A Checklist for Closing up Your Lake Cabin for Winter

Article written by LakeHomes.com intern Sarah Wright.

Photo courtesy of NKAR Booking.

With sweet summertime behind us, winter is fast approaching.

For those lake property owners who will be leaving their homes unoccupied during the off-season, be sure you check off all the items on this checklist before closing up your lake cabin for winter.

Inside:

Photo by Erik Mclean on Unsplash
  • Turn off your water heater.
  • Throw away all perishables.
  • Unplug all of your appliances.
  • Check your fireplace—make sure there are no places where animals can find an entry or where cold air can enter.
  • Exposed pipes can become frozen pipes, so insulate pipes that are in unheated parts of the house and open cabinets to allow warmer air to circulate around the plumbing.
  • Set your thermostat no lower than 55 degrees Fahrenheit for both day and night periods.
  • Cover your furniture to prevent sun damage.
  • Make sure all windows and doors are completely closed.

Outside:

  • Outdoor equipment and furniture should be brought indoors.
  • Mow the lawn on your last visit during the summertime; after that, winterize the lawnmower.
  • Turn off the outside breakers.
  • Clean your gutters.
  • Seal any outside air leaks.
  • Prepare your outside pipes to prevent them from freezing and bursting.
  • Make sure no limbs are hanging over your house that could potentially fall and damage it.

For more information on prepping your property for the off-season, check out Lake Homes Realty CEO Glenn S. Phillips’ tips for winterizing your lake home

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

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

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“.

Don’t Forget to Winterize Your Lake Home

Winterize Your Lake Home During winter

When living on a large body of water or a lake, it seems like the elements provided by Mother Nature are amplified.

As winter comes, there are several steps that you should take to help protect your lake home from these elements. Some of the harshest winters can be found on some of these lakefront locations.

It doesn’t matter if you decide to ride these elements out or if you want to batten down the hatches and wait for spring. These precautions will save you time and money when the warmer months arrive.

Follow these simple steps to winterize your lake home.

Continue reading “Don’t Forget to Winterize Your Lake Home”