Closing Up The Cottage for Winter
08/31/2011
As the leaves start to turn gorgeous colours and fall, many cottage owners are heading back to the city and closing up the cottage for the winter months. Here are a few extra things you may want to be on the lookout for to ensure your property's security and that you don't have an appliance disaster greeting you when you open up in the Spring.
1. Keep melting snow away from foundations and roofs
Make sure you install gutters on your roof to ensure that snow melt flows away from the roof and the house, rather than wearing away your foundation or causing issues with your roofing tiles. Cottage country winters can be just as mild as they can be severe.
2. Consider a gate
If your property is off limits to family and friends unless you are there or you give them a key, consider installing a locking gate. This can deter potential thieves who may move on to a more easily accessible property.
3. Leave blinds open and bring valuables home
Bring televisions, DVD players, and anything else of value home with you when you go. Then leave blinds and curtains open so thieves can see that nothing is inside for them. A shuttered and closed-up cottage is more attractive to a thief as there is more likely something to hide.
4. Consider a security system
A Reliance Protectron system can alert you when anyone, including friends and family, access your cottage property. It can also warn you if there are floods or fires present in your vacation property so that you can alert local authorities, even if there isn't a neighbour in sight.
5. Let neighbours know when you are going
If you have full-time residents on your lake that you know and trust, let them know when you are leaving so that they know when to be suspicious of vehicles. Similarly, give them a call if family or friends with different vehicles than yours are going up. Be sure to only let friends on the lake know when you'll be gone - if you tell someone you don't know that you'll be away, you may be opening the door to trouble.
6. Clean up spills and bring food home
Animals are much less likely to find the interior of your cottage attractive if you bring home all of your food and wipe up the inside of your fridge and stove. The less food they can smell, the less likely you are to come back to a nest of raccoons or squirrels.
7. Pay special attention to your hot water heater
The hot water heater is one of the first appliances to experience issues during winter. Make sure the toilet tanks and the hot water heater are drained before you leave to avoid problems, and contact your hot water heater manufacturer for proper closedown procedures. There may be parts that you need to remove and certain procedures that you must follow depending on the manufacturer and the age of the unit.
8. Protect yourself from water damage with sensors
Reliance Protectron security systems can have flood sensors installed in water-sensitive areas of the home which will tell you if water damage is occurring at your cottage remotely so that you can do something about it. This helps you catch things like slow leaks or burst pipes before they become a major issue.
9. Set your lights on timers
If you want to afford yourself the extra security of making your cottage look lived-in, you can set your lights on timers so that they shut on and off at differing times of the day. Obviously, you'd only go with this option if you are in an area where people can live at the cottage full-time due to a year-round road.
You may have additional rituals you observe on closing the cottage, and additional tasks like bringing the dock in and getting the pump out of the water. No matter what you do, the day always comes back sooner when you think when it is time to open again after the winter months.
Contact us today to find out how easy and inexpensive it is to install a security system at your vacation property. We have installers all over Canada and there is likely one closer to you than you think!
1. Keep melting snow away from foundations and roofs
Make sure you install gutters on your roof to ensure that snow melt flows away from the roof and the house, rather than wearing away your foundation or causing issues with your roofing tiles. Cottage country winters can be just as mild as they can be severe.
2. Consider a gate
If your property is off limits to family and friends unless you are there or you give them a key, consider installing a locking gate. This can deter potential thieves who may move on to a more easily accessible property.
3. Leave blinds open and bring valuables home
Bring televisions, DVD players, and anything else of value home with you when you go. Then leave blinds and curtains open so thieves can see that nothing is inside for them. A shuttered and closed-up cottage is more attractive to a thief as there is more likely something to hide.
4. Consider a security system
A Reliance Protectron system can alert you when anyone, including friends and family, access your cottage property. It can also warn you if there are floods or fires present in your vacation property so that you can alert local authorities, even if there isn't a neighbour in sight.
5. Let neighbours know when you are going
If you have full-time residents on your lake that you know and trust, let them know when you are leaving so that they know when to be suspicious of vehicles. Similarly, give them a call if family or friends with different vehicles than yours are going up. Be sure to only let friends on the lake know when you'll be gone - if you tell someone you don't know that you'll be away, you may be opening the door to trouble.
6. Clean up spills and bring food home
Animals are much less likely to find the interior of your cottage attractive if you bring home all of your food and wipe up the inside of your fridge and stove. The less food they can smell, the less likely you are to come back to a nest of raccoons or squirrels.
7. Pay special attention to your hot water heater
The hot water heater is one of the first appliances to experience issues during winter. Make sure the toilet tanks and the hot water heater are drained before you leave to avoid problems, and contact your hot water heater manufacturer for proper closedown procedures. There may be parts that you need to remove and certain procedures that you must follow depending on the manufacturer and the age of the unit.
8. Protect yourself from water damage with sensors
Reliance Protectron security systems can have flood sensors installed in water-sensitive areas of the home which will tell you if water damage is occurring at your cottage remotely so that you can do something about it. This helps you catch things like slow leaks or burst pipes before they become a major issue.
9. Set your lights on timers
If you want to afford yourself the extra security of making your cottage look lived-in, you can set your lights on timers so that they shut on and off at differing times of the day. Obviously, you'd only go with this option if you are in an area where people can live at the cottage full-time due to a year-round road.
You may have additional rituals you observe on closing the cottage, and additional tasks like bringing the dock in and getting the pump out of the water. No matter what you do, the day always comes back sooner when you think when it is time to open again after the winter months.
Contact us today to find out how easy and inexpensive it is to install a security system at your vacation property. We have installers all over Canada and there is likely one closer to you than you think!
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