Are You Ready for Winter? Home & Vehicle Winter-Ready Tips
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Nov 15, 2013 in
We live in Canada and winter here is no joke! Make sure your home, vehicles and cottages are prepared to face the upcoming drop in temperature. Here’s a handy list of tips to help you get ready.
Winterize your home:
- Drain outside pipes, faucets and hoses.
- Insulate outside pipes to protect them from freezing and potentially bursting.
- Make sure your furnace and boiler are in good working order.
- Ensure that your furnace vent is not blocked by ice or snow.
- Clear the leaves from your gutters and downspouts to prevent water from building up and damaging your home.
- Use an underground downspout kit or extend downspouts away from the foundation of your home.
- Now is the time to use your fireplace, make sure it is kept clean and check your chimney as well, keeping these clean will minimize the chance of accidental fires.
- Trim branches near your roof, as these could fall on your home due to the weight of snow and ice.
- Make sure your smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors are working properly. You should have at least one of each on every level in your home.
Winterize your car:
- Switch to winter tires, having a set of dedicated snow tires increases the chances that you will have better control on the road.
- Be aware of weather conditions. If visibility is poor and you don’t have an emergency to attend to, keep the car at home.
- Always have an emergency kit in your car. It should have a blanket, shovel, jumper cables, flashlight and windshield washer fluid.
- Keep up with the maintenance on your car. Follow your manufacture’s car maintenance guide and make sure to get your battery tested and brakes and wipers checked.
- Try to keep your gas tank full, just in case you get stranded somewhere and need to run the engine in order to keep yourself warm.
Winterize your boat:
- Prepare the engine such as shown in the owner’ manual.
- Thoroughly clean the boat’s surface, compartments, bilge, and exterior engine – and cover with any protective wax.
- Leave all floorboards, doors, drawers and lockers slightly open.
- Cover the boat with a well-fitting and protective cover.
- And don’t forget the trailer! Check your trailer’s tire pressure, wheel hubs, and lubricate the jack if necessary.
