Get Ready for Winter That the Chilled-Out Way
Brrrr. Even down here in Atlanta, our temperatures are falling into the 40s at night. Although it’s only October, it’s time to make sure we’re prepared for winter. Do you understand where your shovel is?
Here’s a listing of what you should do in order to get ready for colder temperatures, ice, snow and muddy boots. Accomplish these tasks every day and you should be ready in plenty of time.
John Maniscalco Architecture
Take snow-preparedness inventory. Many people are used to plenty of snow and ice; others in warmer climates are to get amazed by a freak storm or two every winter. Be prepared either way. Ensure that your snow shovel is in good form and that you have rock salt or sand to spread around when things get icy. Southerners, the regional hardware store will be sold from those things when you want them — trust me.
Mark Hickman Homes
Maintain snow substances handy. Speaking of shovels, find a fantastic area to stow your snow shovels that is available poststorm. Add some hooks into your garage or mudroom, or at least find a fantastic place on a covered porch for simple access. Locate a sterile place inside for stashing the rock salt.
Crate&Barrel
Scraper Doormat – $16.95
Get out the tough welcome mat. Welcome your friends in but ditch the snow. Replace this summery float-rope welcome mat for one that doubles as a boot scraper — it’s important to keep that sand and snow from getting into the home in the first location.
Smith & Vansant Architects PC
Add a milder mat inside the mudroom door to get a second swipe at these shoes and boots. Give a place where everyone can sit and eliminate footwear and skip over to a sterile floor in their stockinged feet. This unbelievable mudroom even provides a woodstove for heating up snowy boots.
It’s The Small Things…
Make room for chilly, wet coatings. Unless you’re fortunate enough to have a heating cabinet, you will need a place to hang damp coats at the open air.
Do the closet switcheroo. Pull out those sweaters, corduroys and outerwear from wherever you stashed them all summer. To make the most of prime real estate at the coat closet, pull out summer sports equipment, flip-flops, beach bags etc. and store them for winter. Swap in your winter coats, hats, mittens, boots and scarves.
Visbeen Architects
Prepare your doors and windows. Check for drafts in your doors and windows. If you have storm windows, it’s time to start using them. Weather-strip any doors or windows that have leaks.
Bed Bath & Beyond
Stay Place Draft Stopper – $14.99
Place on the draft stopper. Slides in the bottom of the doorway, a draft stopper is very effective in preventing drafts. This one is modern, but don’t hesitate to use a snake or Mrs. Claus doing a break.
Lowe’s
Frost King Water Heater Insulation Blanket – $21.57
Wrap your water heater. Enhance your water heater’s energy efficiency with an insulation blanket.
Urban Outfitters
Kaleidoscope Patchwork Quilt – $149
Add warmth to your bedding. If you’re in a cold climate, you’re going to want to save on energy bills by incorporating some layers into your bed so you’re going to have the ability to keep the thermostat lowered overnight. Replace cotton duvets for down duvets, put in a blanket and bring out the cozy quilts.
Likewise, keep throws and vases across the places where you like to sit and read or watch television.
Before Photo
Soorikian Architecture
Have your furnace serviced. Your service provider also needs to clear out spiderwebs, change the filters and assess all of your ductwork attentively — I had a massive hole in my insulated ductwork and have flashbacks about dollar bills flying from it. It’s also advisable to change your filters regularly. (Check the filter’s tag to find out the frequency; less costly filters will need to be changed monthly, whereas more costly filters last longer.)
Nest
The Nest Learning Thermostat
Get the best per-therm speed on gasoline. If you have gas heating, you should lock at a rate per therm today, as rates will only go up from here. Stuck in a contract? I find these contracts are not ironclad. They key is to collect enticing offers from the gas provider’s competitors, then call your gas supplier to see if it can perform for you.
Outdoor Furniture Plus
Enormous Crescent Firewood Rack
Get ready for some fires. This implies dividing that timber or ordering a cord, and figuring out where to pile it (under cover is preferable, to help keep it dry).
If you have a wood-burning fireplace, provide the chimney sweep a telephone. Check on your fireplace tools to be certain that they’re in good shape, get out the fireplace screen and stock up on fire starters. You may even do some furniture rearranging to make sure you’re maximizing your fireplace pleasure.
Amazon
Mallory 999CT 36-Inch Ultra Maxx Snow Brush – $13.99
Prep your vehicle. At minimum you want a ice scraper and a snow brush. I love the combination kinds, similar to this model. Notice to Southerners: You want to brush off the whole car, including the trunk, hood and roof; I understand this isn’t necessarily common knowledge.
If you reside someplace with extreme weather, it’s time to dig out those snow tires. You should also keep an emergency kit in the car, complete with bottled water, energy bars, blankets and a flashlight. Make sure you have your phone charged and with you when you’re traveling through the winter. A bag of sand at the trunk will be convenient if you get stuck.
If you can afford the luxury of getting your driveway plowed, phone your snowplow individual and make sure that you’re good to go for this storm.
Whitten Architects
This ought to be a fantastic beginning in your winter preparedness. Please help add to the listing by sharing another winter prep tips in the Opinions section.
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Get Ready for Winter’s Beautiful Ways