Your step-to-step guide to closing your cottage for the winter
With fall quickly coming it’s important to start thinking about closing your cottage for the winter. Forgetting to properly close your cottage can result in expensive and unnecessary claims.
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Drain your pipes
When the cold weather comes around it is important to turn off your water and drain your pipes to make sure that they do not freeze. Freezing could cause costly water damage to your cottage.
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Inspect your roof
Snow and ice will build up during the winter, that is why you should check your roof before the cold weather sets in. Snow buildup can cause roof leaks and can even cave in, so do a proper inspection and replace anything that needs to be fixed.
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Keep the pests out
Nothing is worse than finding critters in your cottage. Check for any openings that a small animal could squeeze through.
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Unplug
Major appliances should be unplugged to prevent electrical fires or other issues.
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Remove fire hazards
Find any items that could be a fire starter; this might be paper products, old rags, or chemicals.
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Deep clean
Clean out your fridge, cupboards and pantry. This will make sure that animals and insects are not attracted to food inside your cottage.
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Off or on?
Should you shut the power off at your cottage? If you are worried about freezing pipes, have a septic tank, or a water back-up-system it is probably best to keep the power on. Set your thermostat between 7° and 10°C, this warm enough to keep the cottage and pipes from freezing. If you are able to turn the electricity off turn then turn off the thermostats and turn main power source.
After reading these tips you should be ready to close your cottage for winter! Before leaving always make sure that doors and windows are locked, and curtains are drawn.