Winter typically brings far cooler temperatures and the threat of rain, snow, freezing rain or sleet. As winter approaches, it is smart to prepare your home for this more turbulent weather period. Besides the holidays, ‘tis also the season of freezing pipes, clogged gutters, falling branches, slick sidewalks, and unwelcome drafts and critters. Snag the following items to help you prepare your home for all that winter can throw at it.
Clean gutter essentials
Ground control maintenance: To ensure your gutters are free and clear of all those fall leaves by the time winter precipitation arrives, invest in a tool specifically designed for the job. If you have a single-story house, a telescopic gutter brush should do the trick, and best of all, you won’t even need to take out a ladder or attach a hose. Look for a device that extends up to 6 feet and that features a brush head that can reach the gutters from all angles.
Pressurized water wand: If you prefer to blast the debris out of your gutters with water a telescoping gutter cleaning wand should work like a charm. Once again, look for unit that features an arm that extends to at least five feet to eliminate the hassle associated with using a ladder. A non-slip grip and a nozzle that rotates 180 degrees so you can position the spray in the necessary direction are both essential features.
Protect those pipes
Pipe insulation wrap: Thermal insulation can benefit hot water pipes by preventing heat loss and saving energy, but it also serves as a worthy barrier to protecting cold water pipes from freezing and potentially bursting during cold snaps in the winter. If you are worried about handling the insulation due to rashes caused by fiberglass, select a wrap constructed of rubber-plastic cotton with a layer of aluminum foil on the surface.
Irrigation covers: If you are looking to protect outdoor plumbing such as backflow valves on pool equipment and sprinkler systems from frigid winter conditions, these dedicated insulation covers are a no-brainer. The L-shaped opening gives you hassle-free fitting and a robust Velcro seal at the bottom of the cover ensures a firm closure.
Outdoor faucet cover: If an outdoor faucet on the side of your house freezes in the winter, that chilling effect can be the entry point for a pipe freezing and bursting in your home. Prevent this tragedy by picking up some outdoor faucet covers. Think of them as mittens for your faucets, and make sure to get some that are waterproof and have thick, cotton insulation that traps warmth.
Trim those trees
Saw with extension arm: Before the winter season starts, it’s a good idea to trim dead or dangerous branches on trees that are near your home. These branches can fail due to the buildup of ice and snow during winter storms. A saw with an arm that extends up to 14 feet in length can help eliminate these troublesome branches in pretty large trees as well. When shopping for these saws, target one that has a blade with barbs on both ends of it. These will act as hooks to prevent the blade from exiting a branch entirely while you are pruning the tree.
Mini chainsaw: If you want to exert a little less of your own energy while pruning your trees, consider purchasing a mini-chainsaw. These little battery-powered monsters can cut through 5.91-inch logs in just 8 seconds. Look for a lightweight unit that can be operated with one hand and that comes with an extra battery for those extended use days.
Drafts, cracks and entry ways
Weather stripping: Weather sealing your house prevents the exterior environment from affecting the conditions inside your home. It can help you to reduce heating costs in the winter and cooling costs in the summer by blocking the inflow of cold and hot air respectively. To block this unwanted air, pick up some neoprene sponge foam tape that is easy to customize by cutting it to size with scissors or a blade, and that bends easily and conforms to any shape. Make sure that the adhesive backing is very strong as well to ensure that the foam tape remains in place after it is installed.
Foam sealant: If you have some openings in your basement or crawl space that are too large or awkward to be sealed by weather stripping, then consider clogging them with spray foam. Find a polymer foam that expands to fill gaps up to an inch in size to keep unwelcome drafts and rodents out of your home.
Humane mouse trap: No matter how hard you try to keep them out, mice seem to have a knack for searching out that one tiny, narrow entryway into your house that you didn’t seal up. It’s at this point that you begin to admire the mouse for its persistence and skills. You feel that even though the mouse is your nemesis, it deserves to live. You, therefore, are the ideal candidate to purchase a humane, catch and release mouse trap.
Snow day helping hands
Snow blower: Anybody that has shoveled 2 or 3 inches (or more) of heavy wet snow off a lengthy driveway can tell you it’s more of a workout than you would expect. If you have had enough of banging sticky snow off snow shovels or paying a neighbor with a plow attachment on their pickup to perform the task, then you may be the ideal candidate to invest in a snow blower. Purchase a unit that utilizes a steel auger that can break up heavy snow and ice. A dual, lithium-ion battery setup is also a game-changer when it comes to adding power for heavier snowfalls.
Ice and snow melter: Slipping and sliding on icy sidewalks can make for some funny viral videos, but they also present a real danger for serious injuries that are far from humorous. Protect your friends and family from taking a spill by investing in a pet safe and environmentally friendly ice-melter to ensure there will be no need to strap on your ice skates when you are heading out the front door.
Essential emergency items
Generator: Powerful winter storms often deliver the dreaded power outage at some point. Be prepared to power up essential items while you are temporarily off the grid with a reliable generator. If you are purchasing a generator to primarily help you out during storms, a gas-powered device may be the best bet. It will deliver ample power without having to rely on the sun to power back up like a solar device would. Just make sure to have gasoline handy for when you need to use it. A generator that can run for 12 hours on a little over a gallon of gas is a good choice.
LED lantern: The most common go-to for quick illumination in the modern era is likely the cell phone light (AKA “torch”), but if you are in the midst of some sort of power outage, preserving your cell phone’s battery should be a top priority. For instances like this, having some reliable, battery-powered lanterns available in your house could be clutch. Look for a hybrid device that can be powered by a built-in USB rechargeable battery along with traditional AA or AAA alkaline batteries. The standard batteries could save you from darkness once the rechargeable battery runs out.
Assorted batteries: During a winter power outage, you may find yourself scrambling to power devices such as flashlights, lanterns and headlamps that run on traditional batteries. Therefore, keeping a healthy stash of assorted Alkaline batteries in your house is a smart call. Most modern devices seem to run on AA or AAA batteries, but you never know when you’re going to unearth that giant, old flashlight that runs on two D batteries.
