Time to Winterize

0
Time to Winterize

As soon as the temperature starts to drop, it is time to prepare your home, yard, vehicles and yard equipment for the Moose Jaw winter. Here’s a beginners guide to winter-proofing.

Caulk the Cracks

Whether you live in a condo, townhouse or single detached home, check
for cracks and fill them before the temperature drops. Some of the foundations in Moose Jaw can have cracks appear regularly.  Patching up small cracks with caulk or reaching out to a local Moose Jaw contractor for larger jobs will prevent cold air and moisture from seeping in.

Store Your Garden Hoses

Water inside garden hoses can freeze and cause them to split. Protect your garden hoses by emptying and storing them in a shed or storage unit during the winter.

Blow Out Your Sprinklers

Hook up your air compressor and blow out the water in your sprinkler lines.  Don’t have an air compressor?  Check out our Landscaping Moose Jaw Business area for local contractors who who do this for you.

Stay Warm and Toasty

Install a door sweep to prevent drafts from entering your home and the
heat inside. It’s a low cost solution that’s quick and easy to install.  If you have older windows which may have a loose seal you may want to cover your windows with a plastic shrink film.

Winter is Coming With Snow and Ice on the Road

It’s time to find the winter tires and book an appointment.  Check out Moose Jaw local automotive businesses to change out your summer tires for winter tires.  Think about purchasing a set of rims – much easier (and cheaper) to swap out your tires on rims.

Avoid Burst Pipes

Burst pipes can cause thousands in water damage to your home. There are
simple fixes to keep your water running and your house protected with heat tape or other solutions – check with our local Moose Jaw building supply businesses. A longterm
solution is to insulate vulnerable pipes, especially the ones located in
unheated interior spaces.

Add Fuel Stabilizer

If you have any outdoor yard equipment with a gas engine which will not run throughout the winter months you should add fuel stabilizer to the gas tank and run the equipment for a couple of minutes to ensure fuel stabilizer makes its way through the carburetor.  Wiper snipper, hedge trimer, lawn tractor, leaf blowers, lawn mowers and other engines need to be stored properly to ensure a quick start in the spring.

Service Your Furnace and/or Boiler

Turn on your furnace before winter hits to make sure it is working. It is much easier to schedule servicing early in the season than during the dead of winter. While you are there, do not forget to replace your furnace’s air filter!

Own a boiler?  Setup a annual maintenance check of your boiler with a local mechanical shop.  Plumbers look over safety/pressure relief valves, ignition/flame sensors, gaskets and a variety of other checks to ensure your boiler works throughout the winter months.

Winterize your Emergency Kit

Update your emergency kit in your car with items such as:

  • Jumper cables. Or you can carry a small, portable, lithium-ion battery with jumper cables.
  • Flares or triangle reflectors. LED flares are also an option worth considering.
  • First-aid kit
  • Blanket or space blanket
  • Flashlight and extra batteries
  • Tool kit with screwdrivers, pliers, adjustable wrench, pocket knife
  • A can of tire inflator and sealant such as Fix-a-Flat
  • Tire pressure gauge
  • Paper towels
  • Ice scraper
  • Pen and paper
  • Granola or energy bars
  • Bottled water

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.