South Eastern Connecticut Landscaping

I am now sitting in a warm home with fresh ideas brimming in my head. It was a long two days, but it is nice to be back in my home again and to not have icicles hanging from my eyelids. As my furnace sat silently in my basement, dormant and apparently dead, it got my mind thinking about the worst home disasters that can happen during the winter.

With the holidays so close, these events could put a definite cramp in any person’s plans, whether they include a quiet evening at home with the family or a bursting feast for 50 people.

1. Broken furnace: This is perhaps the most dangerous of the disasters, because your home cools very quickly, and it can lead to frostbite or death for people unable to leave and get the furnace fixed. The cost of repairing a furnace isn’t cheap. We’re talking a few hundred dollars an hour for these guys just to come look at it, and then they actually have to fix it. If you’re lucky, then it’s easy and you can have your heat back that afternoon, but if it isn’t, or if you need a new furnace, then you could be without heat for a few days. You are also at the mercy of those heating experts, who are getting call after call for broken furnaces.

2. Frozen pipes: Occasionally, the water pipes in your home can freeze, and if you are lucky, then you will only lose water pressure, but it also lead to burst pipes. If you have a pipe burst and do not realize it right away, then your basement can fill up fast and knock out your hot water heater and your furnace. The worst-case scenario is the pipe bursts, you don’t realize it and the water freezes. You walk into your basement and find a skating rink. If the pipes are just frozen, then you can usually use electrical tape to warm up the pipes, or if it is somewhere inaccessible, then just have an electric current run through it to melt the ice. If the pipe bursts, then that portion of pipes needs to be replaced, or at least patched, and then you have the cleanup efforts. There are many pieces of advice on how to keep your pipes from freezing, but the best advice is always this: Move someplace where it doesn’t freeze.

3. Sewage backup: There is nothing worse than walking down into your basement and smelling the odor of poo. A sewage backup is just plain nasty. Sometimes when it’s cold, even the sewage line can freeze, become clogged or, God forbid, blocked, and it begins backing up in your basement, bathtub, toilet and sink. If the problem lies outside the house, then it’s likely to bubble up in the basement. If it is somewhere between the basement and the sink or toilet, then it will backup in the sink or toilet. Yummy. You can try using a plunger to unclog it manually, but if you can’t, then the Roto Rooter man is getting a call, and he brings out his 200-foot snake to take out the clog. If that doesn’t work, then they will dig up your yard. That will not only cost a pretty penny, especially in winter, but also make your yard look bad until spring gets there.

These are the big ones that I can think of, and I have had all happen to me at one time or another. They can be a major financial setback, but they have to be taken care of as soon as possible.

Image Source: flickr.com/photos/cynthiacloskey/3205681690

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1. Geothermal Heating Systems: Going Green and Saving Money
2. Furnace Problems: Handling Freeze in the Winter
3. Discount Floor Furnace – All the Heat at a Fraction of the Cost

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Winterize Your Second Home or Vacation Home Checklist

I saw my first snowflakes this morning and knew winter is already here before Thanksgiving. Have you had your second home or vacation home fully winterized yet? Freezing temperatures, icy winds, snow, sleet and power outages are on the horizon. Avoid the heartache, expense and stress of burst pipes, critters moving in and destroyed landscaping. Protect the house for the winter and enjoy and easier stress-free time opening it back up in the spring. The question becomes what to do yourself and what to hire the professionals to take care of for you.

In General
Make a list of what needs fixing. Go room by room. Waiting for parts over the winter is a lot easier than in June.

Check all the outside recreational toys – make plans to have them repaired over the winter.

Make a list of what you want to bring with you next year

Get Professionals

• Hire a plumber to fully winterize the plumbing and anti-freeze the drains including:
  • Shut off Main Water Valve
  • Refrigerator
  • Dishwasher
  • Washing Machine
  • Outside Faucets
  • Sprinklers
  • Hot Water Heater
  • Air Conditioning
  • Furnace Humidifier
  • Toilets
  • Showers
  • Hot Tub
  • Fountains
  • Saunas
  • Sump Pump check
  • Well Pump
  • Water Softener
• Hire a HVAC company to check, clean and service the heating & cooling systems
• Hire a swimming pool company to close the swimming pool. You don’t want them drained all the way around here since the water acts as support for the walls. An inflatable pool cover keeps debris out and gives ice room to expand and contract.
• Hire landscapers to do the dreaded fall yard clean up.
• Hire a snowplow service (ask your landscaper) to keep the driveway clear. You want the fire truck to be able to access your home if something did go wrong.
• Hire a property manager, real estate agent or permanent resident to check on the home regularly.

Security

• Install a security system
• Put all the storms down and/or cover all the vulnerable windows
• Close and lock all the windows
• Lock all the doors
• Remove any valuable belongings like electronics, tools, guns, sentimental items
• Have all the mail forwarded to your winter address
• Stop the newspaper delivery
• Let the local police and fire departments know that you are away and how to contact you.
• Arrange for a property manager, real estate agent or permanent resident to check your summer house regularly

Inside the House

• Leave the heat on.
  Many summer homes were built to be year round permanent homes and are not constructed to freeze in the winter. It is also very humid in this area and heat acts like a good dehumidifier and help to prevent that moldy musty smell. You can install a low heat thermostat than can be set at 40F. instead of the normal 55F thermostat to save on fuel. This will also protect your foundation. Several freeze-thaw cycles can lead to a cracked concrete foundation.
• Set up automatic delivery for fuel oil or gas.
• Turn off any nonessential circuit breakers. The first time is tricky but you can go through and label them once and make every other time easier. Consider tagging them with green and red stickers to make the process quicker. The ones to definitely leave on include the security system, front porch light, heating system.
• Clean out the refrigerator. Unplug, clean and leave the door propped open
• Unplug all electronics and appliances
• Turn off the gas (natural and propane) call the company to assist with this. Unless this is your heating fuel.
• Thoroughly clean the house. Remember old stains are harder to get out than new ones.
• Remove any liquid medicines, makeup or toiletries that may freeze to the shelves
• Store any food in metal containers to keep the critters out
• Put mouse traps in the basement and kitchen
• Replace batteries in smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors

Outside the House

• Inspect the roof for any loose shingles and repair them. (Binoculars help)
• Clean the gutters. Build up in the gutters can cause a backup and an ice dam on the roof. Install screens to keep leaves and sticks out.
• Prune any tree limbs near the house. You don’t want those branches crashing through the roof.
• Call the utility company if branches have grown across the lines
• Drain water from outside faucets – Install frost free faucets
• Store lawn furniture, tools and grill
• Bring in any padded items so they won’t become a breeding ground for bugs and mildew.
• Check all the screens and repair/replace any torn ones.
• Winterize your lawn mower by draining out the fuel and store in well-ventilated shed. Run the lawn mower until you are sure all the fuel is spent
• Remove annuals
• Cover perennials with hay
• Mulch flowerbeds
• Protect shrubs from cold winter and falling snow with wooden protection
• Rake the leaves.
• Disconnect hoses.
• Have the chimney cleaned. Cap the chimney.
• Check and replace any loose weather stripping around outside doors and garage doors.
  Mice can get through a space as thin as a dime.
• Stop up all holes into the house. Put wire mesh screens on any vents to keep out the chipmunks, birds, squirrels, raccoons, mice, red fox and skunks.
• Put away the bird feeders. There are bears in the area and there is nothing they like more than a free snack.

Now you have a list of what should be done to winterize your vacation home. Impressive list of things to do, I agree. It is well worth the effort to protect your second home investment. I have seen frozen homes and it is a tragic sight. One house froze over the outside door making the job of getting in to turn off the water a challenge that resulted in taking an axe to the door. I suggest making a check off list that corresponds to your property so that nothing gets forgotten now or in the future

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