WINTER - SHE'S A COMING - BE PREPARED

The fall Equinox is a good time of year to start thinking about preparing your home for winter, because as temperatures begin to dip, your home will require maintenance to keep it in tip-top shape through the winter.

Autumn is invariably a prelude to falling winter temperatures, regardless of where you live. It might rain or snow or, as David Letterman says, "Fall is my favorite season in Los Angeles, watching the birds change color and fall from the trees." Here are a few things to think about in preparation for the inevitable cold weather:

1) Furnace Inspection

• Call an HVAC professional to inspect your furnace and clean ducts.
• Stock up on furnace filters and change them monthly.
• Consider switching out your thermostat for a programmable thermostat.
• If your home is heated by a hot-water radiator, bleed the valves by opening them slightly and when water appears, close them.
• Remove all flammable material from the area surrounding your furnace.

2) Get the Fireplace Ready

• Cap or screen the top of the chimney to keep out rodents and birds.
• If the chimney hasn't been cleaned for a while, call a chimney sweep to remove soot and creosote.
• Buy firewood or chop wood. Store it in a dry place away from the exterior of your home.
• Inspect the fireplace damper for proper opening and closing.
• Check the mortar between bricks and tuckpoint, if necessary.

3) Check the Exterior, Doors and Windows

• Inspect exterior for crevice cracks and exposed entry points around pipes; seal them.
• Use weatherstripping around doors to prevent cold air from entering the home and caulk windows.
• Replace cracked glass in windows and, if you end up replacing the entire window, prime and paint exposed wood.
• If your home has a basement, consider protecting its window wells by covering them with plastic shields.
• Switch out summer screens with glass replacements from storage. If you have storm windows, install them.

4) Inspect Roof, Gutters & Downspouts

• Adding extra insulation to the attic will prevent warm air from creeping to your roof and causing ice dams.
• Check flashing to ensure water cannot enter the home.
• Replace worn roof shingles or tiles.
• Clean out the gutters and use a hose to spray water down the downspouts to clear away debris.
• Consider installing leaf guards on the gutters or extensions on the downspouts to direct water away from the home.

5) Service Weather-Specific Equipment

• Drain gas from lawnmowers.
• Service or tune-up snow blowers.
• Replace worn rakes and snow shovels.
• Clean, dry and store summer gardening equipment.
• Sharpen ice choppers and buy bags of ice-melt / sand.

6) Check Foundations

• Rake away all debris and edible vegetation from the foundation.
• Seal up entry points to keep small animals from crawling under the house.
• Tuckpoint or seal foundation cracks. Mice can slip through space as thin as a dime.
• Inspect sill plates for dry rot or pest infestation.
• Secure crawlspace entrances.

7) Install Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Detectors

• Some cities require a smoke detector in every room.
• Buy extra smoke detector batteries and change them when daylight savings ends.
• Install a carbon monoxide detector near your furnace and / or water heater.
• Test smoke and carbon monoxide detectors to make sure they work.
• Buy a fire extinguisher or replace an extinguisher older than 10 years.

8) Prevent Plumbing Freezes

• Locate your water main in the event you need to shut it off in an emergency.
• Drain all garden hoses.
• Insulate exposed plumbing pipes.
• Drain air conditioner pipes and, if your AC has a water shut-off valve, turn it off.
• If you go on vacation, leave the heat on, set to at least 17 degrees.

9) Prepare Landscaping & Outdoor Surfaces

• Trim trees if branches hang too close to the house or electrical wires.
• Ask a gardener when your trees should be pruned to prevent winter injury.
• Plant spring flower bulbs and lift bulbs that cannot winter over such as dahlias in areas where the ground freezes.
• Seal driveways, brick patios and wood decks.
• Don't automatically remove dead vegetation from gardens as some provide attractive scenery in an otherwise dreary, snow-drenched yard.
• Move sensitive potted plants indoors or to a sheltered area.

10) Prepare an Emergency Kit

• Buy indoor candles and matches / lighter for use during a power shortage.
• Find the phone numbers for your utility companies and tape them near your phone or inside the phone book.
• Buy a battery back-up to protect your computer and sensitive electronic equipment.
• Store extra bottled water and non-perishable food supplies (including pet food, if you have a pet), blankets and a first-aid kit in a dry and easy-to-access location.
• Prepare an evacuation plan in the event of an emergency.

LONDON TO LONDON 2012!

Well, the official count down is now on until the 2012 Olympic Games in London...England that is!!!!
As Londoners (Ontario), we should be extremely proud of our local representation on Team Canada.  Our local Olympians include:
Hilary Caldwell, Joe Bartoch and Richard Hortness for Swimming, Gymnast, Dominique Pegg, Rowers Ashley Brzozowicz and Lesley Thompson-Willie, basketball player Miranda Ayim, and track stars Damian Warner and Jessica Zelinka.
The Canadian Paralympic team has yet to be finalized but to date, we know local athlete, Tammy McCloed has made the Boccia team!
I have to mention London's Olympic performers from Dance Extreme!  The studio has been rehearsing a 20 minute routine for the Olympic celebrations.  39 dancers between the ages of 6 and 19 along with their teachers will be leaving for London, England very soon!
Good luck to our local athletes and all of Team Canada.  London will be cheering you on in London....

10 Spring Cleaning Tips

Revitalize Your Hibernating Home With Simple Suggestions

Article by: Kathleen Dore, Style at Home

1. Work from the top down, inside to outside, to avoid getting what you just cleaned dirty again.

2. Do one room, even one area of one room, at a time to avoid unfinishing jobs.  The satisfaction of seeing one room sparkle will make the hard work feel like it's worth the effort. 

3. When tidying, reduce trips around the house by temporarily depositing items in one spot en route to but not at their final destination.

4. Do two things at once. While laundry is going, scrob the shower stall.

5. Make small repairs.  If you're not handy, hire someone.

6. Invest in good rubber or vinyl gloves to protect your skin and nails.

7. Dust before vacuuming or cleaning the floor.  Try feather or lambswool dusters, especially extendable ones for reaching above window and door casings and into corners. Household rags are invaluable for jobs requiring a damp cloth - natural fibers work best.

8. Buy mops with a squeeze mechanism (great for vinyl, linoleum or ceramic tile floors) and a decent-size heavy-duty pail - one with a measuring scale helps get soap-to-water ratios correct.

9. Don't stand your brooms on their bristles.  It will destroy their shape and diminish their effectiveness.  Instead, get a broom holder, like the Magic Holder 5-position broom organizer.

10. Use a Swiffer for light dusting, or your favourite broom or vacuum attachment to clean hardwood floors.  Then damp-mop with a mild cleaner such as Murphy Oil Soap.  I recently discovered BonaKemi's Microplus Hardwood Floor Care Oil Soap, which includes a mop with a removable washable microfibre pad and a nontoxic water-based spray cleaner.  It makes the floor glow, and a smell good, too.

IS HOME OWNERSHIP RIGHT FOR YOU?

So, you’ve finally decided to fulfill a lifelong dream and buy your own home… how exciting! You are ready to fulfill your dream of having a place to call your own.
Buying a home is one of the biggest emotional and financial decisions you'll ever make. Prepare by learning about the process of homebuying and the responsibilities of homeownership. The differences between renting and buying a home are vast, and there's a long list of pros and cons for both options. And, remember — there is no one best decision for everyone. Before moving forward, though, here are some questions to consider.

• Do you have the necessary financial management skills?
• How financially stable are you?
• Are you ready to take on the responsibility of all the costs involved in homeownership, including mortgage payments, repairs, and maintenance?
• Are you able to devote the time required for home maintenance?

There are pros and cons for both renting and buying. Everyone must make his or her own best decision. Buying a home is not for everyone. Take a moment to think through the advantages and disadvantages of both owning and renting. Use this worksheet to guide you.
Read over your completed worksheet and then think carefully. Are the advantages of owning your home really bigger than the advantages of renting? Are the disadvantages of owning your own home really smaller than the disadvantages of renting?
If homeownership is for you, you must be both financially and emotionally ready. Buying a home isn't only about money. You should listen to your heart… and take an honest look at your lifestyle.

Videos

Take a look at some other people’s experience of homebuying

Fall Home Maintenance Checklist

Fall Home Maintenance Checklist

Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) recommends inspecting your home on a regular basis and following good maintenance practices as the best way to protect your investment in your home. Whether you take care of a few tasks at a time or several all at once, it is important to get into the habit of doing them. Establish a routine for yourself, and you will find the work is easy to accomplish and not very time-consuming. A regular schedule of seasonal maintenance can put a stop to the most common — and costly — problems, before they occur. If necessary, use a camera to take pictures of anything you might want to share with an expert for advice or to monitor or remind you of a situation later.

If you do not feel comfortable performing some of the home maintenance tasks listed below, or do not have the necessary equipment, for example a ladder, you may want to consider hiring a qualified handyperson to help you.

Fall: Fall is the time to get your home ready for the coming winter, which can be the most gruelling season for your home.

o   Have furnace or heating system serviced by a qualified service company every two years for a gas furnace, and every year for an oil furnace, or as recommended by the manufacturer.

o   If you have central air conditioning, make sure the drain pan under the cooling coil mounted in the furnace plenum is draining properly and is clean.

o   Lubricate circulating pump on hot water heating system.

o   Bleed air from hot water radiators.

o   Disconnect the power to the furnace and examine the forced-air furnace fan belt, if installed, for wear, looseness or noise; clean fan blades of any dirt buildup.

o   Check chimneys for obstructions such as nests.

o   Vacuum electric baseboard heaters to remove dust.

o   Remove the grilles on forced-air systems and vacuum inside the ducts.

o   Turn ON gas furnace pilot light (if your furnace has one), set the thermostat to “heat” and test the furnace for proper operation by raising the thermostat setting until the furnace starts to operate. Once you have confirmed proper operation, return the thermostat to the desired setting.

o   Turn ON gas furnace pilot light (if your furnace has one), set the thermostat to “heat” and test the furnace for proper operation by raising the thermostat setting until the furnace starts to operate. Once you have confirmed proper operation, return the thermostat to the desired setting.

o   Check to see that the ductwork leading to and from the heat recovery ventilator is in good shape, the joints are tightly sealed (aluminum tape or mastic) and any duct insulation and plastic duct wrap is free of tears and holes.

o   If the heat recovery ventilator has been shut off for the summer, clean the filters and the core, and pour water down the condensate drain to test it.

o   Check to see that bathroom exhaust fans and range hoods are operating properly. If possible, confirm that you are getting good airflow by observing the outside vent hood (the exterior damper should be held open by the airflow).

o   Check smoke, carbon monoxide and security alarms, and replace batteries.

o   Clean portable humidifier, if one is used.

o   Check sump pump and line to ensure proper operation, and to ascertain that there are no line obstructions or visible leaks.

o   Replace window screens with storm windows.

o   Remove interior insect screens from windows to allow air from the heating system to keep condensation off window glass and to allow more free solar energy into your home.

o   Ensure windows and skylights close tightly; repair or replace weather-stripping, as needed.

o   If there is a door between your house and the garage, check the adjustment of the self-closing device to ensure it closes the door completely.

o   Cover outside of air-conditioning units and shut off power.

o   Ensure that the ground around your home slopes away from the foundation wall, so that water does not drain into your basement.

o   Clean leaves from eavestroughs and roof, and test downspouts to ensure proper drainage from the roof.

o   Drain and store outdoor hoses. Close interior valve to outdoor hose connection and drain the hose bib (exterior faucet), unless your house has frost-proof hose bibs.

o   Have well water tested for quality. It is recommended that you test for bacteria every six months.

o   If you have a septic tank, measure the sludge and scum to determine if the tank needs to be emptied before the spring. Tanks should be pumped out at least once every three years.

o   Winterize landscaping, for example, store outdoor furniture, prepare gardens and, if necessary, protect young trees or bushes for winter.

If you require assistance with any home maintenance or upgrades just contact me and I can put you in touch with a trusted professional ~ www.joanball.com