Are You Ready for Winter? Home & Vehicle Winter-Ready Tips

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.

Winterize your fun!