Tips to Ensure Vinyl Roof Deck Readiness for Cold Weather

There are specific things you can do when preparing your deck for winter.

As the leaves fall and debris collects around your vinyl roof deck, balcony, or patio, you might be thinking fondly of curling up beside the fireplace rather than enjoying the outdoors. Before you head inside to prepare a cup of hot chocolate, take an afternoon to prepare your roof deck for winter to ensure that it’s ready for your enjoyment next spring.

Tufdek™ offers the following tips for caring for your vinyl decking by preparing for winter properly.

Tip One: Start Above Vinyl Roof Decks

If your vinyl roof deck is surrounded by the roof of your home, then you should start up there first. Your roof not only protects the interior of your home, but it also removes water and debris to keep it from landing on your vinyl roof deck. If gutters are clogged or the roof itself is in poor shape your roof deck could take the brunt of it. This could result in damage over the winter that you, unfortunately, won’t know the extent of until next spring when you prepare to enjoy your deck again.

Ensure that the gutters above your vinyl roof deck are clean and securely attached. You want water to be properly directed away from the deck over the fall and winter months. If you see any cause for concern (such as leaks, loose or dirty gutters, or loose flashing), talk to a qualified roofing contractor. The last thing you want to do is leave it over the winter and find out in the spring that your roof hasn’t been the culprit and it could have bee prevented.

Tip Two: Check Your Vinyl Roof Deck

Once up top is clear, you’ll want to have a look preparing your deck for winter. Clear furniture and debris from the deck and give it a hose down, so you can see the vinyl membrane clearly and check the perimeter for any issues. When you rinse off your deck, also check that water is running off the roof deck properly. You don’t want water pooling or standing on the deck surface. This could lead to issues down the road.

Around the perimeter, make sure the vinyl membrane is still securely in place, and that gutters and flashings are functioning well to protect the underlying structure from water damage. If you suspect that any part of your vinyl roof deck is performing inadequately, have a professional check your deck before the first snowfall.

Tip Three: Prepare for Weather

It’s a good idea to also prepare your vinyl roof covering for winter weather. This not only helps to protect the deck itself, but it will also mean you can enjoy it more quickly in the spring and keep the structure safe. You’ll simply want to leave a plastic (not metal, or metal-tipped) snow shovel outdoors so you can gently remove snow when it builds up. See our post on Deck Snow Protection. By removing snow, you reduce the load on the deck and help it melt more quickly in the spring to reduce standing water on your deck.

For roof decks that are used as an access point, preparing your deck for winter could also mean keeping a bucket of de-icer or salt handy to make sure the path you clear is safe to use. Remember that as soon as the snow melts you’ll want to hose off any residual ice-melting product so it doesn’t cause damage to your vinyl membrane itself.

Tip Four: Tufdek Protection

Vinyl roof decks protected by a Tufdek vinyl membrane will give your roof deck (and home) superior waterproof protection from the elements. If you suspect that your roof deck surface is no longer protecting your home, consider a replacement vinyl decking surface now before the winter weather has a chance to cause further damage.

For more helpful advice or if you have a question that needs answering, call our Tufdek decking experts at 1-877-860-9333.