{"id":1320,"date":"2018-01-26T13:09:50","date_gmt":"2018-01-26T13:09:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.savoytimber.com\/help-and-advice\/?p=1320"},"modified":"2023-03-28T15:04:31","modified_gmt":"2023-03-28T14:04:31","slug":"avoid-damage-clearing-snow-ice-decking","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/savoytimber.com\/help-and-advice\/avoid-damage-clearing-snow-ice-decking\/","title":{"rendered":"How To Avoid Damage When Clearing Snow And Ice From Your Decking"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>The idea of snow and ice settling on decking makes lots of people uneasy, and it\u2019s not difficult to see why. Quite apart from the risk of slipping and falling, there\u2019s the fear for many people that it can damage the wood. To what extent this is true can often depend on exactly what type of wood you use for your decking, but we understand the urge to get out there and clear all that chilly stuff away, just in case.<\/p>\n<p>Before you go, though, you should know all the ins and outs of how to do it properly, so you can avoid doing any damage to your deck. On this week\u2019s blog, we\u2019ve compiled the most major dos and don\u2019ts!<\/p>\n<h2>The Dos On How To Clear Snow And Ice From Decking<\/h2>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"img-responsive alignnone wp-image-1322 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.savoytimber.com\/help-and-advice\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/snow-on-decking-compressed.png\" alt=\"snow and ice on decking\" width=\"730\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/savoytimber.com\/help-and-advice\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/snow-on-decking-compressed.png 730w, https:\/\/savoytimber.com\/help-and-advice\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/snow-on-decking-compressed-300x123.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 730px) 100vw, 730px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>The golden rule for this task is the same as the golden rule for basically any other: always prioritise your own safety. In other words, don\u2019t go out onto your deck if you think there\u2019s a chance you might injure yourself doing it \u2013 not unless the alternative is even more unsafe (for example, if there are unstable icicles hanging over a pathway that sees a lot of traffic). A good rule of thumb is that if you can see there\u2019s only a thin layer of snow and ice, it\u2019s best to wait until it melts on its own. After all, often it only takes as long as an afternoon!<\/p>\n<p>We would suggest, however, clearing snow if it blocks a second exit route from your home. All homes should have at least two ways out, in case there\u2019s a fire or similar immediate risk to health. And if your only other way out is a decking that\u2019s covered in snow or ice, then it\u2019s wise to get that clear as soon as you can. Speaking of which, when you\u2019re clearing snow it\u2019s always advisable to shovel parallel to your <a href=\"https:\/\/www.savoytimber.com\/decking\/decking-boards.html\">deck boards<\/a>, not across them. Otherwise, you might catch your shovel on the edge of a board, and let\u2019s face it, nobody likes any kind of scuff on their decking, even if it\u2019s only a small one! For light snow (in other words, the kind we usually get here in Blighty), it might be best to go for the soft touch by using a leaf blower or broom.<\/p>\n<h2>\u2026But Don\u2019t Do This<\/h2>\n<p>We see this time and time again here at Savoy Timber \u2013 people using metal shovels to clear their <a href=\"https:\/\/www.savoytimber.com\/decking.html\">garden decking<\/a>. But you run into the same problem; you can very easily scratch your deck! Instead, use a plastic or rubber blade shovel if you\u2019ve got one to hand, as they\u2019re a lot easier. If you\u2019ve only got a metal shovel available, you might want to consider leaving a thin layer of snow on top, which stops the shovel from making direct contact.<\/p>\n<p>Under no circumstances should you hit your ice with a shovel to crack it. Trust us, your decking is the one that suffers the damage! Plus, definitely exercise a bit of caution with any ice melting products you have to hand. Salts dry out the natural moisture of the wood, which can leave your decking vulnerable to corroding more quickly. On top of that (yes, there\u2019s more!) any ice-melting products can seep through cracks in your boards, comprehensively exterminating any plant life and small animals underneath. If that sounds like a bonus, you may not have had the pleasure of trying to extract a small rotting animal from underneath decking boards. Save yourself the hassle!<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"img-responsive alignnone wp-image-1323 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.savoytimber.com\/help-and-advice\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/decking-strips-compressed.png\" alt=\"non slip decking strips\" width=\"730\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/savoytimber.com\/help-and-advice\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/decking-strips-compressed.png 730w, https:\/\/savoytimber.com\/help-and-advice\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/decking-strips-compressed-300x123.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 730px) 100vw, 730px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>In case you\u2019re thinking \u201cwell if I can\u2019t crack the ice, what can I do to clear it?\u201d then don\u2019t worry! We\u2019re coming to the rescue at Savoy Timber. Our non-slip decking strips are perfect for adding a bit of grip to your decking, taking the edge off the worst that snow and ice can do. If you\u2019re still after a bit of advice or something more to secure your safety, by all means come and chat to our friendly members of staff in any of our <a href=\"https:\/\/www.savoytimber.com\/our-stores\">DIY stores<\/a> in Blackpool, Wigan or Preston, and we\u2019ll be happy to help in any way we can.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The idea of snow and ice settling on decking makes lots of people uneasy, and it\u2019s not difficult to see why. Quite apart from the risk of slipping and falling, there\u2019s the fear for many people that it can damage the wood. To what extent this is true can often depend on exactly what type [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":14,"featured_media":1321,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v19.9 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>How To Avoid Damage When Clearing Snow And Ice From Your Decking<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"It seems like quite a simple task, but you might be surprised! It takes a careful touch to do the job while protecting your decking from damage, so it&#039;s worth taking a moment to check out these quick tips.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/savoytimber.com\/help-and-advice\/avoid-damage-clearing-snow-ice-decking\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_GB\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"How To Avoid Damage When Clearing Snow And Ice From Your Decking\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"It seems like quite a simple task, but you might be surprised! It takes a careful touch to do the job while protecting your decking from damage, so it&#039;s worth taking a moment to check out these quick tips.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/savoytimber.com\/help-and-advice\/avoid-damage-clearing-snow-ice-decking\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Savoy Timber\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/SavoyTimberDIY\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2018-01-26T13:09:50+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2023-03-28T14:04:31+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/savoytimber.com\/help-and-advice\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/decking-snow-feature-image-compressed.png\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"730\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"300\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/png\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Anthony Royle\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@savoytimber\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@savoytimber\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Anthony Royle\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Estimated reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"4 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/savoytimber.com\/help-and-advice\/avoid-damage-clearing-snow-ice-decking\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/savoytimber.com\/help-and-advice\/avoid-damage-clearing-snow-ice-decking\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Anthony Royle\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/savoytimber.com\/help-and-advice\/#\/schema\/person\/62f7a40a68f298120b5c3e2ea93b0013\"},\"headline\":\"How To Avoid Damage When Clearing Snow And Ice From Your Decking\",\"datePublished\":\"2018-01-26T13:09:50+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2023-03-28T14:04:31+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/savoytimber.com\/help-and-advice\/avoid-damage-clearing-snow-ice-decking\/\"},\"wordCount\":733,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/savoytimber.com\/help-and-advice\/#organization\"},\"articleSection\":[\"Garden\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/savoytimber.com\/help-and-advice\/avoid-damage-clearing-snow-ice-decking\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/savoytimber.com\/help-and-advice\/avoid-damage-clearing-snow-ice-decking\/\",\"name\":\"How To Avoid Damage When Clearing Snow And Ice From Your Decking\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/savoytimber.com\/help-and-advice\/#website\"},\"datePublished\":\"2018-01-26T13:09:50+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2023-03-28T14:04:31+00:00\",\"description\":\"It seems like quite a simple task, but you might be surprised! It takes a careful touch to do the job while protecting your decking from damage, so it's worth taking a moment to check out these quick tips.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/savoytimber.com\/help-and-advice\/avoid-damage-clearing-snow-ice-decking\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/savoytimber.com\/help-and-advice\/avoid-damage-clearing-snow-ice-decking\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/savoytimber.com\/help-and-advice\/avoid-damage-clearing-snow-ice-decking\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/savoytimber.com\/help-and-advice\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"How To Avoid Damage When Clearing Snow And Ice From Your Decking\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/savoytimber.com\/help-and-advice\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/savoytimber.com\/help-and-advice\/\",\"name\":\"Savoy Timber\",\"description\":\"\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/savoytimber.com\/help-and-advice\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/savoytimber.com\/help-and-advice\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":\"required name=search_term_string\"}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/savoytimber.com\/help-and-advice\/#organization\",\"name\":\"Savoy Timber\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/savoytimber.com\/help-and-advice\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/savoytimber.com\/help-and-advice\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\",\"url\":\"http:\/\/localhost\/help-and-advice\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/savoy-timber.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"http:\/\/localhost\/help-and-advice\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/savoy-timber.png\",\"width\":400,\"height\":86,\"caption\":\"Savoy Timber\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/savoytimber.com\/help-and-advice\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/channel\/UCel5dggpBsgk12qq0N_QFMQ\",\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/SavoyTimberDIY\/\",\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/savoytimber\"]},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/savoytimber.com\/help-and-advice\/#\/schema\/person\/62f7a40a68f298120b5c3e2ea93b0013\",\"name\":\"Anthony Royle\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/savoytimber.com\/help-and-advice\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/3a9fe99b7f5d0ccbe0b760427c07f9db?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/3a9fe99b7f5d0ccbe0b760427c07f9db?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Anthony Royle\"}}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"How To Avoid Damage When Clearing Snow And Ice From Your Decking","description":"It seems like quite a simple task, but you might be surprised! It takes a careful touch to do the job while protecting your decking from damage, so it's worth taking a moment to check out these quick tips.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/savoytimber.com\/help-and-advice\/avoid-damage-clearing-snow-ice-decking\/","og_locale":"en_GB","og_type":"article","og_title":"How To Avoid Damage When Clearing Snow And Ice From Your Decking","og_description":"It seems like quite a simple task, but you might be surprised! It takes a careful touch to do the job while protecting your decking from damage, so it's worth taking a moment to check out these quick tips.","og_url":"https:\/\/savoytimber.com\/help-and-advice\/avoid-damage-clearing-snow-ice-decking\/","og_site_name":"Savoy Timber","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/SavoyTimberDIY\/","article_published_time":"2018-01-26T13:09:50+00:00","article_modified_time":"2023-03-28T14:04:31+00:00","og_image":[{"width":730,"height":300,"url":"https:\/\/savoytimber.com\/help-and-advice\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/decking-snow-feature-image-compressed.png","type":"image\/png"}],"author":"Anthony Royle","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@savoytimber","twitter_site":"@savoytimber","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Anthony Royle","Estimated reading time":"4 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/savoytimber.com\/help-and-advice\/avoid-damage-clearing-snow-ice-decking\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/savoytimber.com\/help-and-advice\/avoid-damage-clearing-snow-ice-decking\/"},"author":{"name":"Anthony Royle","@id":"https:\/\/savoytimber.com\/help-and-advice\/#\/schema\/person\/62f7a40a68f298120b5c3e2ea93b0013"},"headline":"How To Avoid Damage When Clearing Snow And Ice From Your Decking","datePublished":"2018-01-26T13:09:50+00:00","dateModified":"2023-03-28T14:04:31+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/savoytimber.com\/help-and-advice\/avoid-damage-clearing-snow-ice-decking\/"},"wordCount":733,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/savoytimber.com\/help-and-advice\/#organization"},"articleSection":["Garden"],"inLanguage":"en-GB"},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/savoytimber.com\/help-and-advice\/avoid-damage-clearing-snow-ice-decking\/","url":"https:\/\/savoytimber.com\/help-and-advice\/avoid-damage-clearing-snow-ice-decking\/","name":"How To Avoid Damage When Clearing Snow And Ice From Your Decking","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/savoytimber.com\/help-and-advice\/#website"},"datePublished":"2018-01-26T13:09:50+00:00","dateModified":"2023-03-28T14:04:31+00:00","description":"It seems like quite a simple task, but you might be surprised! It takes a careful touch to do the job while protecting your decking from damage, so it's worth taking a moment to check out these quick tips.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/savoytimber.com\/help-and-advice\/avoid-damage-clearing-snow-ice-decking\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-GB","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/savoytimber.com\/help-and-advice\/avoid-damage-clearing-snow-ice-decking\/"]}]},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/savoytimber.com\/help-and-advice\/avoid-damage-clearing-snow-ice-decking\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/savoytimber.com\/help-and-advice\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"How To Avoid Damage When Clearing Snow And Ice From Your Decking"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/savoytimber.com\/help-and-advice\/#website","url":"https:\/\/savoytimber.com\/help-and-advice\/","name":"Savoy Timber","description":"","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/savoytimber.com\/help-and-advice\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/savoytimber.com\/help-and-advice\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":"required name=search_term_string"}],"inLanguage":"en-GB"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/savoytimber.com\/help-and-advice\/#organization","name":"Savoy Timber","url":"https:\/\/savoytimber.com\/help-and-advice\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-GB","@id":"https:\/\/savoytimber.com\/help-and-advice\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"http:\/\/localhost\/help-and-advice\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/savoy-timber.png","contentUrl":"http:\/\/localhost\/help-and-advice\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/savoy-timber.png","width":400,"height":86,"caption":"Savoy Timber"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/savoytimber.com\/help-and-advice\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/channel\/UCel5dggpBsgk12qq0N_QFMQ","https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/SavoyTimberDIY\/","https:\/\/twitter.com\/savoytimber"]},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/savoytimber.com\/help-and-advice\/#\/schema\/person\/62f7a40a68f298120b5c3e2ea93b0013","name":"Anthony Royle","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-GB","@id":"https:\/\/savoytimber.com\/help-and-advice\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/3a9fe99b7f5d0ccbe0b760427c07f9db?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/3a9fe99b7f5d0ccbe0b760427c07f9db?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Anthony Royle"}}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/savoytimber.com\/help-and-advice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1320"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/savoytimber.com\/help-and-advice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/savoytimber.com\/help-and-advice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/savoytimber.com\/help-and-advice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/14"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/savoytimber.com\/help-and-advice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1320"}],"version-history":[{"count":8,"href":"https:\/\/savoytimber.com\/help-and-advice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1320\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4099,"href":"https:\/\/savoytimber.com\/help-and-advice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1320\/revisions\/4099"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/savoytimber.com\/help-and-advice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1321"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/savoytimber.com\/help-and-advice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1320"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/savoytimber.com\/help-and-advice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1320"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/savoytimber.com\/help-and-advice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1320"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}