Winter might come with hot chocolate and cozy evenings, but there’s also the hard weather conditions to think about. Some people think staying at home during winter is the solution to dealing with bad weather, but it’s not enough.
A home that has not been adequately prepared for winter won’t help you through the rough. For instance, you’ll need to fix the fireplaces, install insulation, take care of weather stripping and storm windows.
And it’s not just your home, you also need to get your car ready for the winter months as well as yourself. Do you want to learn how to get ready for winter weather? Keep reading
Prepare for Power Outages
How many of you have had to spend a night or more in the dark because of power outages? Well, I have and I don’t want to experience it again. One of the things to do is get yourself a generator to power your house when that big storm hits.
The next thing is to consider where you’ll put it since generators are loud. A great place is a garage if you have one. You can close the windows to shut out the noise as much as possible.
Get Firewood
For those with wood heaters, Winter calls for stocking up enough good quality firewood to last you the entire season. If you don’t, it might be hard to buy it when the season comes because it’s expensive or might not even be available.
Ask around for good quality hard firewood like oak, beech, maple, or elm. Wood that is at least one year old is better than freshly cut wood.
Get a Shovel
You’ll need a shovel in case you don’t have one already. You’ll use it to shovel off heaps of ice from your walkway. However, you need to be careful as you shovel if you have any health conditions.
That’s because shoveling has been linked to heart attacks and increased blood pressure. Therefore, you need to first learn how to shovel properly by taking it slow. Shoveling only fresh powdery snow and push instead of lifting.
The cold factor is related to blood clotting easily and heart attack if you have been inactive for some time. Also, weigh whether a clean driveway is worth your life.
Use a Lawnmower to Clean the Yard
You’ll need a lawnmower to run over the leaves in your compound or walkway. Instead of raking thousands of leaves, run over them with a mulching lawnmower, and have your soil gain valuable organic matter.
This process converts piles of leaves into a million little pieces that you don’t have to bother removing.
Snow Salt
One of the things you should consider in preparation for winter is getting snow salt. When the salt gets in contact with water, it lowers its freezing temperature which prevents ice from forming in your driveway.
Deicing salt is used to melt icy surfaces and usually comes as calcium chloride rounded white pellets. Be careful not to handle it with your bare hands as it can cause skin irritation.
Clean the Fire Place
Cleaning the fireplace depends on how often you make fires in your house. As you prepare for winter, have all your fireplaces and flumes cleaned thoroughly and checked so you are ready for the cold season.
After all, you already have the firewood, so the next thing is to prepare where the wood will go. Have your chimneys checked for any internal water damage and if any, have it fixed.
Seal Up Masonry
If you have any broken joints or cracks in the walkway, steps, and stonework, ensure you repair or seal them. If you don’t, they will gather ice which will melt into water and cause more damage.
Also, when your walkways are cracked, it will be hard to shovel and create a clear pathway.
Drain Water from the House
Check where your water leader pipes are draining their water. Most of the time, they will drain to the corner of the house and into the basement.
If this is the case, you need to dig trenches and install underground drain pipes to collect rainwater away from the house. Ensure all landscaping is pitched away from the house.
Purchase Winter Clothes
Next, it’s time for you to get yourself ready for winter. You also need to buy warm clothes like cotton and heavy jackets, scarves and gloves. You also need union suits and socks, long underwear.
Ensure you get dark-colored clothes because they absorb most of the radiant heat from the sun and keep us warm.
Some of the best fabrics that are ideal for winter are nylon, faux fur, hemp, mohair, cotton, and cashmere.
Final Thoughts
When the calendar starts showing you the fall months, it is time to prepare for winter. Ensure you get a generator if you live in an area prone to power outages in the winter.
Oh and don’t forget to stock up on some hot chocolate too. Once you’re all prepared for winter, you deserve to get cozy and enjoy a cup.
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