6 Winter Preparations to Complete in Summer
It’s never too early to prepare for winter. The cold, rainy, icy, and often snowy season may seem far away, but it will sneak up on you fast. Before you know it, you’ll be wearing waterproof shoes and scraping ice off your car.
Are you prepared for winter? You’ll be in a good position if you make the following preparations early.
1. Check your snow machinery
Do you use machinery in the winter, like a snow blower or a snow plow? If so, make sure they’re in working order before winter arrives. For instance, if you have a snow plow, check the hydraulics system for leaks and fix any electrical issues you come across. Make sure to grease all moving parts and replace the cutting edge if necessary.
For other machinery, like a snow blower, make sure it’s fully functional and keep it stored in a cool, dry area, like an insulated shed or your garage. It might be warm now, but if you store anything outside, there’s a chance you’ll forget by the time the rain comes.
2. Get your tools running smoothly
Check all of your winter tools to make sure they work. For instance, check your chainsaw, electric pruner, and log splitter. Any tool you depend on or keep for emergency purposes should be fully functional well ahead of time. You don’t want to encounter a downed tree, for example, while you’re on the way to have your chainsaw fixed.
3. Have a backup plan
Winters can be quite unpredictable, and so can tools. No matter how well prepared you are, there’s always a possibility that something might go wrong. Before winter hits, have a solid backup plan for every important situation you might face.
- Have an electric heat source. If you rely on firewood for heat, keep an electric heater on hand in case something prevents you from using your wood stove.
- Manual log splitter. When firewood is your main source of heat, you can’t afford to have your gas splitter go down. Unless you enjoy chopping wood with an ax, get a manual pneumatic log splitter just in case. Worst case, you can use it while your gas splitter is being repaired.
- Hand saw. You probably don’t want to saw anything by hand, but if your chainsaw stops working, you might need to saw through a tree you encounter on the road. Keep a hand saw in your car and on your property for this purpose. While you won’t be able to get through a massive tree, a hand saw will do well for small and even medium-sized trees with some time, patience, and strength. Hopefully, you won’t need to use it, but you should at least carry one.
- Get a second snow shovel. If you’re the kind of neighbor who lends things out, you’ll probably lend your snow shovel to someone eventually. Keep a second one on hand so you can be neighborly without sacrificing your own needs.
Have a manual backup for anything mechanical you rely on for winter.
4. Fix roof leaks
Winter is the absolute worst time to notice a leak because it’s not fun to fix a roof when it’s wet, icy, or snowy. Have your roof inspected before it gets cold to get a jump on repairs. If you already know about a leak, fix it fast.
5. Make sure your firewood is dry and seasoned
Your firewood might be dry right now, but if it’s sitting out in the middle of your yard when winter hits, you might end up with wet wood that can’t be used for a while. Cover your firewood before winter comes to ensure you don’t forget.
Also, rotate your wood and burn only genuinely seasoned wood. If you don’t have any, buy at least a cord. If you wait too long, the prices will rise because of the demand.
6. Keep a stash of food
Everyone should have a small stash of ready-to-eat food for emergencies, and that’s especially important in winter. If the power goes out, you won’t be able to cook, and if you get snowed in you can’t go grocery shopping.
Start preparing for winter before the end of summer
Winter is right around the corner, so start getting ready now. The more you prepare ahead of time, the less you’ll have to scramble to find solutions at the last minute.