Care Tips for Your Patio Covers

One of the top selling factors of our patio covers is their low maintenance. This doesn’t mean they shouldn’t be maintained at all. Improper maintenance or lack of it can wear down your patio cover faster, shortening its service span and exposing it to even more potential issues when the weather is bad. Here are a few tips on how you can properly maintain and care for your patio cover, increasing its life span and maximizing your enjoyment of the outdoor features of your home.

Manage Mold and Mildew

Sometimes the biggest issue that can affect your patio cover is mold or mildew. Not only do these look bad anywhere on your property, but they can also be bad for your health. Being outdoors does not make the health hazard posed by mold and mildew any less real, so it’s a good idea to clean this ASAP.

The easiest way to tell if the stain growing on your solid patio covers is mold or mildew, or just plain dirt, is to apply some bleach onto it. If it starts to go away after some time, then it’s mold and mildew.

Once you’ve identified the type of growth, you can mix a third of detergent, two-thirds of trisodium phosphate powder (TSP), a quart of bleach and three quarts of water into a cleaning solution. Apply this to the growth, and it should remove mold and mildew easily, without affecting your structure.

However, if it’s already an infestation and not just a few spots here and there, it’s safer to call a professional to have that mold removed.

Storage

The pergola itself probably won’t have too much trouble with inclement weather, but you have to store the furniture underneath it properly as well. Clean up the furniture as best as you can, to prevent any damage that could occur while the items are in storage. A silicone sealant will protect metallic (non-aluminium) furniture from the cold and moisture, while car wax can be used on plastic and aluminium furniture.

Invest in patio furniture covers, since you don’t know how much rain or snow can blow into your patio. Ensuring that the furniture underneath the patio cover won’t be compromised by the wet weather will go a long way to helping you keep your patio ready during the warmer months.

Ask Your Contractor

The first thing you should do when opening a new machine is to read the manual. In the case of your patio cover, you should ask the contractor who installed your patio cover for the basic care and maintenance of the structure. They will know how their materials will react to dirt, grime, wear and tear, so they will be able to tell you how they would take care of their own product.

They will also have a better idea of how the material will react to the change of seasons, so they are the best people to instruct you on how to care for your Elitewood lattice patio covers.

It’s always best to get the maintenance guide after your contractors complete the installation of the structure, but there’s no issue with calling them later and asking them for the maintenance guide. At this point, scheduling a maintenance inspection with a specialist would be helpful in establishing a suitable care program for your new structure.

At Dreamstyle Remodeling, we will help ensure your patios and patio covers are clean and well-maintained, even during the colder months of the year. For more information, call us at (877) 721-1590 or reach us by filling out our contact form. We are the top choice for home improvement in Albuquerque, NM, and the surrounding areas.