Winter has made an appearance in Colorado, and itís time to prepare vehicles, homes and properties for cold and snowy weather.Winter vehicle tipsVal Durbin, co-owner and manager of Falcon Auto Repair and Tires, said first, check tires. ìThere is a horizontal line that goes across the tread (the wear bar). If the tread is even with that line, it’s time for new tires,î she said. In this area of Colorado, Durbin recommended all-season tires. However, she said extreme weather conditions require winter tires.ìCheck the battery. If the battery is more than five years old, itís probably a good idea to replace it,î she said. Most auto shops will do a free battery test.Check the coolant for its protection level and PH. The protection level should be -60 degrees and the PH should be 7.5 or above, Durbin said.Wiper blades should be switched with winter blades.Falcon Auto Repair and Tires is offering $25 off Diehard battery purchases. (See ad on Pg. .)Home interior ó HVAC systemTravis Platt, owner of Bluebird Heating and Air, said the first and most important step in winterizing the system is to change the filter.ìAir flow is very important for these units so be sure to check the filter once a month and change as needed,î Platt said. Turn the furnace on to ensure it’s communicating properly with the HVAC system. ìIf the furnace doesnít turn on, you could have a bad thermostat,î he said. ìYouTube has made this an easy DIY task so if youíre up for it, try replacing the thermostat yourself.î†If everything is working, make sure to adjust the programming from summer to winter settings.The carbon dioxide detectors are important as well, Platt said. Ensure there is one on every floor in a common area like a hall or living room. Another thing a lot of people forget to do is flip the switch on the ceiling fan to adjust the rotation, he said. Make sure it’s rotating clockwise in the winter. This helps draw colder air up and the warmer air down.†BlueBird Heating and Air will conduct a furnace check and safety inspection for only $69.†††Home exterioró roofing and gutters, including atticNate Wilson of Storm Guard Roofing and Construction said homeowners can take several actions to prepare their roof for the upcoming winter weather and to reduce the likelihood of roof and interior damage throughout the winter.Prune tree branches near the roof. Think back to last winterís late season snowfall, with the heavy snow that broke tree branches, Wilson said. ìPruning tree branches will reduce the possibility of damage to your roof, if we get a similar heavy snow this coming winter,î he said.Clean gutters. ìOne of the nice things about our area is that when we get snow, it usually melts within a few days,î Wilson said. As the snow melts off the roof, the resulting water runoff can easily get caught in the gutters if they havenít been cleaned, which can result in ice within the gutters, leading to ice dams on the roof ó a recipe for water leaks and damage to the interior of the home.Insulate the attic. Lack of attic insulation is one of the primary culprits for ice dams, Wilson said. As shown in the picture below from the National Weather Service, if there is inadequate insulation in the attic, warm air inside the house can melt the snow on the roof. He said the resulting water runoff then freezes once it moves past the exterior ìwarm wall.î The ice dam can then lead to water getting into the homeís interior.Get the roof inspected by a professional. In addition to missing shingles, the roof flashing will be inspected to ensure there are no potential water entry points on the roof.Yard: basic, moderate and expertKara Landess, owner of Landess Landscaping LLC, discussed yard care in three stages for the winter months. Landess Landscapes LLC is a landscape design and installation company that serves Falcon and surrounding areas.Basic – Start removing hoses from spickets every evening and drain them so the water doesnít freeze and either burst an indoor pipe or an outdoor hose. If the weatherman says it will only get down to 40 degrees, remove them anyway, Landess said.Clean up leaves from lawns, aerate lawns and blow out the sprinkler system, she said.Remove dead annuals; prune back some perennials.Store outdoor cushions, pillows and temperamental furniture, unless that furniture is for a fire pit or an outdoor gas heater, Landess said.Moderate – Use dead leaves as mulch in the garden beds to store more heat and moisture over the winter. If there are no trees on the property, grab some mulch from a landscape supply store to cover the beds. Raking compost into the lawn can help fertilize it over the winter.ìWrap thin barked trees with tree wrap starting an inch under the soil and going to just below the first branches,î Landess said. ìUnwrap just before spring, hopefully after the last blizzard of the season. Continue mowing the lawn and hand-watering plants, even if they have gone dormant. They need all the moisture they can get to prepare for the dry winters.î†Expert – Remove the shades and hail netting from atop garden beds so they donít get shredded by wind.ìRemove spent veggies, etc. from your garden beds and add them to the compost pile.Clear any dead wood from trees and woody perennials,î Landess said. This helps prevent potential breakage from any heavy wet snows, and promotes a healthier plant in the spring. Some woody perennials prefer to be pruned in the spring so check with the local garden center.Letting chickens scratch through dead garden beds in the fall and spring can naturally till up the soil as well as add necessary garden nutrients in the most ìorganicî way possible, she said.Keep harvesting veggies from your underground greenhouse, Landess said. ìWalipinis (underground greenhouses) are some of the most efficient growing structures in Colorado.îBottom line from the experts: Be prepared for winter in Colorado.
