Simple Steps to Prepare your Cottage for Winter

The leaves are changing, the nights are chilled, and the mere thought of hopping in the lake sends shivers down your spine: Autumn is here.

Along with the desire for hot cups of tea, warm blankets, and pumpkin pie comes the necessary steps of closing down your summer retreat for the winter.

In order to lessen some of the stress, we have created this brief To Do list for that last weekend trek up North this year:

• Shut off the water supply and drain the pipes – Drain all of the pipes, bail out any reservoirs (i.e. any water left in the toilet bowl), and allow the taps to ‘breathe’ by leaving them open over the winter.
• Unplug all electrical appliances and devices – In order to avoid any power surges and unwanted electricity bills, remove all plugs from their outlets.
• Turn off all heating sources – If the primary heat at your cottage is supplied by baseboard electric heaters or central heating, turn the devices or thermostats off or down to their lowest possible setting.
• Clean out any woodburning units – Remove all ash and any unburned pieces of wood from the unit.  Additionally, close the damper flue in order to keep the weather (and critters) out of your cottage.
• Make sure the kitchen is squeaky clean and left without a spec of food – In order to avoid visits from any four-legged friends, be sure to leave the kitchen clean and to remove any food.  If you are to leave any dry goods up at the cottage, make sure to seal them in an airtight glass or metal container.  Plastic is not as effective as small critters can often chew through.
• If you are able, remove any valuable items – It is a sad but true fact that thieves sometimes take advantage of the uninhabited nature of a closed cottage.  If you have storage room at your home, consider removing TVs, stereos, or other valuable items from the cottage.  If any high value items are permanently stored at the cottage, make sure to leave the windows covered so that no one is able to see in.
• Move outdoor items inside for the winter months – Canoes, barbecues, and patio furniture should be moved into a storage shed or, if space permits, into the cottage itself in order to avoid weather damage and/or theft
• Take photos of the cottage – Consider taking photos of the cottage as well as any additional structures for reference in case anything is to happen over the winter months.
• Complete any minor repairs to the cottage and detached structures – By doing this prior to the deep freeze of winter and eventual spring thaw, you will mitigate further damage.
• Cover any openings to the cottage – In order to prevent raccoons and other fury tenants from making your cottage their winter home, consider installing a cover over your chimney and any other openings such as the dryer flue that might serve as a pathway into your cottage.
• Consider hiring a local snow removal company – In order to avoid excess accumulation of snow and ice on your cottage roof over the winter months, arrange to have a local snow removal company come at least once in order to remove some of the heavy buildup of snow.
• If you do hire a local snow removal company, consider having them maintain the drive and walkways – In order to maintain easy access to the cottage, consider having snow removed from the drive and walkways.  By keeping the paths of access clear, the cottage will be easier to get to in case of an emergency.
• Ask a friend or neighbour who lives near the cottage or hire someone to check on the cottage property – If you are unable to make the trip up north over the winter months, consider having someone check on the cottage periodically in order to ensure that all is in order.  If something unfortunate has happened, from a fire, to a break-in, to a roof cave-in, the sooner you are made aware and can deal with the issue, the better.

We here at Cade wish all those with plans to close up their cottage in the coming weeks the best of luck.

Stay safe and enjoy the fall colours!