Covering a terrace for winter: what it costs and whether it is worth it

When covering is actually necessary

Most modern composite decking and pressure-treated pine are built to sit outside all year. Snow, frost and thaw cycles do not damage them on their own. If the boards are in good condition, spaced correctly and the substructure drains, leaving them bare over winter is usually fine and often the more sensible option, since a cover trapped under snow can hold moisture against the wood longer than open air would.

Covering earns its keep in a few situations: untreated or older wooden decking that is already showing soft spots, a terrace built low to the ground with poor drainage underneath, or a surface finished with oil or stain within the past year that benefits from one more season of protection before it weathers in fully. A terrace attached to a wooden house in Nõmme or Kalamaja, where the boards meet an older foundation, is a reasonable case for covering.

The other driver is what sits on the terrace, not the decking itself. Cushions, umbrellas, outdoor rugs and untreated furniture do not cope with winter at all and should come off regardless of whether the decking itself is covered.

Fitting a tarpaulin or a removable cover

A simple tarpaulin, tied down at the edges and weighted with battens or bricks, is the cheapest option and something most people can do themselves in an hour or two. The main risks are wind getting underneath and lifting it, and snow pooling in the middle if it is not pitched to shed water. A slight slope and a few extra tie points at the centre solve both.

A fitted, removable cover — made to the shape of the terrace with eyelets or a drawstring hem — sits better and lasts longer than a generic tarpaulin, but costs more and usually needs to be ordered or made up in advance rather than bought off the shelf the week before the first snow.

Where we get called in is less often for the cover itself and more for awkward terraces: raised terraces with railings to work around, uneven ground that makes weighting a tarpaulin difficult, or covers that need fixing points drilled into a deck without damaging it. That kind of fitting work falls under general building maintenance, priced from 49 € per hour.

Storing furniture and textiles

Garden furniture and textiles are usually the bulk of what needs sorting before winter, more so than the deck boards. Cushions, parasols and rugs should go inside or into a dry shed; left outside under a tarpaulin they tend to hold damp and mildew by spring regardless of the cover.

Plastic and metal furniture generally tolerates a Tallinn winter left in place, though stacking chairs and turning tables on their side reduces the footprint under snow load. Wooden furniture, especially untreated, is better stored indoors or in a garage if there is room.

If storage space is the constraint rather than the furniture itself, moving items into a garage, storage room or attic and back out in spring is straightforward hourly work, and worth quoting alongside any terrace cover if you are already having someone in.

• Bring cushions, rugs and umbrellas indoors or into dry storage
• Stack or turn plastic and metal furniture to shed snow load
• Move untreated wooden furniture under cover if possible
• Check for a dry attic, shed or garage before renting outside storage

What the whole job costs

Doing it yourself on a normal terrace — folding out a tarpaulin, tying it down, and carrying furniture indoors — is realistically an afternoon's work and costs nothing beyond the tarpaulin itself, which is a modest hardware store purchase.

Having it done, a straightforward cover and furniture move on an easily accessible terrace runs to one to two hours of labour, so roughly 39–80 € at the standard hourly rate, plus the call-out fee of 25 € within Tallinn if no other work is done that visit. Awkward access, a raised terrace, or fitting points that need drilling push this towards three or four hours.

Any repair to the decking itself — replacing a soft board, resetting a loose fixing, checking the substructure — is priced separately under decking and terrace work, which starts from 90 € per job once we have seen the terrace or a few photos. Combining a repair check with the winter cover in one visit is usually the more efficient way to do it.

What to check before the snow arrives, cover or not

Whether or not you cover the terrace, a short check before the first proper cold snap avoids most winter problems. Gaps between boards should be clear of leaves and debris so meltwater can drain rather than sit and freeze. Fixings that have worked loose over summer are easier to tighten now than after a frost has set them fast.

If you decide against a cover this year, make a note of anything that looked marginal — a board with give in it, a rail that moved — and plan to have it looked at once the weather allows proper repair work in spring, rather than leaving it another winter.

• Clear debris from board gaps so water can drain
• Tighten any loose fixings or railings before frost sets in
• Note any soft or damaged boards for spring repair
• Decide furniture and textile storage separately from the decking itself