Getting winter-ready, indoors and out
Our household has enjoyed the extended Miata season, but there's also a lot of winter prep happening for our properties right now. (After stacking wood in NH two weeks ago, we can attest: trimming back the garden is, it turns out, a lot nicer above 60 degrees.)
This month is a critical time to prepare for colder weather and darker days ahead. Once you've reset your clocks and hauled your leaves to the curb, take a lap around your home - inside and out - and make a list to tackle before December. Draining outside spigots and irrigation lines is non-negotiable in New England, but as someone who grew up on a farm in a 1700s home with electrical service that never seemed to survive a snowstorm, I'm not here to talk you out of going above and beyond.
Exterior:
- clean gutters and downspouts once leaves are down for the season
- check downspout extenders - keep water away from the foundation, and reattach anything you moved for mowing!
- disconnect and drain hoses
- shut off water to exterior valves: OFF inside, OPEN outside to prevent bursting
- run out gas or add fuel stabilizer in lawn equipment (mowers, weed whackers, etc.) and fire up your snowblower if you have one - don't forget to change the oil if you didn't last spring!
- look for loose components: reaffix trim, flashing, siding, or other pieces of your home that have worked their way loose over the summer, or in recent high winds
- proactively take down any trees or branches that present a high risk (to humans, houses, or power lines) in the event of a fall - with leaves still on many trees, an early snowstorm could be catastrophic for anything on the cusp
Basement:
- close and seal any basement windows
- check the level in your oil tank - don’t let this run dry, but in the event that you do, call your oil company to have the system serviced and primed before it gets too cold
- regardless of what type, have your heating system serviced
- change air filters if you have them in a forced air system, or free-standing around your home (and while you’re at it, a good time to clean stove vent filters, too)
- test carbon monoxide detectors, especially those around your heating system exhaust; starting up your heating system likely means an uptick in indoor combustion, which increases the risk of CO accumulation
Interior:
- clean your windows - the limited daylight will shine so much brighter!
- lower storm windows if you have them, before your heat kicks on in earnest
- clean your light fixtures (in particular: get the dead bugs out)
- change batteries or charge your flashlights, check your stock of candles
- make sure food is out of reach of rodents: field mice love to squeeze inside fieldstone foundations at the first sign of frost, and you want to ensure they don't stick around
- if you have a fireplace or wood stove, have your chimney inspected annually to reduce risk of chimney fires
Of course, in general, don't miss your chance to stock up before the rush: ice melt, shovels, bottled water, and dry goods are much easier to get in advance of a storm.
Does your household include a generator, grill, or fire pit? It's wise to keep fuel outside - firewood included, even over winter. Bringing propane or gasoline indoors is an obvious hazard in case of fire, but wood stored indoors can also attract pests and wood-boring insects that you would prefer not to have near the structure of your home. If you're burning wood for heat or for comfort, stack it outside with cut ends exposed, and cover just the top of the stack: wood dries from the ends, not along the grain, and allowing airflow through the stack is enough to prevent rot, even through snow.