Fall Chores Get You Ready for Winter

SAVANNAH, Ga. (Sept. 25, 2008) – The experts at Farmers’ Almanac, the original sustainable living guide, recommend the following tasks to help ready your home for winter. Doing these chores now will leave time for the joys of the season, including leaf peeping, apple picking and just kicking back.

Indoors:

• Change the air filter in your furnace.
• Check all doors and windows for possible drafts. Apply weather stripping, caulking or putty where heat sneaks out.
• Test all smoke detectors, and replace batteries, if necessary.
• Check for proper insulation and add more, if needed. Your attic floor is one of the most important spots since heat rises and is lost.
• Protect plumbing even if pipes have never frozen in the past. Use pipe jackets, fiberglass insulation or electric heating tape. Wrap lines that run through exterior walls.
• Insulate your hot water tank to retain heat. It’s better for the environment and winter bills.

Outdoors:

• Remove leaves from gutters.
• Disconnect hoses and store them indoors for the winter.
• Trim trees and shrubs that touch the house.
• Put up storm windows.
• Stock up on sand and salt if you live in an area prone to icy, snowy weather.
• Pull out annuals once they’ve died back.
• Have your chimney inspected every year and cleaned, if necessary.
• Plant flower bulbs, including lilies, daffodils and tulips.

For more home and gardening information from the experts at Farmers’ Almanac, including how-to videos, visit www.FarmersAlmanac.com.