Prepping For Winter

[Weedygarden]

I searched, and I don't see a thread for this topic. If it is out there, please point me in the direction of that post.

I am thinking of all the things to do before snow comes around and it gets colder. My list may not be exactly like your list, but we may have some things in common.

1. Prep the furnace for winter. Change out the filter. Maybe have a tune-up.

2. Cover the evaporative cooler and put insulation inside to prevent cold air from coming into the house.

3. Garden hoses--drain and put away.

4. Garden tools--clean, oil and put away

5. Get out the snow shovel and put it by the front door.

6. Check ice melt level in the bucket and purchase more for the winter.

7. Clean up garden beds and mulch areas around roses and other perennial plants.

8. Rake up leaves and other yard debris. Keep weeding.

9. Car-- check the trunk and add any missing items: snow shovel, sand, jack, tire iron, blankets, emergency food, jumper cables, spare tire

10. Cover or put up yard furniture and furnishings.

11. Bring in potted plants for the winter

12. Clean up empty pots and other planted items.

 

[Just Cliff]

I know thus is a small one but, with all the holidays coming, Hit the afterward sales and pick up cheap candles. I have boxes of them. Christmas is usually the best.

 

[Morgan101]

We have to turn off the water to the outdoor spigots. so the pipes don't freeze.

Put the winter kit bag (hats, scarves, gloves) back in the trunk of the car.

Put an additional winter coat in the trunk of the car.

 

[UrbanHunter]

As the first freezes approach I have to open my rain water collection by-pass, empty my rain barrels, and drain all my irrigation lines.
I will close the lids on some of my raised beds so the few plants that go into winter can continue to grow for a couple of extra months.
I also buy replacement plastic to use on my raised beds next year (I like having what I need for next year ready to go)
During this time when the leaves are on the ground I mow and bag (Heavy black plastic bags) the tall grass and leaves together and set them on empty raised beds to decompose, they will be added to the soil in the spring to hold moisture and provide a little nourishment for next year's plants.

 

[Pearl]

We have to turn off the water to the outdoor spigots. so the pipes don't freeze.

Put the winter kit bag (hats, scarves, gloves) back in the trunk of the car.

Put an additional winter coat in the trunk of the car.

All of our vehicles have extra summer and winter clothes all year. Blankets, non perishable food, water. If caught away from home in a 'situation' could live in our vehicles about 2 weeks.

 

[Pearl]

Our weather is still very warm. But soon I'll be cleaning garden areas, getting the wood stove ready (check for nests in pipe etc.), Bring wood storage bags in from storage shed. Cut and split wood (twice a year) and stack it for up coming years. Cover faucets, all the usual. Winterize the pool. Last year that didn't have to happen until Thanksgiving weekend, looks like another warm fall this year!

 

[Morgan101]

All of our vehicles have extra summer and winter clothes all year. Blankets, non perishable food, water. If caught away from home in a 'situation' could live in our vehicles about 2 weeks.

I do as well. but for Winter I add some additional warmth items. My first real into to prepping was traveling in a Sales territory which was a 250 mile radius from my house. You never knew what you would run into, and I was prepared to live in the car for several days. I still am, even though I am no longer a road warrior logging windshield time.

 

[Pearl]

I do as well. but for Winter I add some additional warmth items. My first real into to prepping was traveling in a Sales territory which was a 250 mile radius from my house. You never knew what you would run into, and I was prepared to live in the car for several days. I still am, even though I am no longer a road warrior logging windshield time.

I used to do some driving, don't have to go too far now. Still good to be prepared

 

[Alaskajohn]

I searched, and I don't see a thread for this topic. If it is out there, please point me in the direction of that post.

I am thinking of all the things to do before snow comes around and it gets colder. My list may not be exactly like your list, but we may have some things in common.

1. Prep the furnace for winter. Change out the filter. Maybe have a tune-up.

2. Cover the evaporative cooler and put insulation inside to prevent cold air from coming into the house.

3. Garden hoses--drain and put away.

4. Garden tools--clean, oil and put away

5. Get out the snow shovel and put it by the front door.

6. Check ice melt level in the bucket and purchase more for the winter.

7. Clean up garden beds and mulch areas around roses and other perennial plants.

8. Rake up leaves and other yard debris. Keep weeding.

9. Car-- check the trunk and add any missing items: snow shovel, sand, jack, tire iron, blankets, emergency food, jumper cables, spare tire

10. Cover or put up yard furniture and furnishings.

11. Bring in potted plants for the winter

12. Clean up empty pots and other planted items.

We do most of these items except we don’t have a whole lot of leaves and we have a toyostove verses a furnace.

Add to the list is mounting plows on two ATVs and big Bercomac snowblower on another ATV. Also put snow chains on the vehicles.

I have multiple outbuildings with one being tough to get to. The tough to get to outbuilding is where we store our winter use items in the summer and summer use items in the winter. We got this transition done just in time as winter came early.

I make sure my heating oil and propane tanks are topped off in June. There is only a three month window during the summer where those delivery trucks can get up the hill.

I service all my ATVs and snow machines before winter. My ATVs get abused all winter as each becomes a workhorse pushing or blowing snow. They don’t live easy lives in any season. I use them all summer long collecting firewood in some tough terrain.

I have several vehicles that I don’t use in the winter, so I park them in a field, take the batteries out and cover until about mid May when they are resurrected.

I also spend time making sure everything is put away that needs to be put away before the first snow. Since it snows deep, if you don’t put it away it will be covered in snow until the snow melts in spring. My dogs chew toys are almost all hidden until spring.

Winter came with gusto ahead of schedule and we got 30 inches before Oct 1. One critical item that I didn’t get done was adding compost and tilling the garden beds as the snow fell before we got to them. I was excited to use my new Mantis tiller.

 

[Jay]

Added a couple boxes of fatwood to my shopping list, Always good to have around for starting fires easier. I realize it can be found in nature, but I haven't been out in the bush this year as much as I would have liked. Also need to check the status of my lamp oil.

 

[zoomzoom]

A couple things I do to expand on what others have said.

For outdoor equipment, I coat everything with Fluid Film for rust prevention. I use the aerosol cans to touch up small areas and hand tools. I use their NAS product in a spray gun for undercoating the truck and hitting the large implements. Also works great on snow blades as a light lubricant to keep snow from sticking. Basically, I use it on everything.

I also check how old equipment batteries are. E.g. on my diesel tractor, I checked and the battery was 11 years old. Sure, it'll start the tractor when it's warm outside but probably not in the winter. I just replaced it last weekend.

For propane, at least around me, the best place to get it is Tractor Supply. They charge by the gallon (instead of by the pound) and only charge exactly what they put in the tank. You can take in empty or tanks that still have LP in them. I took 2 100# tanks in last week. $3.79 per gallon.

Bring wood storage bags in from storage shed.

Are you referring to the canvas bags for carrying wood indoors? I "used" to use those but for me, a better solution is to use something like 18-gallon Rubbermaid totes. I pull the wood trailer to the back of the house then unload some into about 8 of those totes. Whenever I need wood inside, I grab a tote or 2 and bring them inside. The benefits for me are A) you can bring a few in and stack them on top of each other so you're good for a day, B) since they have lids, any bugs that may come in with the wood stay in the totes and can't fly or climb into your house and C) Almost all of the little chips or whatever come off the wood during handling stay in the tubs. One thing about the totes is to pick ones that are relatively soft plastic. The hard ones have a tendency to chip/break when they're very cold and you toss firewood in them.

 

[WVDragonlady]

I've already started cleaning up the beds in the garden. What was finished growing or has been stung by the stinkbugs are getting pulled and dumped. The basil and marigolds are still growing for some reason so they're still in the beds
Do need to move the herbs into the greenhouse

Have to wait to clean the pellet stove. We run it first to kill the stinkbugs in the chimney before we can clean the stove and pipe.

Have to wait for consistent cold temps before plugging in the heat tape around the outdoor faucet and the pup's water bucket.

Snow shovels never left the front porch and carport lol so they're ready.
Ice melt is ready in the carport

I'm sure hubby will check the snowblower soon and the plow truck is ready. We had it worked on this year.

Next weekend or so we'll take down the awnings over the windows

All the vehicles have been worked on this summer, so they're ready to go

We have our pellets for heating

I do need to get together the cold weather gear for the vehicles and get them in the canvas totes I use for them to keep them all together

 

[Pearl]

A couple things I do to expand on what others have said.

For outdoor equipment, I coat everything with Fluid Film for rust prevention. I use the aerosol cans to touch up small areas and hand tools. I use their NAS product in a spray gun for undercoating the truck and hitting the large implements. Also works great on snow blades as a light lubricant to keep snow from sticking. Basically, I use it on everything.

I also check how old equipment batteries are. E.g. on my diesel tractor, I checked and the battery was 11 years old. Sure, it'll start the tractor when it's warm outside but probably not in the winter. I just replaced it last weekend.

For propane, at least around me, the best place to get it is Tractor Supply. They charge by the gallon (instead of by the pound) and only charge exactly what they put in the tank. You can take in empty or tanks that still have LP in them. I took 2 100# tanks in last week. $3.79 per gallon.


Are you referring to the canvas bags for carrying wood indoors? I "used" to use those but for me, a better solution is to use something like 18-gallon Rubbermaid totes. I pull the wood trailer to the back of the house then unload some into about 8 of those totes. Whenever I need wood inside, I grab a tote or 2 and bring them inside. The benefits for me are A) you can bring a few in and stack them on top of each other so you're good for a day, B) since they have lids, any bugs that may come in with the wood stay in the totes and can't fly or climb into your house and C) Almost all of the little chips or whatever come off the wood during handling stay in the tubs. One thing about the totes is to pick ones that are relatively soft plastic. The hard ones have a tendency to chip/break when they're very cold and you toss firewood in them.

Yes, the canvas bags. Great idea with the totes, thanks. I have a wood dolly ( metal frame on wheels) I keep outside the back door, and a few bags in the house. The bags hold 80lbs and I usually have that much in them, I tie the handles together so the cats don't go wood diving. Will be getting tote boxes, sorry kitties

 

[Bacpacker]

Already pulled my drip system. Still need to finish cleaning the beds, still got some harvest to go yet. Put covers on the outdoor faucets. Hook the solar panel up on the Duetz to keep the battery hot. Add some warm clothes to the cars. Got 2 oil changes to get done as well.
Got several projects to do this fall and winter, but they aren't winter prep related

 

[jazzy]

i live in like an old farm house, lots of big windows and my only heat is a wood stove in the living room. i have thermal curtains and a curtain liner to help with insulation. one of THE smartest things i leartned to do was every fall getting ready for winter i put up bubble wrap on my windows on the inside.

medium size bubble, spray window with some water and press bubble side to the glass. the bubble wrap usually stays up all winter. if it gets loose, just spray window with water gaain and put it back up. or just use a bit of tape. inb the spring i pull them off, roll them up and store in a hefty bag and just keep reusing them. every year

sounds hillbilly--but it sure makes a real difference in keeping my place warmer in the winter and ive seen i use less firewood . and i can open the curtains on south facing windows to let sinlight in during the day.

with a solar minimum starting and now crazy rising fuel prices---bubble wrap could be our friend every winter.

as tacky as it sounds it REALLY makes a difference in keeping warm.

 

[sonya123]

Our winter preparations are already started. Today we added some boxes of fire starters to it.
Fill up wood shed for heating , we go through a huge amount of wood in winter
Put up about 600 square bales of hay in the barn , we are still short of that ( wow, that's around 30000 lbs of hay!)
clean chimneys ( done)
plow up the 2 gardens ( 1 done)
get straw, get sawdust for barn
wash all blankets and bedstuff because it will be much harder to dry when it's cold out (half done)
put the small goat shelters indoors because the wind here will destroy them if left out
remove portable electric fencing ( this we wait until last minute before snow and ice, so we have extra pasture)

 

[sonya123]

i live in like an old farm house, lots of big windows and my only heat is a wood stove in the living room. i have thermal curtains and a curtain liner to help with insulation. one of THE smartest things i leartned to do was every fall getting ready for winter i put up bubble wrap on my windows on the inside.

We live in an old farm house too, but we have double glass windows and added insulation to the attic, but bubble wrap sounds like a good idea.

 

[jazzy]

i have double pane windows too. i noticed i definitly burn less wood since doing the bubble wrap--up to a cord less id say. i need to buy an extra roll to keep on hand for down the road. as silly as it sounds, it works

 

[Pearl]

i have double pane windows too. i noticed i definitly burn less wood since doing the bubble wrap--up to a cord less id say. i need to buy an extra roll to keep on hand for down the road. as silly as it sounds, it works

Do what works!! Only silly if you don't t do it

 

[sonya123]

i have double pane windows too. i noticed i definitly burn less wood since doing the bubble wrap--up to a cord less id say. i need to buy an extra roll to keep on hand for down the road. as silly as it sounds, it works

Our house is not set up in a good way for heating. From what we were told some rich people built it way back in the 40s as a summer house . It is sort of u shaped which makes it hard for the heat to go in the back bedrooms. It gets way too hot in my kitchen and I often have the wood stove on to cook and heat the water with the windows open in the kitchen. So our probably is not heating but distributing the heat. We have tried fans but that failed.
Where do you live? We are in the mountains SW Virginia at about 3000 feet . It gets pretty cold here, our temps are often about the same as New England . Was not expecting that before we moved here

 

[ClemKadiddlehopper]

My school has a central hallway with all the rooms to either side. One classroom is being converted into a bathroom a storage room and two bedrooms. There is a huge rec room off the back end. The whole place has four furnaces to cover the zones.

Fortunately, this place is also extremely well insulated. I keep the electric furnaces set at 50F. During the winter. They are still in off mode presently and the school is around 59F. No need for heat yet.

There is a separate set of thermostats for the outdoor boiler. During the coldest months we use the boiler and whine about the heat. When we use the boiler, we get cooked. I keep the boiler thermostats at 59F. and open the windows.

 

[Weedygarden]

Some good security tips here.

 

[Pearl]

Some good security tips here.
View attachment 73342

 

[UrbanHunter]

Now is also the time to expand your vigilance on property security, with nice evenings and early darkness young ones with sticky fingers will be eyeing properties for things as they walk home from school. Locks and good fences help keep marginal folks honest......

 

[Pearl]

Now is also the time to expand your vigilance on property security, with nice evenings and early darkness young ones with sticky fingers will be eyeing properties for things as they walk home from school. Locks and good fences help keep marginal folks honest......

And camerasand solar motion sensor lights!

 

[Pearl]

And camerasand solar motion sensor lights!

And don't forget the good guard donkies that honk at anything that is not supposed to be on the property!

 

[Cabin Fever]

Now is the time we cut firewood off of our 40-acres of land. The firewood we harvest this year will be used to heat our home four years from now.

 

[angie_nrs]

I just got done cleaning out the dryer vent. I hate that chore! It kicks up my allergies and is a pain in the butt to get all my vacuum attachments together and try to fish down into the dryer and get all the lint and dust out. I went outdoors and also vacuumed from the outdoor trap and took the loovers out and cleaned everything there too. I also cleaned under the dryer and the walls around it and dusted the utility room and washed the curtains that were covered in dust. Whew! I'm soooo glad that's done for another year.

Even though I really hate that job I figure it will cut down on dust and debris throughout the winter in the house. I'm sure it also improves the efficiency of the dryer. And most of all, it should prevent the possibility of a fire. If taking the time to do this one crappy chore once per year will save my home, then it's certainly worth the effort. At least, that's what I tell myself when I'm doing it.

 

[Pearl]

I just got done cleaning out the dryer vent. I hate that chore! It kicks up my allergies and is a pain in the butt to get all my vacuum attachments together and try to fish down into the dryer and get all the lint and dust out. I went outdoors and also vacuumed from the outdoor trap and took the loovers out and cleaned everything there too. I also cleaned under the dryer and the walls around it and dusted the utility room and washed the curtains that were covered in dust. Whew! I'm soooo glad that's done for another year.

Even though I really hate that job I figure it will cut down on dust and debris throughout the winter in the house. I'm sure it also improves the efficiency of the dryer. And most of all, it should prevent the possibility of a fire. If taking the time to do this one crappy chore once per year will save my home, then it's certainly worth the effort. At least, that's what I tell myself when I'm doing it.

I always feel good when jobs like that get done!!

 

[Neb]

I just got done cleaning out the dryer vent. I hate that chore! It kicks up my allergies and is a pain in the butt to get all my vacuum attachments together and try to fish down into the dryer and get all the lint and dust out. I went outdoors and also vacuumed from the outdoor trap and took the loovers out and cleaned everything there too. I also cleaned under the dryer and the walls around it and dusted the utility room and washed the curtains that were covered in dust. Whew! I'm soooo glad that's done for another year.

Even though I really hate that job I figure it will cut down on dust and debris throughout the winter in the house. I'm sure it also improves the efficiency of the dryer. And most of all, it should prevent the possibility of a fire. If taking the time to do this one crappy chore once per year will save my home, then it's certainly worth the effort. At least, that's what I tell myself when I'm doing it.

Re a fire...

You tell yourself the truth. The Princess tested that theory. There is more than one reason why the verb "princinerate" is used in our house.

Ben