With the winter season approaching, keeping your outdoor kitchen and living areas clean can seem like a daunting task.
Sure, during this time we tend to be a bit more relaxed with the amount of cleaning and maintenance we perform. If you’re reading this article, the chances are that you own an outdoor kitchen area that you would like to maintain during Winter season. We’ve included some maintenance tips you could use that will ensure that your countertops don’t damaged or deteriorate during the winter season.
That’s why we’ve compiled a few helpful tips on how to keep your granite countertops in good shape during this time:
Sealing Granite Countertops
Obviously, one of the crucial steps to maintaining your outdoor granite countertops during the winter is to seal them.
Keeping your countertops in good condition largely depends on sealants. Especially if your countertop is exposed to snowfall, sealing your countertops on a more regular basis is of the utmost importance. Increased exposure to moisture will wear out the existing layer of sealant, and we all know that moisture can be detrimental to your countertops. Whether your countertops are granite, marble or quartzite – moisture will adversely affect them. So be sure to seal them regularly!
Watch Out For Freezing and Thawing (Even in Areas that Don’t Receive Snow)
Another aspect to be on the lookout for is the cycle of freezing and thawing. It’s important to watch out for this because the cycling of freezing and then thawing can certainly lead to cracks in your countertops.
While there’s not a lot you can do to prevent this, we recommend – as we stated above – that you seal your countertops more regularly. Plus, if your countertops are exposed to snowfall you can brush away the snow to further prevent any stains or cracks.
What about Sinks on Your Countertops?
This section depends on if your outdoor living area has a sink and is also based on your overall Winter intensity. Be sure that you close off the water valves and be sure that those lines are drained. You can even remove your faucets and store them indoors.