The temperature may have dropped a few degrees, but your deck is still a fun place. Don’t let winter rob you of enjoying your deck.
Here are nine ways to use your deck in winter.
- Heat it up
- A deck fire pit
- Fire up the Barbeque
- Have an outdoor cookout
- Soak in your hot tub
- Shelter your deck from the elements with a roof
- Temporary enclose your deck
- Warm it up by lighting it up
- Plant trees around your deck that will take a few years to enjoy
Yes, you can enjoy your deck in the winter.
Winter may bring the chill to your decks, but it’s not always -40°.
On those semi-warm winter days, there are ways to enjoy your deck.
Add a Deck Heater
There are many ways to heat a deck.
From patio heaters and overhead heaters to fire tabletop heaters.
An electric deck heater has radiant warmth on the deck, allowing you to take your parka off and enjoy your outdoor oasis.
I actually researched it and found 11 ways to use different types of deck heaters. If you would like to read about ways to heat a deck
, click the link.
Embrace Winter with a Deck Fire Pit
The problem with fires in the summer is that they are hot.
The heat in winter is welcoming. Set up a gas fire pit. Gas fires are safer than wood fires on a deck without the random sparks being thrown onto your deck.
A small gas bowl fire is great to circle the deck chairs around, take the mitts off and warm your hands. I almost want to go outside right now just to have a fire, and it is minus twenty.
No physiatrist, but aren’t conversations better around a fire? Stories and exaggerating funny events as the flames dance before our eyes.
Break out the guitar and have a campfire sing-along. I love campfires.
Enjoy Grilling on Your Deck In Winter
There are two ways to grill on your deck in winter.
Option #1: Embrace the cold. Pull on a sweater and enjoy barbeque out on the grill. Make a picnic out of it and enjoy time on your deck. Even if its winter.
Option #2: With your grill close to the door on your deck. Cook outside while staying warm inside. The fire will make anything taste better, but that doesn’t mean you have to stay outside.
Enjoy the convenience of location even in winter.
If you need some tips on setting up grill clearances, click the link.
Chilli on a Chilly Winter Day
Sorry, I couldn’t help myself. But a warm pot of chilli out on the deck is a great way to enjoy your deck in winter. Warm food on a cool day warmer the belly and soul.
There are many great chilli recipes that you can even make on your grill.
Soak in the hot tub.
I’m not sure where you come from, but where I come from, the “polar bear plunge” is a right of passage. Especially in the middle of January, there are always some groups of crazies gathering around a hole in the ice.
But even more popular is the winter hot tub.
It started with hot springs in the snow and brought conveniently home with a hot tub. An exhilarating experience, the cold in the air, surrounded by snow sitting in a boiling pool of water. Hopefully, it’s not quite boiling, but it’s hot water nonetheless.
Put a roof over it!
Shelter your deck with a roof or awning, keeping the deck warmer.
Few things will trap heat more than a roof over your deck.
A deck roof will keep the snow off and shelter you from the cold.
Sheltering you from the cold
A windblock for your deck
Whenever I check the Weather Network in winter, I always look for the wind chill. It’s not the cold that will get you. It’s the wind. Having a wind-blocking privacy wall on your deck will not only stop the wind but also warm the deck as the sun reflects off the wall. It makes an incredible difference.
Enclosing your deck for winter can be a permanent deck privacy walls have value in both summer and winter and can be integrated into the deck design. Another option is what this guy did with a roll of plastic and a covered deck.
Add Lights
Installing lights on a deck during winter months can significantly enhance the functionality and ambiance of your outdoor space.
Well-lit decks can help prevent accidents by increasing visibility during the short daylight hours characteristic of winter.
Moreover, the warm glow from the lights creates a cozy and inviting atmosphere perfect for social gatherings, even amidst the chill of the winter air.
Lastly, deck lighting can emphasize the beauty of the winter landscape, illuminating the snow and ice-dusted surroundings and contributing to a magical winter wonderland effect right on your deck.
Plant Trees to Shelter Your Deck
This is not an immediate fix, but in time, trees, especially evergreens, will shelter your deck in winter. Often, you can only have a 6′ (1.8m) high privacy wall on your deck, but an evergreen can grow to over 40′ (12m). Now that’s a wind block. The green living tree brings life to your yard and deck, even in winter.