Winter is here and we have three months of cold, ice, and snow. We are going to prepare our house to be a safe house in winter. The cabins are a refuge from the daily routine. When you return to your cabin on the lake in the spring for a much-needed vacation, you want to dive directly into Vacation mode. What you do not want to do is get to your property after the theft. Use these five tips to keep your cabin or remote cabin safe this winter.
How can you keep your house safe in winter?
- Control frost
During the winter, outdoor water can freeze and burst outside pipes. Before letting this happen, take precautions to prevent the pipes from freezing by disconnecting all garden hoses and draining any water that may remain outdoors. If you have an automatic sprinkler system, empty them too. You can also prevent pipes from freezing and breaking inside your house, isolating them. Use foam or any other material that allows you to insulate the pipes and seals cracks that may be on the outside of your remote cabin.
- Check your roof
Another of the tips that will make your house safe in winter has to do with your roof. Before the first snow, check if the roof has a leak or there are loose tiles that could leak when the snow melts or in the case of heavy storms. Check also if there are leaves or other debris on the roof, as they can maintain moisture during the winter and even rot.
- Have an alternative to electric power
Snow and ice can keep electricity from reaching your remote cabin, leaving it cold and dark. Be proactive and have a generator on hand in case you run out of electricity, as well as prepare flashlights. Get a radio that works with batteries or solar energy or even with a crank.
So you can keep up with the news even without electricity. On the other hand, look for a way to charge you are mobile, such as a charger with solar energy or a crank to keep in touch with family, friends, and neighbors until the storm passes.
- Make sure you have good lighting
The winter days are short, or what is the same, darkness predominates. The security of those who come to visit or yours can be truncated by the lack of lighting. That’s why we recommend that both your family and your visitors have a well-lit path to your remote cabin. To do this, replace the bulbs that you have installed outdoors to ensure intense lighting throughout the winter season. It is even a good idea to consider the use of light bulbs with motion sensors or smart bulbs that can be automated and controlled from your smartphone.
- Prevents the accumulation of ice and icicles
Although icicles are very pretty, they can be dangerous, and for your remote cabin to be safe in the winter, you have to be alert. Ice buildup occurs when there is air leakage in your remote cabin or inadequate insulation on the top floor of your remote cabin. The most sensible thing is to ask a professional for information to identify and correct these potential problems before it is too late. On the other hand, if icicles appear in your house, it is best to hire a professional to eliminate them.
Other tips to maintain the safety of your cabin are:
- Keep the driveway and the corridors free
One of the best ways to keep your family and friends safe is by removing snow and ice from sidewalks and driveways. Prepare for the snow by checking that the snow shovels are in good condition and if you have a snow blower or snow blower check them with a set-up. After snowing, remove snow from the entrance and driveways. You can also throw salt to avoid the accumulation of ice.
- Fight the germs
We already know when the cold arrives so do viruses and colds. Being locked inside makes us more susceptible to viruses and bacteria. To keep your family safe from germs you should let the fresh air go as far as possible into your remote cabin. Make sure everyone is washing their hands frequently with antibacterial soap and they regularly change their toothbrushes.
Winter brings snow, ice and long nights. We cannot help but arrive, but with these safety tips, you will be prepared to survive and enjoy this winter as a true professional.
- Leave a trail
Ask someone to trust you in your booth. The goal here is to give the appearance that someone is staying or checking the cabin. Some ideas on how to achieve this include leaving tire tracks and footprints in the snow; shovel the porch or walkway; and knocking down icicles.
- An affordable cabin security system
Although solar lights can also be used as an affordable cabin security system, they are also known as an effective way to deter deer, coyotes, raccoons and other creatures. They are perfect for remote properties since they are outside the network.
They recharge using solar energy. Solar lights are also easy to install and require no maintenance. In fact, to imitate a security system, all you have to do is place sunlight in your cabin window. At nightfall, the flashing red light will activate automatically. At dawn, the light will stop and the device will begin to recharge.
With winter, shorter days arrive and therefore, our remote cabins are more dark hours, which are the favorite times for intrusions. We are not only talking about the loss of valuables but about the anguish and stress that comes from returning remote cabin from work and meeting an intruder or discovering that we have been robbed. Therefore, it is highly recommended that we take visible security measures to deter thieves and reduce the risk of intrusion into our cabin.