Tips on Preparing for a Cold Winter for the First Time

If you have recently moved to a colder climate than what you are used to then you may not have a good understanding of everything that you need to do in order to prepare for the winter months. The information here will help you to prepare for a very cold winter for the first time:

Buy at least a cord of wood

You want to make sure you have wood to last you through the winter. The amount of wood that you need will depend on whether or not you have other sources of heat, the size of your house and how much you will be home and using the fireplace. When buying wood for the first time you should know that you want to make sure you get "seasoned" wood. This is wood that was but down the year before so it's nice and dry.

Prevent your pipes from freezing

Another thing you will need to do in order to prepare for freezing months is to make sure you protect your pipes from freezing. You can do this by removing your yard hoses and storing them away for the winter and turning off your sprinkler systems. You will also need to be sure you keep the inside of your home at a comfortable temperature even when you are gone away for a trip. Open the cabinets that have pipes in them so the warmer air can access them. Put an insulation tape on pipes that are located outside and left unprotected.

Have your heater serviced

If you also have a heater that you plan on using to help keep your home heated then you want to have an HVAC tech come out and give it servicing so you know that it is going to work properly throughout the winter.

Purchase a bag of rock salt

You should have a big bag of rock salt on hand so you can throw the salt on any ice that shows up on your walkways or steps. The salt will cause the ice to melt so you won't slip.

Have your chimney cleaned

You should also have a chimney cleaner come out to clean your chimney before you start using it for the winter. This is very important because it ensures that the chimney is going to function as it is supposed to and it will significantly decrease the chances of you finding yourself dealing with a fire in your chimney. For further assistance with this task, contact services like Country Corner Chimney Sweeps.