10 Tips to Prepare Your Property for Winter
Taking care of a few simple things around your home and yard in the fall can save hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars in preventable repairs.
1. Clean up leaves. Clean up leaves in the yard and finish any needed landscape maintenance.
2. Clean out gutters. Keep gutters clear of leaves, twigs and debris. The debris buildup can keep the melting snow and ice from flowing freely, which can cause gutters to freeze.
3. Turn off outside water faucets and drain irrigation systems. Properly drain and blow out irrigation systems to avoid damage from freezing and thawing—drain and coil hoses for winter storage. Remove hose nozzles, sprayers, and wands. Store these items in a non-freezing spot, like a garage or basement. Drain outside faucets, turning off water from inside your home. Consider covering exterior faucets with an insulating cover, especially if you don’t have a turn-off valve inside.
4. Cover outdoor furniture. Clean and cover outdoor furniture, take down umbrellas, and ensure it’s all snug and secure for winter.
5. Check outdoor lighting. Inspect outdoor lighting, replacing bulbs as needed.
6. Power wash outside surfaces. Take time to scrub down patios, decks, and walkways to remove accumulated dirt from summer.
7. Wash windows. Wash both inside and outside surfaces and inspect seals. Caulk if necessary. Remove screens and stow them for winter.
8. Have the heating system inspected. It is also important to clean your chimney and fireplace
9. Plan snow removal. Plan the removal of snow on your driveway and sidewalks. Make sure your shovels are in good condition. Remember to remove the snow from your sidewalks within 24 hours of the storm’s end.
10. Buy ice melt. Pick up a few bags of ice melt for decks, stairs, and walkways. For a pet-friendly ice melt, you can use magnesium chloride. Magnesium calcium chloride blends are said to be pet-friendly, but they aren’t always. Using salt blends on concrete is also not recommended, especially not new concrete. Using sand for traction is the safest choice on concrete.
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