Waking Up to a Cold Breeze From That Open Window?
The summer flowers are
turning brown. The kids are moping around the house.
Weekend plans are becoming centered around soccer
games instead of the beach or pool. You’re feeling
just a little depressed. Yup, fall is around the corner
-- and when fall arrives, it’s time to think
about getting ready for winter.
Cheer up. It is easy to winterize your home if you
divide the work into three categories.
First, concentrate on Outside
Maintenance such as bringing in your outside furniture,
grills, toys and other recreational items. Also bring
in plants, clear the garden hoses of water and turn
your faucets off for the winter. Next trim tree limbs
and vegetation away from your roof and clean debris
out of the gutters. Lastly, make sure your doors and
windows are properly sealed. Replace weather stripping
and missing or loose caulking.
Second, move to the Inside Maintenance
of the house. Have your furnace serviced and check
heating fuel supplies. Clean and check your fireplace
or wood stove and have the chimney cleaned, as well.
This is a good time to check the plumbing fixtures
in your home for any indication of leaks. Actually,
it’s a good time to check for signs of water
where it shouldn’t be all around the house.
Check the attic for traces of leaks coming from the
roof and the basement for signs of water seeping in
through the foundation.
Take inventory of your family’s
summer clothes and shoes. Are some of them worn out
or the wrong size for next year? Be tough on yourself.
If the clothes haven’t been worn this summer,
they will never be worn next year, so throw out the
damaged clothes and give away the good ones. Box up
the rest of your summer clothes and put cedar chips
in the boxes to protect from moths. Also box up those
summer sandals and light shoes. Store everything in
a dry place out of the way of frequent foot traffic.
Now it’s time to bring out the winter clothes
you put away last spring. While you’re at it,
this is a good time to clean and organize your closets.
Lastly, think about Improvements
for your home to make life more pleasant this winter.
Make a few changes in your décor by changing
the decorative pillows on the sofa to some that are
a deeper, jewel tone or made of heavier fabric. Bring
out the heavier, warmer bedspreads as well. Add lots
of scented candles around the house, and actually
light them! Put herbal candles in the dining room
and living room. Burn a spicy candle in the kitchen
and use floral scented ones in the bathrooms. These
little touches make everyone feel cozy and warm.
Installing a towel radiator
in your bathroom is a great way to add affordable
luxury while being practical at the same time. Nothing
could be more comforting than getting out of the bath
on a cold winter morning and wrapping yourself in
a warm, fluffy towel. With Zehnder towel radiators,
you don’t have to crank up your thermostat and
heat the entire house to get just that comfort. And
best of all, it’s ready even before you crawl
out from under the covers.
“With the 7-day programmable
controller, you can program the radiator to run just
when you want the bathroom to be toasty warm,”
says Paula Bush of Zehnder America. “No need
to spend money on heating the bathroom when no one
is using it.” The best part is they fit anywhere
that you would put up your normal towel bar. Now isn’t
that practical?
Fall is the perfect time to
prepare your home for the winter months that lie ahead.
Outside and inside maintenance will ensure that it
is in good shape and will give you peace of mind throughout
the winter. Small changes and improvements inside
will make the long winter more comfortable and pleasant
until it’s time for you to get those grills
and garden hoses out again next spring.
