Winterizing Your Yard: Accessories to Help You Survive Those Months of Hibernation

October 22nd, 2010

The first snowfall of the year can be a magical experience — the white snowflakes can be so hypnotizing, and your yard becomes a winter wonderland. It’s even better when you get to share that moment with a loved one. This season wouldn’t be so bad if you could live in your robe and drink hot cocoa every day. Unfortunately, the reality of it is that you have to drive on the icy roads to get to work and try to heat your home in an efficient and cost-effective way.

Winterizing your home is an effective process that you can carry out on an annual basis. Before the snowfall hits don’t you want to know whether your heat works and how much wood you have left from last year? Preparing for this season involves activities such as stocking the pantry and ensuring that your car and other outdoor belongings are protected from the weather. When it comes to your yard, there are a few essential accessories that can help you survive until spring’s revival.

Keep the Outdoors Outside

Maybe it’s a golden rule somewhere, but doesn’t it always seem that dirt, debris and wetness gets tracked into the house right after you clean? Winter activities such as sled riding and skiing are so much fun, but when it’s time to go home, the clean-up process might extend to your home too.

Prevent ice and mud from invading the indoors by adding an outdoor floor mat to all of your entrances. Personalized welcome door mats look so inviting, and you can enhance your door with a rectangle or arch mat and keep the wintery mess outside. It’s also wise to direct guests to enter your home from the mudroom, so the main entry way remains pristine.

Protect Your Assets from the Elements

Your vehicle can take a beating in the below zero weather, snow, rain and occasional hail. When you don’t have a garage or lack space in the one you do have, your car might have to sit out during all of the seasons. One way to resolve this problem is to add a carport to your property.

With a 14′ wide peak style garage carport made of durable materials, you can store assets such as your automobile or lawn equipment. If you have a summer and winter car or a classic model in addition to your every day vehicle, a carport can give you more storage space. From square tube to peak roof carports, you can find a model that complements your yard and gives you the functionality you need.

Turn Up the Heat

Heating your home during the winter months can make your electricity bill skyrocket. To combat this expensive, you can use your fireplace if your home has one. However, it’s important to follow basic safety precautions and ensure that your chimney is working properly — you don’t want to be a victim of a chimney fire. As long as your fireplace is functioning properly, you can collect firewood for the chilly days and nights to come.

A heavy duty firewood rack is definitely a winter essential if you’re planning on frequently heating your home via the fireplace. A firewood rack cover is also important to keep animals and the weather out of your woodpile. Along with these basic items, a portable wood hauler with wheels makes bringing wood inside effortless and less stressful on your back. Plus, when the wood is more accessible, it won’t be such a chore to go outside for some more logs.

Having these fundamental outdoor accessories in place will enable you to enjoy the snowy season ahead, and you might have more time for lounging in your robe and drinking hot cocoa while the snowflakes blanket the land.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Marina Hanes is a writer and owner of Cat’s Eye Editing, LLC. She received a B.A. in Professional Writing & Editing from Youngstown State University, and her professional area of focus is Environmental Studies.