How to Maintain Your Pergola During a New England Winter

Your pergola may be your go-to hangout spot in the summer, but chances are that it won’t get much use come the winter months. After all, MA, NH, and other New England states usually get a fair amount of snow that will render the area unusable.

However, if you want your pergola to be ready to go come spring, it’s important to maintain it properly during the winter. The following are a few key steps you should take to winterize your structure.

Wash Your Pergola

Pick a nice fall day and thoroughly wash your pergola to get all the dirt, dust, and mildew off it before winter. If it’s relatively clean, you can just spray it down with a garden hose, but if there’s mildew growing, you’ll want to use a soft brush and mild detergent to scrub it away. Rinse and repeat as needed!

Restain if Needed

If your pergola has a wood finish, the stain may need to be touched up every few years. Stain is key to keeping moisture from rain and snow out of the wood, so inspect your structure carefully and apply a new coat if needed.

Trim Back Vines

Many homeowners love the way pergolas look when they’re covered in vines, but before winter hits in full force, you should trim back any old or excess growth. This will help minimize the weight on the beams throughout the winter and ensure the plants are in good health come spring.

Beat Off Snow After Storms

Once you finish these steps, your pergola will be ready to ride out any big New England winter storms. Throughout the course of the winter, keep an eye on the snow that may gather on top of your pergola—too much weight is never a good thing, so you should knock off precipitation if it accumulates.