A Homeowner's Checklist for Winter Preparedness

Although it's been a glorious fall, that lovely white stuff will soon start falling. If you're like me, you've been out enjoying the great weather and not paying all that much attention to your winter preparedness to-do list. 

1. Have a licensed technician clean and service your furnace. This should be done once a year and now is a great time as the tech will need to take the system offline for a couple of hours. Doing it at -20C can leave you with a cold house. An added benefit is you'll ensure your furnace is operating at peak efficiency. And it's the perfect time to replace the furnace filter.

2. Hire a chimney sweep (or buy a brush) and clean your wood-stove and fireplace chimney. If you're burning wood as a source of heat, make sure to only burn seasoned wood to reduce the amount of creosote building in the stack. No one wants a chimney fire in the dead of winter (or ever). Make sure all the birds and leaves are cleared before using the fireplace.

3. Change your smoke detector and carbon monoxide detector batteries. Many homes have hardwired systems, but will also have a battery backup. This is a great time to vacuum each detector to eliminate any dust bunnies or dirt that might interfere with the operation. And, while you're at it, review (or create) an emergency escape plan.

4. Check outside pipes for exposure to the elements and close the inside valve for outside water pipes.

4. If you have a septic tank, have it cleaned out. This is a job for the professionals. Regular cleaning will also prolong the life of your system.

5. If so equipped, check and clean the filter on your Heat Recovery Ventilator (HRV) unit. Don't forget to check the exhaust and intake vents to make sure no little critters have moved in.

6. Clean out your gutters and downspouts. You would be surprised to see how much stuff can accumulate in one season. You'll thank yourself in the spring the water is running down, and not over, your gutters.

7. Turn off all exterior sprinkler heads, blow (or drain) the lines and cover them with a frost proof cover. Roll up your garden hoses and store them with your sprinklers and hose nozzles.

8. Unless you plan to have a cookout at -20C, cover and/or store patio furniture, grill and outdoor accessories. 

9. Pick up, clean, sharpen and store your garden and other tools. As well, don't forget to put some fuel stabilizer in the lawnmower. Prepare for snow removal. Fire up the snowblower and make sure it's running and the blades engage. Don't forget to put your snow shovels and ice spade where you can easily find them.

10. Weatherproof your home. Now is the time to seal up those areas around entry and garage doors and windows, add additional insulation in your attic and crawlspace. Homes with less efficient windows would benefit from a window film application.

11. If not already done, don't forget to winterize your vehicle(s) as well (oil change, winter tires, anti-freeze top up, undercoating).

12. Finally, stock up on emergency supplies such as candles and flashlights with new batteries. You never know when there will be an electrical outage

That's pretty much it. Preparing for the rigors of Old Man Winter will help ensure you have a comfortable, hopefully trouble-free winter.

Bud