{"id":31,"date":"2014-11-26T17:14:16","date_gmt":"2014-11-26T22:14:16","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/paradisedevelopments.com\/blog\/?p=31"},"modified":"2023-08-23T14:17:39","modified_gmt":"2023-08-23T18:17:39","slug":"winter-maintenance-guide","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/paradisedevelopments.com\/blog\/events\/winter-maintenance-guide\/","title":{"rendered":"Winter Maintenance Guide"},"content":{"rendered":"

Cold weather is almost upon us here in Ontario, so time is running out to get your house prepped for harsh temperatures and driving snow. A little prep now will help your home to make it through winter in one piece, lower your energy bills and repairs, and keep you and your family safe from trips, falls and leaks.<\/p>\n

\"Lots<\/a><\/p>\n

Perhaps the most maligned home care on your honey-do list, cleaning out your gutters is essential to maintaining their structural integrity and extending their lifespan. \u00a0Clogged gutters can also cause basement flooding, shingle damage, and foundation cracks or rotting wood. It\u2019s a no-brainer!<\/p>\n

While you\u2019re up there, have a look around for any rotted or missing shingles, cracks, open vents, or loose gutter attachments. Now is your last chance to fix these problems before water, ice, or animals looking for a respite from the cold make their way into your roof.<\/p>\n

\"closeup<\/a><\/p>\n

Make sure you\u2019re stocked up on salt or sand. Put away your warm-weather tools, and apply a lightweight oil to any moving mechanisms, such as those in a lawnmower, to prevent erosion in the cold. Move your snowblower somewhere with easy access and make sure it\u2019s working – the last thing you want is to be stuck with no snowblower in a snowstorm.<\/p>\n

\"frozen<\/a><\/p>\n

Remove debris and dead leaves – these will become a sopping wet mass in the spring thaw. Bring any pots, especially terra cotta, inside as the cold can make them swell and crack. If you\u2019re especially ambitious, aerate your lawn and fertilize with a winter-specific blend to get a jumpstart on lawn growth next spring.<\/p>\n

If there is any tip to use on this list, it\u2019s ensuring your outside faucets are turned off. This will prevent your pipes freezing and bursting, and getting a plumber outside in the freezing, dark middle of the night will definitely cost you. While you\u2019re at it, protect your hoses from breaking and cracking, and store them inside.<\/p>\n

\"Raking<\/a><\/p>\n

Ensure your windows are properly sealed – you may need to replace caulking or weatherstripping to prevent heat loss and drafts. If you have wooden window frames, inspect them for cracks or decay and varnish or oil them as necessary – the shrinking\/swelling they\u2019ll experience as winter sets in will cause them to decay faster. Windows are the number one source of air leakage, so taking a few minutes to inspect them could help you save big on your energy bills.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Cold weather is almost upon us here in Ontario, so time is running out to get your house prepped for harsh temperatures and driving snow. A little prep now will help your home to make it through winter in one piece, lower your energy bills and repairs, and keep you and your family safe from […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":80,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9,5],"tags":[7,20,21],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/paradisedevelopments.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/paradisedevelopments.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/paradisedevelopments.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/paradisedevelopments.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/paradisedevelopments.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=31"}],"version-history":[{"count":9,"href":"https:\/\/paradisedevelopments.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1215,"href":"https:\/\/paradisedevelopments.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31\/revisions\/1215"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/paradisedevelopments.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/80"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/paradisedevelopments.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=31"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/paradisedevelopments.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=31"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/paradisedevelopments.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=31"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}