Tag: winter

Hearing from Homeowners: Winter Traditions for Lake Living

Posted on Camille Smith
Decorated Christmas tree on boat on lake winter tradition
Photo courtesy of Home is Where the Boat is.

At Lake Homes, we believe that investing in a lake house is about more than the cabin itself– it’s about the relationships and memories that you create in your dream home. By purchasing, renovating, and personalizing your house, you’re setting the stage for countless fun memories with family and friends that will last for years to come.

As the years pass by, you’re likely to cultivate traditions. Whether you embark on canoeing adventures in the Spring, drive a few towns over to watch the leaves change in the Fall, or cook your famous burgers that your kids love in the Summer, these traditions evoke a sense of togetherness and warmth that is at the heart of lake living. At this time of year, with winter in full swing, shared family traditions are often the backbone of this holiday season. 

To gain insight into how lake homeowners celebrate the holidays with their family traditions, we spoke with two women who live on the lake full time. Tiffany Hernandez, author of the lifestyle blog Lake Life State of Mind lives with her husband and teenage son on a lake in Florida. Jenny Block, writer and author of Be that Unicorn, lives with her wife on Lake Livingston in Texas. Both Hernandez and Block understand the unique joys of lake life and were happy to share a glimpse into their personal winter traditions. 

Q: What is your favorite thing to do over the winter holidays at your lake house?

Family sitting around fire pit roasting marshmellows

Hernandez: One of our favorite things to do on the lake over the winter holidays is to make a bonfire! Living in Florida, we have pretty moderate temperatures during the winter and no snow. This allows us to have fun bonfires with hot cocoa and s’ mores. We also pull out our movie screen and projector and watch holiday movies together as a family around the fire. It’s a blast for sure! Our teenage son also takes advantage of this time of the year and will have his own bonfire with band friends. All the kids love coming here to celebrate the holidays!

Block: The most “lake life” thing we do is go to the town’s little Christmas Parade every year, and they have a chili and gumbo cook-off at our home afterward with the neighbors. I bake all sorts of holiday goodies, and my wife mixes up festive drinks. We celebrate the holidays, and the lake and the kind of friends one makes when living on a lake. We call it “the lake family” and it’s probably the best part of lake living!

Q: How do you use decorations in your lake home this time of year?

Jenny Block Be That Unicorn Winter Traditions
Photo courtesy of Jenny Block.

Hernandez:  I love decorating our outdoor table with festive decor so people know we want them to utilize both indoor and outdoor spaces. Oh, and decorating our dock makes everything extra festive!

Block: We have two Christmas trees in our home at the lake. One is filled with glass ornaments, mostly my longtime collection of Christopher Radio Ornaments, and the other is filled with a marvelously eclectic collection. We love having a more formal tree and a more casual one. And since we have two family rooms, it’s perfect! It makes the house feel festive. As for the outdoors, we have a new display this year. Since we live at the lake, in a very laid back community, it’s anything goes when it comes to holiday decorations. Because I have a new book coming out called Be That Unicorn, my wife bought me a giant magical unicorn and put it in the yard with light-up presents, a white tree, and these magic balls filled with light that she made. It’s outrageous and perfect and so much fun!

Q: Do you have hosting traditions for the holidays?

Christmas table setting during night with candles next to Christmas tree
Photo courtesy of Annie Campbell.

Hernandez: We are actually having a holiday party tomorrow, and it’s one of my favorite times of the year to host gatherings with family and friends. Summers in Florida are brutal in terms of the heat and the number of bugs flying around. During the winter, the temperatures drop, making it comfortable outdoors and too cold for the bugs! It’s an absolutely perfect combination. I love having a bonfire set-up outside to utilize both the indoor and outdoor areas of our lake home.

Block:  Living on the lake is a different lifestyle because it’s slower-paced, and our neighbors have friends and relatives who come into town and want to join us for dinner. It’s fun to have odd, eclectic groups of people over for a holiday meal. I love setting up a layered table with placements on top of table runners that evoke a happy sense of abundance.

Whether it’s setting up a bonfire for the family or embellishing your front yard with unique decorations, there are countless ways to spend the winter holidays with your friends and family at your Lake House. Thank you to these two women for sharing their traditions — we hope you create your own!

For more ideas on how to celebrate the holiday season at the lake, read “5 Tips on Hosting for the Holidays“.

Let it Snow (But Don’t Let it Stay): Tips for Managing Cold Weather at Your Lake House

Posted on Camille Smith
Lake Tahoe cabin home

For those who live in southern states, winter may come and go with a minimal impact on your lake house. Perhaps it’s sunny most of the year and no new maintenance is necessary. However, if you live on one of the lakes in a colder region of the country, then you’re no stranger to the snow. As temperatures drop, a myriad of concerns increases. How can you protect your indoor pipes? How can you remove snow from your lake house and ice from your dock? While we’d all rather be focusing on decorating our lake house for the holidays, it’s crucial for any lake home owner to have tools to address these practical winter problems. At Lake Homes, we’re here to help with tips for managing cold weather concerns at your lake house. Whether you live on the lake year round or it’s your second home, we know first-hand the importance of a little maintenance when the weather outside is frightful.

Outdoor De-Icing

Boathouse deicer tips for managing cold weather
Photo courtesy of LakeIce.

Naturally, the most fundamental concern for the outdoor areas of your lake house is snow. Peter Elsenbach, the Director of Marketing of Raynor Garage Doors, speaks to the importance of managing it: “Adequately removing snow and ice from your driveway at your lake home not only provides an increased measure of safety for the foot traffic entering a home through the garage but can also help prolong the life of your garage door, where boats are typically stored.” Unlike snow that falls on the open areas of your property, snow by the garage door on your dock doesn’t have the ability to melt and refreeze which can cause the door to get stuck and become more difficult to open.

Boathouse deicer with warning sign
Photo courtesy of LakeIce.

To remedy this, Elsenbach suggests using a snowblower, as well as ice melt and salt to remove heavy snow from your lake house. You may also want to invest in a dock de-icer. First designed to allow you to store your boat in water during the winter months, you can use de-icers for a variety of outdoor snow maintenance tasks at your lake house. Be sure not to forget about your patio furniture too! Especially when it comes to outdoor cushions, these pieces can be sensitive to the snow. Make sure to clean and dry them, and either store them inside or cover them with a tarp for protection.

Indoor Dilemmas

Indoor lake home living room with snow outside
Photo courtesy of Mountain Living.

To make sure that your lake house interior is ready for winter, it’s crucial to maintain your heating systems. From stoves to chimney drafts, it may be a good idea to have a technician help inspect your heating systems so that you’ll be able to keep your place warm. Windows and doors are also a major culprit of letting the cold in, so it’s important to insulate your windows for the winter. Even small window cracks can make a big difference in the indoor temperature.

Lake house on a frozen lake
Photo courtesy of CabinLife.

Alex Berezowski, Owner and General Manager of The Foundation Experts Inc, a foundation repair and home waterproofing company, urges lake homeowners to not forget about insulating their pipes. He comments, “It’s fairly common for pipes to burst during the winter since there is water freezing inside of them if they’re not in use. The water expands, which increases the pressure on the pipes, resulting in a burst.” If your lake house is your second home, and you’re planning to be absent for a while during the winter, Berezowski suggests bleeding all water lines and drains before they freeze. If your lake house is older and pipes have never been replaced, he also recommends properly insulating them with pipe sleeves or electrical heating tape. Elsenbach also chimes in with advice on prepping pipes for the winter. Specifically, when it comes to pipes in your garage or around your house, he advises “putting Styrofoam covers on spigots and turning off water to the outside once the weather starts to turn cold.” And don’t forget to break off large icicles so you don’t experience a falling hazard.

Living in a cold lake region certainly has its benefits, like providing your own personal winter wonderland. You can build snowmen with the family, go skating, and go ice fishing all in your own backyard. Although these fun attributes come with certain challenges like ensuring proper heating and de-icing strategies, taking good care of your lake home is worth the trouble for all the joy you experience.

Don’t forget about your boat! Read “How to Winterize Your Boat for the Off Season” for more tips on preparing for the upcoming winter season.

How to Prepare the Pipes at Your Lake Home for Winter

Posted on Staff
Lake house during winter with snow and still lake

One of the most important aspects of taking care of your lake home is to make sure it survives the winter so that you can return without incident the following spring. So, what’s the best way to prepare the pipes for winter at your lake home?

The degree of protection needed can vary depending on the age of your home and its geographic location. Regardless, the most urgent need is protecting your pipes, so they don’t freeze and rupture. In some homes, pipe prep may require insulation around the pipes in the attic, around outside fixtures, and in crawl spaces.

Secondly, if you have pipes outside of the home such as in your yard for pools, fountains and sprinkler systems, they are going to be vulnerable to freezing. If you plan to be around the home during the freeze, running pumps for the pools or fountains can keep the water moving, so it doesn’t freeze.

Sprinkler systems should have insulation around any plumbing that is exposed. It’s a best practice to drain the water from the plumbing system until spring if you will be out of the house during the winter.

List of Things to do Before the Freeze

Winter lake house insulation prepare your pipes for winter
  • Prepare the pipes for winter by wrapping them with insulation. Specialized insulation can be purchased at any home repair store.
  • Insulate outside walls and unheated areas in the attic and crawl spaces.
  • Cover vents that are around the house’s foundation.
  • Protect outdoor electrical pumps by leaving them running during conditions below zero to keep water moving. If the system is entirely above ground, then it would be wise to drain it.
  • If you have a pool, keep the pump running and adjust valves so water can flow freely through the pipes. If your system doesn’t allow you to adjust the valves, then you’ll want to insulate the system.
  • For any fountains you have installed, if the pipes are underground, keep them running. If the pipes are all above ground, drain them.
  • Drain any supply lines for your sprinkler system that are above ground.
prepare your pipes for winter frozen leaky pipe
  • Cover any pipes in the attic if they are exposed. If you suspect they are not well protected then turn the faucets to drip water to help keep from freezing.
  • Caulk and weather-strip windows and doors to cut down on wind drafts
  • Storm windows can be installed or use plastic film and cover the windows on the inside.
  • Don’t forget to detach the garden hose, and shut the water supply off to the outside faucet. Install faucet covers on any external faucets for protection.
  • Turn off the water supply to dishwashers and washing machines if possible.
thermostat on heat in house
Photo courtesy of Clark.
  • Most importantly, remember that unless you drain your house’s entire plumbing system, do not turn the heat off.
  • Leave it on with a temperature setting no lower than 55 degrees to ensure your indoor plumbing does not freeze.
  • It is also a good idea to have a professional give your heating system a check-up before winter arrives.
  • Finally, if you live nearby, it is always a good idea to check in on things, or if you are friends with the neighbors, leave them a key, and ask for a visit as a favor.

For more advice on preparing for winter, take a look at our article, “7 Steps to Prepare Your Home for Winter“.

Simple Steps to Save on Winter Energy Bills

Posted on Glenn S. Phillips

It’s wintertime, and that means higher heating bills. But those bills don’t have to wreck your budget.

Here are a few simple steps you can take to save money on your winter utility bills.

Organize Your Rooms

If you have a forced-air heating system, make sure nothing is blocking your vents. These can include blankets or furniture. Baseboard vents should also be clear of furniture and low-hanging curtains.

An organized space aids in warm air flow, making it easier for a room to heat up. Not only will it take less time for a room to heat, unblocked air vents also allow your heater to run more efficiently.

Additionally, by removing clutter, furniture and curtains from in front of your heating unit, you are protecting yourself and your loved ones from potential fire hazards.

Isolate the Heat

Instead of heating the entire house, consider just heating up a single space.

You can heat your bed using an electric blanket under the fitted sheet or between your sheet and comforter. Doing so will keep you warm while maintaining a cooler temperature throughout the rest of the room.

Another option is to put a portable heater in your space. Some units work by heating coils and then dispensing the warm air with a van, much like a personal desk fan. Others, such as radiating heaters, work by heating large, exposed coils which radiate heat without the help of fan blades.

These portable heaters run off electricity rather than propane, so the units simply plug into the wall outlet.

Portable heaters are attractive for many homeowners because they are relatively safe to use. For example, most turn off and cool if they are tipped over. Others, like boxed heaters, feature enclosed heating coils that cannot be accidentally brushed up against.

Vary the Temperature

ThermostatPart of the reason winter bills get so high is because your heater is constantly running to maintain higher temperatures.

Consider getting a programmable thermostat which allows you set the temperature you want your house to be at different parts of the day.

Try setting the thermostat to 68 degrees when you leave the house for work, then program the heater to kick on one hour before you get home. This way, your heater isn’t running while no one is home, and warmed up by the time someone is.

Another option is to set your thermostat to 68 degrees all day. Instead of raising the temperature at night, lower it and use some of the aforementioned tips to keep your room warm and toasty while you sleep.

Keep it Clean

You should your furnace or heat pump tuned up and your ducts cleaned and inspected.

If you have paper filters, change them seasonally. Or, more often if you live in areas with higher dust. If your filters are washable, wash them with warm soapy water seasonally.

A dirty filter means your furnace has to work that much harder, costing you money.

If your heating unit is older, it might be time to replace it. It could help you save money in the long-run. Contact your utility company to see if they offer any incentives or rebates on newer, more efficient appliances.

Look for Leaks

There are some inexpensive options you can use that help stop air leaks around windows and door frames and in turn, help you save money.

Weather stripping around outside doors, and caulk around window edges, help block out that cold air. In homes that have window unit air conditioners, it is likely that homeowners are losing money in the winter because the edges around the unit cannot be properly sealed.

Consider removing the AC unit during the winter months and replacing it in the spring to save a little bit.

Also look into adding extra insulation in your attic. Since warm air rises, it is essential to make sure none of that warm air is escaping through the roof.

Contact Your Utility Provider

Some utility providers offer budget payment plans that take those high seasonal bills and spread them out over the year.

Though the dollar amount is not reduced in total, it does make it easier to budget each month.

Another service utility companies often provide is a free home inspection which can assess your home’s energy efficiency and give you tips on how to make it more cost effective.

And remember, home improvements such as a programmable thermostat, better insulated attic, and air leak prevention will assist with cooling in the summer, and help provide you with year-round savings!