Tips of the Month – Home Preparations for the Winter

By KRISTA TURCASSO

We are moving into fall, and with this change in seasons comes cooler evenings, shorter days, and lots of soup and tea. This time of year is the best opportunity to prepare your home for an efficient and effective winter to ensure you enjoy these beautiful months in Fernie. By following these easy tips, you will be able to sit back cozy by the fire or jet out to the hill, confident that your home will be toasty upon your return without the scary gas bill that sometimes follows!

1.Conserve Energy! A programmable thermostat is the most obvious, and are available at most hardware stores. Program the thermostat to lower while you are away from the home or during the night while you are warm in bed!

2.Contact a professional. Having your heating system tuned-up by an expert prior to depending on it will ensure you don’t run into problems during a major storm by clearing heat registers and air ducts, and changing your furnace filter (which should be done monthly).

3.Insulation. Make sure you have adequate coverage in the attic, walls, basement, crawl spaces, and floors – and that the insulation is of the healthy and efficient kind.

4.Seal windows. Many old windows leak cold air into your home, demanding you to crank up the heat to counter the draft. Purchase a plastic window sealing kit, and use weather stripping to fill any cracks around the windows or even doors.

5.Roof tiles. We experienced it last year, ice damming up under the tiles on our roof. This resulted in a leak into our top floor when the ice began to melt. To avoid this insert a thermal roofing system, ensure gutters are clear and not prone to blockage, and be prepared to knock down icicles before they become too large and difficult to handle.

6.Go over last year’s electric and gas bills. Go through your invoices to see where you stood each month to prepare for the potential cost or set a new goal. By following just a few of these tips, you may significantly lower your costs this winter!

7.Buy a good shovel. Let’s just admit that while last year we experienced the best skiing in the last decade, we were tired of shoveling! It was exhausting, a chore after a long day at work or on the slopes. Having a good shovel makes the process easier, as does a partner! I think the town of Fernie easily doubled its shoveling time last winter.

8.Enjoy the fall! Being equipped for the winter, which comes at variable times each year, allows you to thoroughly enjoy the beauty of fall. The transitions of the trees on the mountains. Mountain biking through trails brightened by fluttering leaves. And just a slower and more intimate pace of life in Fernie before the craziness and excitement of winter!