Kevin

Winterizing your vacation home or cabin is an important part of ownership. Not only does it help protect your property from the elements and keep your energy bills low, but it also helps you avoid expensive repairs down the road. Whether you’re getting ready for a winter getaway or just want to make sure that everything is in good shape when spring rolls around, here are some tips on how to winterize your vacation home or cabin. First, inspect the exterior of your home for any damage that may have occurred over the winter months. Make sure that all of the windows and doors are sealed tightly to prevent drafts, and check gutters and downspouts for blockages. If there is any loose shingles or damage to siding, take care of those repairs as soon as possible. Next, winterize the water system to prevent pipes from freezing. Start by draining all of the faucets and toilets in the house, then disconnect garden hoses and insulate any exposed pipes with foam insulation. If you have an outdoor swimming pool, winterize it as well by clearing out debris, draining the water, and covering it with a winterizing tarp. Winterize your heating system to ensure that you stay comfortable all winter long. Have your furnace inspected by a qualified technician and replace the filters if necessary. Make sure to keep an eye on carbon monoxide levels in the home as well, since this is a silent yet deadly winter hazard. Windows and Doors Insulate windows and doors – Sealing any gaps or cracks around windows and doors with caulk or weather stripping can help keep cold air from entering your home. It’s also a good idea to use window film to provide extra insulation in the winter months. Install storm shutters – Installing storm shutters can help protect your windows from debris during a snowstorm. Heavy Snow Areas When it comes to heavy snowfall, prevention is key for keeping your home safe and secure. Taking time to properly prepare your home during the warmer months can help reduce the risk of serious damage caused by a heavy snowstorm. Here are some simple steps you can take to protect your home from heavy snow: 1. Clean out gutters and downspouts – Cleaning out your gutters and downspouts before a heavy snowstorm can help prevent the buildup of snow around your house. This can help reduce the amount of stress on your roof, as well as keep water away from the foundation of your home. 2. Trim trees – Trimming overhanging tree branches can help prevent them from breaking off and causing damage to your home during a heavy snowstorm. 3. Check your roof – Checking the condition of your roof before a snowstorm can help ensure that it is strong enough to support the weight of the snow. If you detect any weak spots, have them repaired as soon as possible. 4. Clear walkways and driveways – Clearing your walkways and driveway of snow before a storm can help reduce the amount of shoveling you will need to do afterwards. It’s also a good idea to apply a coat of de-icer after the snow has stopped, as this will make it easier to remove any remaining snow and ice. 5. Snow Buildup – Make sure snow does not build up next to the house, especially against wood siding or in other areas where melted snow can get into areas to cause possible damage. Cedar siding such as this can become damaged, several home owners will install metal roofing a few feet from the bottom of their house or cabin to prevent snow contact with the wood. By taking the time to properly prepare your home for a heavy snowfall, you can help reduce the risk of damage and keep your family safe throughout the winter months. Following these simple steps can make a huge difference in protecting your home from heavy snow. Additional Tips Have emergency supplies on hand – It’s always a good idea to have emergency supplies such as flashlights, batteries and food ready in case of a power outage caused by a heavy snowstorm. Monitor weather reports – Staying up to date on local weather reports can help you plan ahead and be prepared for any severe winter storms headed your way. Take time to familiarize yourself with the National Weather Service’s winter storm safety tips, as this can give you useful information in case of an emergency. By taking the time to winterize your vacation home or cabin, you can rest assured that it will remain in good condition throughout the winter months. Regular maintenance and inspections are key to ensuring that your property is safe and sound while you’re away, so be sure to check on it periodically throughout the winter season. With the right winterizing measures in place, you can ensure that your vacation home or cabin is always ready for a winter getaway.

This post will be updated with additional information, but for now, here are some photos of a custom wood insert I created for a wooden door that had a broken glass insert. Rather than get a new (or used) door, I figured I’d add a wood insert from some old 2×6’s I had laying around.

In this post we’ll go through the steps to install a bi-fold door. The installation time took me around 20 minutes. Everything is fairly straight forward, however this is the first bi-fold door I’ve ever installed and it did have to figure out a couple things along the way. I’ll provide some of these lessons learned that weren’t included in the instructions. Particularly with the pivots and hinges. This particular door is by Frameport, and unlike some other designs, this one has several size options, 13 to be exact. I opted for the 6-Panel style. However, louvered designs as well as others are also available. Follow along as we go through the installation process. Required Tools for Installing a Bi-Fold Door The tools for installation were fairly basic and minimal, here’s what I used: Unboxing the Bi-Fold Door After a string of wet or damaged deliveries of larger items recently, I was pleasantly surprised to find this door was delivered free of damage. Bi-Fold Door Hardware Here’s the included hardware: The hardware packs are attached quite secure to the doors, just pull up on the plastic near the arrow to remove. Step 1 Mark Position of Track The instructions that came with the door mention marking the center of your top jamb on each side of the opening and center point. I had mine offset, as I didn’t want the doors recessed that far into the jamb. So, for my particular install, the track was only about an inch from the outer walkway. Step 2 Insert Plastic Guide For the second step, you’ll insert the plastic guide into the track. Note, this guide will be positioned on the side of the doorway that is NOT hinged. As stated in the instructions, make sure the scooped surface of the guide is facing up towards the solid, flat side of the track before mounting. Step 3 Mount the Track Using the previous marked lines in Step 1, you’ll now mount the track using the three flat-top screws. Note: You’ll use position the upper hinge slide bracket (the one with the black set screw) to the side you plan to have the outside of the door hinge. The plastic glide is for the non-hinged door edge. Step 4 Mounting the Bottom Bracket Next step is to install the bottom bracket. I had tile in this area, but if you have carpet you may need to push the bracket down into the carpet so it doesn’t sit too high. I also opted not to drill into the tile to get a screw at the end. The two screws into the door jamb seem to be enough so far. Step 5 Knurled Hinge Pin For this step, you need to thread the knurled hinge pivot all the way into the plastic sleeve. Once you’ve done that, you’ll tap it into place with a mallet (or hammer). The directions called for hammer, I opted to use a mallet. Note: Be sure to thread the knurled pivot all the way in, otherwise when you go to hammer it into the door the plastic sleeve could become damaged. After installing the knurled hinge pivot, the instructions mention back the metal pin out from the sleeve approximately 1/4″. My door opening must be a bit tighter (possibly from the tile). I ended up having keep mine fully threaded. Your results may vary. Then, insert the top two plastic pivots and lightly tap them into position to fully seat. Step 6 Install the Door You’ll now push upright to align and insert upper the plastic pivots into the sliding hinge guide and track guide in the top track. More than likely you’ll have to angle the door to get them into position, then seat the bottom knurled pivot into the serrated slot of the bottom bracket. Step 7 Square Up the Door Now, it’s time square up the door and make final adjustments. Be sure to loosen the set screw on the upper sliding hinge bracket and move it to the necessary position within the track. Once in position, re-tighten the set screw. Test opening and closing the doors to make sure everything operates smoothly. The doors should have equal spacing on all sides. Step 8 Adjust for Height If you need to adjust the height of your bi-fold doors, lift the door from the floor bracket. You’ll rotate the bottom pivot clockwise to raise, or counter-clockwise to lower it. Step 9 Install the Pull Handle For this step, you need to drill a 3/16″ hole in the center of the guide door. Use the long screw from the backside to attach the knob. Finishing Options The instructions do show a few finishing options to hide the metal upper track. I’ll likely add a piece of cedar wood later, but for now, it’s functional. Staining the Bi-Fold Doors I don’t plan to stain our door, but that could change. The majority of the walls in our cabin are a knotty pine that have darkened over the years from UV exposure from the sun. If anyone is considering this same brand of door, there are specific instructions that come with it regarding painting or staining. Notably, the top and bottom edge surfaces are factory-sealed with two coats of UV cured protection. This means they’ll likely needed to sanded if you plan to paint them. They also will not absorb stain. So, if you plan on painting or staining, just be sure to read the instruction that come with your door. Summary All in all quite pleased with this bi-fold door. The lines don’t match up with the trim along the wall, so I’ll see if that bothers me over time. Definitely going to have to wait for the door to darken from UV exposure, as it certainly stands out right now. Otherwise, I may have to consider staining it, possibly a similar color as our exterior doors. The installation was fairly straight forward and easy, so big plus there! It

After we bought our cabin, I wanted to make sure to install a smart thermostat. This would allow me to control the temperature setting from anywhere with the app on my phone. If we’re heading over to the cabin in the winter, I can pre-heat the cabin so it’s warmed up before we get there. I don’t know mind the cleaner installation of no wall plate at all (this is what I did at our house), but what you do if there’s a large hole? You could use the plastic wall plate that comes with it, but it didn’t quite feel right with the wood panel walls of the cabin. That’s when I started searching for other options, and found a few on Etsy. On our house there was about a 1/2″ hole in the drywall for the wires going to the thermostat. At our cabin however, we had a slightly large cutout (enough for a 1-gang outlet if I remember right). This is a photo of the Nest backplate mounted over the electrical box. I proceeded installing the thermostat with the included wall plate, but it certainly felt off to me. Certainly felt as though it stuck out like a sore them against the wood paneling, but also with the beige switch and outlet covers below. I’ll likely look at swapping those switch and outlets for something else later, possibly going with a wood wall plate for those as well. So, after a quick search I came across this wooden Nest wall plate on Etsy. This particular seller has different options including the painted design, but I opted for the mountains. It seemed quite fitting for our cabin. Unfortunately the screws that came with it were a bit too short, and I had to pick up some longer ones at the local hardware store. A fairly quick install though, and I think this looks quite a bit better than the plastic wall plate.