In today’s blog article, we would like to talk about the effect of snowfall on your deck. Whether snowfall damages your deck depends on how much snowfall you get and what kind of shape your deck is in for starters.
How snowfall can damage a deck
There are several ways that snowfall can damage a deck. The weight of snow can damage a deck if it was not built well—or according to code—in the first place. However, if the deck was built to code, then it should have no problem holding the snow load.
Another potential problem is if you deck does not drain properly. Decks should be slanted slightly, so they drain away from the house. If your deck pools water, then that can be a problem because pooling water can be damaging to the decking and to the support system underneath.
Ice dams can damage a deck just like they can damage a roof. Ice dams occur when snow thaws and freezes over and over, and more snow falls during the process. Large chunks of ice can put pressure on boards lifting them up.
Shoveling the snow on a deck can damage the paint. If you deck is painted, repeated scraping with a shovel can scrape the paint right off the deck. If you are going to shovel your deck, try to be gentle with the shovel if your deck is painted.
On the Lower Mainland, we do not typically have hundreds of feet of snow. So, your deck is most at risk for damage if it is painted. If the deck is stained or made of composite materials, and if it is built well to begin with, then you should not have a excessive damage from some snowfall.
If you are concerned about damage to your deck from this year’s snowfall, you are welcome to contact us, and we can help. We can be reached in Vancouver at (604) 626-7100.
Deck Experts, based in Surrey, BC, are professional deck builders with a long track record of success. We offer free estimates and long warranties and can build or fix any deck around. If you have any questions about this article or would like to talk to us about decks, please call us at (604) 626-7100.
