The Deck Journal / Maintenance
Should you shovel your deck? Yes, here’s how not to wreck it
MK
Mike Kowalski, Founder
Jun 10, 2026 · 4 min read
Jun 10, 2026 · 4 min read
Yes, shovel it. Leaving a foot of lake-effect snow to sit and slowly melt keeps your boards saturated for weeks longer than they need to be, and that moisture is exactly what drives rot and finish failure over time.
Use a shovel with a plastic or rubber edge, never metal, and lift rather than scrape wherever you can. Metal edges will chew through stain and gouge composite caps. Push snow off the edge of the deck rather than piling it against the house or the railing posts.
Skip rock salt entirely. It accelerates finish breakdown on wood and can discolor some composite lines. If you need ice melt on a genuinely icy surface, use a calcium chloride product labeled safe for wood and composite decking.
