Preparing for winter is something we should all start thinking about. After all, it’s already mid-October, and there are only so many good days left! Preparing for winter is about getting your home and your property in order, so it can withstand the rigors of bad weather, especially up here in Ontario.
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Preparing for Winter and Saving Future Headaches
The last thing you want in the winter is to be without heat or to have to deal with a busted pipe. The last thing you want in the spring is a clean up hassle. These tips can help you save headaches throughout the winter and make spring clean up in the yard easier.
Service Your Furnace
It’s so important to make sure you service your furnace, especially before winter. You want to be sure that every single thing in your furnace is in good working order so you have no bouts with a loss of heat or the general hassle of a repair in the winter. Luckily for you I wrote a post about furnace maintenance recently. Here’s what you should know and who to call also.
Store the Patio Furniture
High winds, frigid temperatures, and moisture from snow can damage your patio furniture. Plus, if you have items with cushions animals can eat through the in the winter months. Try to keep them indoors and in a container that is sealed and moisture free or up high. We store ours in the garage up high. Since you won’t be using it anyway, store it until spring comes to save hassle.
Service Your Snow Blower
When winter hits, you want to make sure your gear is in order to make snow removal easier. Make sure you give your snow blower a good once over. Check the spark plug, change the oil and start it up two or three times over the course of a few weeks to make sure it’s good to go for the incoming snow.
Replace Your Smoke Detector Batteries and Test Your Detector
This should be done every fall and spring to make sure your smoke detectors are always in good working order. CO2 alarms should be checked here too.
Cover Shrubs and Delicate Plants
Preparing for winter includes preparing your plants. Cover your shrubs and other less hardy plants with a lightweight, breathable mesh to help protect them from excess snow and frost.
Rake
Raking is best done in the late fall when the majority of the leaves have fallen. Although many do this in the spring, preparing for winter is also preparing for spring in this case. When you rake in the late fall, you save yourself the hassle of trying to remove soggy leaves, and you save your lawn turning yellow.
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Cover Garden Beds
Again, this is an example of preparing for winter and for spring. In Canada, our growing season is decidedly short. We can lengthen it by covering our garden beds with black plastic. This helps retain the natural warmth of the earth and help make the bed more suitable for planting sooner in the spring.
Weatherstripping
This is something you should actually have year round, but it’s exceptionally important when preparing for winter. Be sure to have weatherstripping in place around doors and windows to help keep out the frigid air and save energy, and money too of course.
Preparing for Winter and for Less Headache
Preparing for winter is all about reducing the likelihood of problems and headaches. And a few of these tips are also great for preparing for winter AND spring. The more you do now, the better off you’ll be for the coming months.