it’s equally important to understand how to maintain and safeguard your deck throughout the winter season. These winter deck maintenance tips will help prevent damage and allow you to enjoy your outdoor space all season long.
1. Weatherproof Your Space
Ensure that any added outdoor structures, furniture, and décor pieces are built to withstand the elements. If not, use weatherproof covers to protect them or put items into storage when not in use.
Weatherproofing your actual deck is an excellent idea as well. If you have a wood deck, apply a weather-resistant sealant. Conveniently, composite and PVC decking, like TruNorth Composite Decking or Clubhouse PVC Decking, are weatherproof by design. Therefore, you don’t need to seal the decking each winter to protect it from the elements.
Those with a Clubhouse deck can get a little extra protection by adding a Clubhouse Dexerdry Weather Diverting System. The sealant fills spaces between deck boards, preventing water from getting under the deck, which can lead to issues.
2. Keep the Deck Clear
Before using your deck in winter, ensure it’s clear of snow, ice, and other debris, like fallen foliage. You’ll also want to regularly shovel snow and ice to prevent accidents or damage to the deck’s surface. You can use salt to help de-ice your deck as well.
3. Minimize Salt Usage
If you do use salt or ice melt on your deck to keep it clear and prevent slipping, be mindful of the type of salt you use. Some salts can damage wood and other materials, like composite or PVC decking. Choose a product that is safe for your decking material and use it sparingly.
4. Ensure Your Deck Is Safe
Make sure that your deck is safe to walk on in winter conditions. Clearing your deck and removing ice is a big part of this. However, you can also apply non-slip coatings or mats to prevent slips and falls.
5. Do Regular Maintenance
Lastly, keep your deck clean and well-maintained throughout the winter. Along with sweeping away debris and clearing snow and ice, ensure that you periodically check for any signs of damage or wear. If these occur, fix them as soon as you can.
To minimize the risks of winter weather impacts, opt for composite or PVC decking over wood when choosing what’s best for your deck project. These materials are more weather-resistant than wood, don’t require sealing, and are less prone to winter weather damage, like rot, mold, or mildew from wet conditions.
Wrapping It Up
By following these steps and incorporating your personal style, you can make your deck cozier and create a warm and inviting winter retreat. Staying on top of deck maintenance during winter will also make preparing your deck for spring and summer much easier.
Ready to enhance your outdoor living space for winter or start planning your dream deck project for spring? Explore the advantages of TruNorth Composite and Clubhouse PVC decks.
These materials bring numerous benefits compared to traditional wooden decking. Notably, they are longer lasting, lower maintenance, and more resistant to issues like mold, insect damage, cracking, and warping.
Best of all, both product lines capture the classic wood look and offer a wide selection of stylish shades to suit any preference. Visit our product page for more details and to find the perfect solution for your deck needs.
