New Jersey patios face weather that hits from every direction. The yearly rainfall runs between 40 and 50 inches, and freeze-thaw cycles crack concrete all winter long. Summer humidity hovers around 70%. Nor’easters bring gusts over 40 miles per hour, and your outdoor spaces take a beating year-round.
Materials that hold up just fine in milder climates can fail here within a few seasons. Composite decking will last you 25 to 50 years if you protect it properly. Pressure-treated wood might need to be replaced in 5 years. Porcelain pavers absorb less than 0.5% of water, and that’s great. Natural stone can also absorb over 10% though, and this difference matters when the moisture freezes and expands inside the material.
Drainage is especially important since New Jersey’s stormwater regulations call for designs that handle storms and the expected future rainfall increases. A patio that has only a 1% slope instead of the recommended 2% can develop standing water. The water pools up and seeps into foundation walls or creates ice hazards during the winter months.
Let’s talk about the best ways to shield your patio from New Jersey’s tough weather!
Harsh Weather and Your New Jersey Patio
New Jersey weather can be really tough on patios, and most homeowners have no idea just how much damage happens throughout the year. The freeze-thaw cycle causes more problems than anything else that I see with outdoor spaces.
Rain falls and water finds its way into the smallest cracks in your concrete or the gaps between your pavers. Then, when the temperature drops below freezing overnight, all that trapped water expands and forces those small cracks to get bigger and bigger. What starts as hairline cracks soon turns into big splits, and now you have even more places for water to pool up during the next storm.
Summer weather also creates different problems for your patio. Humidity levels stay around 70% for most of June, July and August, and all that moisture in the air has to go somewhere. Wood furniture absorbs it like a sponge and becomes a breeding ground for mold and mildew. Metal fixtures develop rust very quickly. Your outdoor cushions never dry out, and they’ll still feel damp three days after a quick morning rain shower.
The worst weather shows up between October and March with those strong nor’easters that move straight up the coast. These storms pack steady winds of 40 miles per hour, and the gusts usually hit 60 or 70. Hurricane Sandy back in 2012 showed everyone in the area what extreme weather can do to patios, decks and outdoor furniture that isn’t secured or protected properly.
Coastal properties face an extra layer of punishment from the salt spray that comes off the ocean. The salty air attacks metal furniture and strips away the protective finishes about twice as fast as what you see on patios inland. Add in the UV index that reaches 9 or 10 during peak summer months, and your patio materials are under constant exposure from the sun each day before the storms even enter the equation.
Materials That Handle Your Toughest Weather
Materials are everything for patio construction in New Jersey, and the weather here tests whatever you build. Composite decking and pressure-treated lumber are popular options for a reason. But when you experience that first brutal New Jersey summer with all the humidity that we get in July, composite starts to make a lot more sense because it won’t warp and it won’t rot, no matter how muggy it gets. Pressure-treated wood needs lots of attention and maintenance just to survive those exact same conditions.
Natural stone and concrete pavers are another choice where the differences matter. Water has a nasty habit of finding its way into concrete during our freeze-thaw cycles. Once temperatures drop below freezing, that water expands and creates small cracks. Those cracks get a little bit bigger every winter until eventually you have a big problem. Natural stone absorbs far less water and holds up much better to our wild temperature swings since it’s much denser than concrete.
For anyone who lives within driving distance of the Jersey Shore, aluminum railings are the way to go over steel. The salt air is very corrosive, and it’ll eat right through steel quickly. Even steel that has expensive protective coatings will show rust patches within 2 years in most cases. Aluminum is different because it forms its own protective layer that resists salt corrosion.
The number of homeowners who have to replace their entire patios after just 5 years is staggering. They usually went with the cheapest lumber option from the big box store because it seemed like a great deal at the time. But then it starts to split and warp. All that money they thought they saved vanishes when they have to rip everything out and start from scratch.
A standard 20-foot deck board can grow or shrink by 0.5 inches between the peak of summer and the dead of winter. Without the right planning for this movement, the nicest patio can turn into a buckled disaster. New Jersey building codes are pretty strict about this, actually. They also need specific types of fasteners and exact spacing measurements to accommodate these temperature swings.
Keep Water Away from Your Home
Your patio needs to deal with water the second that rain starts falling. New Jersey gets hit with plenty of storms throughout the year, and all that water needs somewhere to go – preferably far away from your house and foundation.
The slope of your patio is probably the most important factor to get right. A decent patio should tilt away from your home somewhere between 1% and 2% grade. That actually means for every 10 feet of patio space, the surface should drop down about an inch or two lower. A standard level and a tape measure will tell you if you have the right angle. An inch or two might not sound like a big drop, but it’s enough to get the water moving away from your foundation instead of pooling up against it.
French drains can be worth the money when water damage threatens your property year after year. New Jersey homeowners need to dig at least 3 feet deep because of where the frost line sits in our state. 4 feet is even better if you want extra protection. The frost line matters because any pipes that are above it can freeze during winter. Once those frozen pipes crack and split, spring arrives, and suddenly you have water everywhere and a big mess to clean up.
Heavy storms aren’t a problem either since these pavers can take a few inches of rain per hour without any issues. The water goes through the pavers into the gravel base underneath and eventually soaks into the soil below that. Watch out, though, the middle of Jersey has plenty of heavy clay soil, and clay is terrible at drainage. You’ll probably need to install extra gravel layers underneath to compensate when you have clay soil on your property.
Gutters and downspouts have to be part of the whole drainage strategy, or nothing else actually matters. Those downspouts should be directing water well away from your patio project edges – not dumping it right next to them. Plenty of homeowners actually run underground pipes from their downspouts to move water even farther away from the house and patio area. Just remember to also check your local township’s stormwater regulations when you start any big drainage project – some towns have pretty strict requirements for where you can direct the runoff.
Types of Overhead Protection for Your Patio
A retractable awning is probably what comes to mind first, and it can work well if you get the right model. Just make sure whatever you choose can handle winds above 35 miles per hour. The beauty of retractable awnings is that you can open them up when the weather’s nice and then close them down before bad weather hits.
Pergolas are another great option and work very well if you add a polycarbonate roofing designed for heavy snow loads. Before you make any buying decisions, though, always check the manufacturer’s weight rating. You need something strong enough to support a foot of wet snow in February without any chance of collapse or damage.
Permanent roof structures are great, but they have some extra requirements in New Jersey. Most municipalities are going to need permits once your structure exceeds a certain square footage. Save yourself the headache and contact your local building department before you start any construction work.
The roof pitch matters a lot for snow management in our climate. Your roof needs to rise 3 inches for every 12 inches of horizontal distance. A 3-to-12 ratio is the minimum that you should think about. Flatter angles are just asking for problems because snow will accumulate until something eventually gives way. Every winter, I see at least a few collapsed structures that couldn’t take the snow load.
UV protection is another feature that matters for your investment. Better ratings also mean that your outdoor furniture underneath will stay bright and new-looking for much longer. Quality covers should block at least 95% of harmful UV rays to be worth your money.
Ventilation is the last big consideration, but it’s not the least. Covered areas can trap moisture, and our New Jersey humidity can turn that into a serious mold problem in no time. Air needs to circulate freely through your covered space to get everything dry and stop any health problems!
Block the Wind on Your Patio
Your patio already has overhead protection that’s great for keeping rain out. Wind is a different story, though, since it comes in from the sides and creates problems. New Jersey deals with very strong westerly winds most of the year. Coastal areas get it even worse with gusts that can turn your outdoor space into a wind tunnel.
You can also use landscaping as a natural windbreak if you do it right. Eastern Red Cedar is one of my favorite picks because it stays green all year and gets through New Jersey winters just fine. These trees should go on the west side of your patio since that’s where most of the wind comes from. The trick is to plant them at just the right distance – close enough to block the wind but not so close that the roots damage your hardscape later on.
Retractable screens give you plenty of flexibility throughout the day. When it’s calm in the morning, you can leave them open. Then, in the afternoon, when the wind picks up, you just close them up. Most of these systems have different settings, too, and they work with different wind speeds without any damage.
A barrier with about 50% porosity actually protects better than a solid wall. A solid barrier creates turbulence and makes wind problems worse on your patio – it’s the exact reason why lattice fences or rows of evergreen trees work better than solid vinyl fences do.
One more consideration is your town’s zoning laws. Check them before you build anything permanent. Most municipalities in New Jersey limit fence heights to 6 feet, and they need specific setbacks from property lines that you’ll need to follow.
Year-Round Care Tasks for Your Patio
Your patio is going to need some different maintenance routines throughout the year, and November 15th is a date you should circle on your calendar – it’s the time to drain every bit of water from your irrigation systems, and you want to do this before any hard freezes roll in. Water that gets trapped in those pipes is going to expand once the temperature drops below freezing, and those pipes will crack. Every year, there’s at least one neighbor who forgets and ends up with a very expensive repair bill.
May is the time to break out the sealers for your patio surface. The best strategy is to wait for the temperature to stay above 50 degrees for three consecutive days at a minimum. The sealer won’t cure the way it should without steady warmth, and you need it to cure correctly if you want real protection from summer storms and winter snow.
When you cover outdoor furniture for winter, you need a bit of strategy. Leave about a 2-inch gap at the bottom of each cover for air circulation. Furniture that’s wrapped up too tightly is going to trap moisture inside, and a small gap lets air move, as it still blocks out rain and snow.
Outdoor kitchens and water features need their own winterization process. Disconnect all the water lines and use compressed air to blow out any of the water that might still be hiding in there. Even the small amounts of trapped water will destroy expensive fixtures once everything freezes hard.
Spring has arrived, and it’s time to check your entire patio for any damage winter may have caused. Walk around and look for places where the ground has shifted from frost heaving. Those sealed joints need checking for cracks or gaps that opened up during the freeze-thaw cycles. Drainage channels usually build up with leaves and debris over winter, so those also need clearing out.
The ice melt choice depends on what your patio is made of. Rock salt is cheap, but it will eat through concrete surfaces over the years. Calcium chloride treats concrete better, but it can still damage natural stone patios. Magnesium chloride costs quite a bit more, but it won’t harm most patio materials at all!
Contact Our Team Today to Start Your Project
Your outdoor space needs multiple layers of defense, and each strategy we’ve talked about plays a real role in keeping everything safe from weather damage. These different strategies don’t work independently either. They actually support and strengthen one another to create a shield against rain, wind, sun and everything else that nature sends your way. But the math gets pretty simple when you consider the alternative. Unprotected outdoor spaces usually need big repairs or total replacement every few years.
Most homeowners have no idea how much more frequently they use their outdoor spaces once they have the right protection in place. A well-protected patio can handle spring rainstorms without any drama. It stands up against brutal summer heat and stays beautiful through unpredictable autumn weather, too. You won’t need to rush outside to cover furniture every time the sky gets dark, and you won’t have to lie awake at night worrying if your deck will survive the next big storm. Some of the best-protected patios in our area were built 30 years ago, and they still look fantastic now. Their unprotected neighbors have gone through multiple expensive replacements over those same years.
The smartest approach is to address your biggest weather threats first. Coastal properties need to prioritize salt-resistant materials and strong windbreaks because the ocean air and strong winds cause the most damage there. Properties away from the coast have different needs, though. Even if you put just half of the protective measures we’ve talked about in place, you’ll see a dramatic difference in your patio’s lifespan and appearance. Our weather patterns aren’t getting any milder as the years go by. Your outdoor space needs to be ready for whatever comes next.
Our team at Magnolia Home Remodeling Group has spent over 30 years helping New Jersey families build outdoor spaces that actually last. We know what our state’s weather needs from patios, decks and outdoor living areas because we’ve been protecting them successfully for decades. From full outdoor transformations to smart drainage systems and protective overhead structures that look as fantastic as they work, we bring expertise and creativity to every project. Browse through our large project gallery and you’ll see dozens of ways we’ve solved weather protection challenges for other homeowners.
Download our free planning guide or schedule a consultation at no cost to talk about what your outdoor space needs. We also have flexible financing options for qualified New Jersey homeowners. Give us a call now to learn how Magnolia Home Remodeling Group creates outdoor living areas that stay beautiful through every season!
