Briggs & Stratton Simplicity 1226L Snowblower

We have been talking of buying a snowblower ever since our third house that had a huge driveway.  Our fifth house was rural with a very, very long driveway so before our first winter hit there, we discussed it again.  However, one of our neighbours cleared all the driveways on our short street with his tractor so we never did buy one.  We've been in this house almost four years.  Each year gets rougher clearing the driveway so until now we have hired it out even though a couple of our neighbours have cleared it for us a few times.  We are getting older, noticing both the cold and work of winter.  Yesterday, we bit the bullet and bought a snowblower.

Mother Nature decided to grace us with an abundance of snow Superbowl Sunday.  My husband shoveled enough of a path to get to the road then walked to work.  He called to have our guy come out to clear it but his truck was broke down.  On to plan B, a snowblower.  The time to buy a snowblower is not when there is almost three feet of snow on the ground and folks are still trying to dig out!  He made a few phone calls. 

One of our friends had a snowblower for sale.  It had only been used three times so my husband bought it.  He went over with the truck and they both brought it back on a trailer.  The snowblower is a Briggs & Stratton Simplicity 1226L dual-stage, self-propelled  model.  It has an electric start with recoil back-up.  The clearing path is 26 - inches (66 cm) and 40 ft (12.19 m) maximum throwing distance. 

The guys gave me a brief tutorial, left the snowblower running then left as I set about clearing the drive.  The snowblower is heavy, much heavier and considerably bulkier than a lawn mower.  It took a bit of getting used to but once I got the hang of it, the clearing was fairly easy.  Then it ran out of gas so I texted my husband who had just left from dropping off the trailer when the brake lines blew in the truck so I had to go rescue him.  He dropped me off then went for gas.  We had gas tank but no gas since our lawnmower is battery operated.  Once back, it was time to finish the driveway.

The snow was quite deep.  I had cleared the sidewalk portion (bottom right) by hand.  The worst part to clear was at the road where the plow had gone buy pushing a lot of snow into the driveway.  I was rather pleased with the final results especially since we have interlocking brick that is not quite as smooth as an asphalt or cement surface. 

It started snowing again last night and by morning there was a fair amount of accumulation so my husband cleared out the driveway again with the snowblower.  Then he cleared our elderly neighbour's and a friend's driveways.  It took about 45 minutes to clear the three driveways.  Although the snow held off during the day, it was back to snowing in the evening.  At this rate, the snowblower is going to get a lot of use!

I found the snowblower easy enough to use in theory but harder to use in practice.  I'm petite so even though the snowblower is self-propelling, I sure felt the effects.  Much of the soreness was more than likely due to hand shoveling as I had done a fair amount, the sidewalk and almost half of the driveway.   I can't advise on what to look for when buying a snowblower other than buy quality.  A snowblower will need both maintenance and repairs but should last a number of years when cared for properly.  Size does matter as a friend of ours bought a small snowblower that can barely do his short driveway after heavy snowfall but is suitable for lighter snowfall.  A snowblower will lessen the need for manual snow removal although some hand shoveling will still be needed.  At any rate, a snowblower is definitely a worthwhile investment!

Household Preparedness

My gosh!  I have been watching the coverage of the vicious storms and tornados hitting the midwestern US states.  There are nineteen active tornado warnings and six on the ground with total devastation in some areas!  Now, I am a very firm believer in being prepared for emergencies.  I ensure we have twelve to eighteen month supply of food on hand, safely stored mainly below ground.  I have seeds to start a garden safely stored, extra medications, emergency lighting and a wide range of emergency equipment.  But looking at the devastation from these storms, I'm just shaking my head.  I know enough not to put all my food storage in one basket.  Home canned and dried foods can withstand tornados, flooding and extended power outages.  Frozen foods will last 4 days providing the freezer remains shut.  The thing is with these tornados, freezers and refrigerators have become airborne so the food is simply gone.  Those who prepared enough to keep emergency supplies below ground may have a chance providing the house didn't collapse on top of them.  Those just out of the path of the tornados would be fine and that path can really be defining with houses on one side of the street unaffected with those on the other side completely destroyed.  Complicating matters is some affected communities have decided to immediately start bull dozing buildings meaning home owners can't get back into their homes to get those precious emergency supplies.

Despite this, I feel every household should have emergency preparedness supplies including enough food to last 6 months or more.  That food should be stored in such a manner as to even if you lose a portion of the stored food (eg. frozen foods) there is still enough stored using other methods to provide for your family.  There should be enough emergency medications, clothing and other supplies securely protected from water damage.  All emergency preparedness supplies should be stored below grade (eg. basement, cellar).  Barring a below grade location, choose a location in the centre of your home.  There is always a chance your emergency supplies will be lost but there is a greater chance your emergency supplies will come in handy.  It is better to have emergency supplies than it is to go without them.

There is no doubt our weather is changing.  Many areas are experiencing more volatile weather including more vicious storms.  This past winter has been beyond abnormal for us with no hard freeze (virtually unheard of for our area of Ontario) that has resulted in more illness including norovirus.  The midwest is already seeing a severe change in weather with storms hitting a good month earlier than what they normally would.  That means we need to stay vigilant and be prepared!

Garden Gnome
©2006-2012

Snow Removal

Southern Ontario was hit with a rather large snowstorm last night.  We ended up with an additional 30 cm of of snow on top of what we already had with the prediction of an additional 10 cm today.  Our driveway could almost classify as a laneway as it is quite a bit longer than you would find in an urban setting since we are rural.  Knowing the snowstorm was going to hit my husband called a guy who has a plow to plow our driveway during and after the storm.  This morning I looked out to see our new neighbour and another neighbour shoveling their very long driveways.  Now this is no easy task at the best of times given their lengths.  My husband usually takes the easy approach of clearing in front of the garage then using the car to form ruts to the end of the driveway which allows us to easily get in and out without shoveling.  However, we usually end up having our driveway plowed at least once a season just to get things cleaned out nicely.

Snow removal is a concern anywhere there is accumulation of more than a dusting.  One of the main reasons for this is a slip and fall on your sidewalk can result in liability issues.  In urban areas many municipalities even go as far as to say the homeowner is responsible for snow removal on the sidewalk in front of their house even though it is not technically on their property but rather municipal owned.  Other municipalities have sidewalk snow removal as part of the property taxes.  Any sidewalk on private property should removed along with any ice to prevent slip and fall accidents.  It urban areas with door-to-door mail delivery, mail carriers can refuse to deliver the mail if the sidewalks haven't been cleared.  Driveways become another issue.  Unless the snow is deep driving in and out will form a good snow base that will melt away on warm days but this may cause ice spots.  I know of no bylaws that say homeowners must clear their driveways.  This is usually done for the homeowners convenience of parking and getting in/out of the garage.  Under the Highway Traffic Act is is unlawful and a finable offense to shovel or blow snow from your property onto any highway or street in Ontario.  Unfortunately municipal snow plows can and do shovel snow up across driveways as they go by so that needs to be cleaned out.  At any rate snow removal is something many of us have to face in the winter months.

Garden Gnome
©2006-2011

That Dry Winter Air

We were very lucky at the start of the 2010-2011 heating season that it was unseasonably mild here.  We used the gas fireplace for much of the heating turning on the furnace only to be sure everything was working fine.  It's a good thing we did as there was a bit of a problem but we solved that quite quickly with minimal expense.  

When the winter sets in here we suffer from dry house sydrome!  Everything from nasal membranes to hair, anything wood and pretty much everything feels the effect of the dry air.  Walking across the carpet is enough to set off a round of static electricity zaps when touching anything.  The only neat part is the eerie greenish lights caused by the static electricity at night.  To counteract the effects of the dry winter air, we installed a new furnace humidifier about this time last year.  While the humidity level is still lower in the house it is more comfortable.  Of course on days we only use the gas fireplace the air looses moisture but it takes a few days to get uncomfortable.   This time of year we can only go a day or two or even just the afternoon without having the furnace on.

Garden Gnome
©2006-2011

Emergency Preparedness

My goodness over the last few years we have seen a rather dramatic increase in violent weather that is reeking havoc world wide.  Haiti is still recovering from a devastating earthquake,  China is still doing search and rescue from a recent earthquake, now the volcano eruption in Iceland is creating even more problems due to the ash cloud.  On the home side the spring season has yet to become violent with severe thunderstorms and/or tornados.  Just on the basis of weather it is extremely important that Canadians help themselves. 

The Canadian Red Cross recommends recommend all Canadians have and maintain a 72-hour emergency kit that include food, water, clothing, candles and other emergency supplies.  The kit should have enough to cover the needs of all family members and should include any necessary medications or special needs items.  The kit should be kept close to an exit to take with you should the need arise. This allows the Canadian Red Cross to focus those most in need first.  We take emergency preparedness a bit further.  At one time we had a large, self contained travel trailer that had all the amenities of home so when the hydro was out for 4 days we simply used all hydro related and some cooking needs out of the trailer.  Anyone with this option can easily last about 10 days for electricity and heat but drinkable water will be needed after about 3 days.

Essentially if we had to go an extended period of time in and around our house without being able to get out for food or other resources we could do so for well over a 6 month period.  If we had to vacate our house for a safer area we have enough for a good 1 month period along with whatever else we could hurriedly toss into the vehicles.  We have also made provisions to help our neighbours if needed.  Here is our emergency preparedness plan:

•  well stocked emergency first aid kit - Actually we have 4 well stocked emergency first aid kits, one for the house, one for the boat and one for each vehicle.  These are checked every 6 months to be sure any medications and salves are not expired.
• a six month emergency food stock in addition to to our normal 18 -24 month food stock - Emergency food items include those not normally used for day to day cooking.  Each list will differ depending on the family.  Our emergency food items include: powdered milks, powdered cheeses, powdered butter, dried fruits and vegetables, dried meats, water purification tablets, 20 L filled water bottles, instant and rice noodles, additional beans for sprouting, yeast, dried sour dough starter and that type of thing.  In addition to the food I also keep a good stock of items such as mason jars, canning jar lids, and that type of thing.
• a 6 month supply of personal hygiene items - This includes the basics of soap, shampoo, toothpaste, toilet paper.
• emergency equipment - This includes: candles, lamp oil, replacement wick, rechargeable batteries,  solar battery chargers, solar lights, wind-up/solar radio, butane flame lighter with extra cartridges, filled gerry cans of gasoline, back-up heat source.  While we do not have a generator we have access to generators on each side of us and we are considering buying our own.
• survival equipment - This includes: fishing equipment, cloth bags/equipment necessary for any edible plant foraging, and seeds to re-establish a garden. Food preservation equipment is necessary to replenish used food supplies.
• emergency escape routes planned - It is important to have more than one route of escape from your dwelling but also from your location if necessary.  A GPS is ideal however having paper road maps is a good back-up in case the GPS system is knocked out.
• alternate phones and communication - It is important to keep a rotary dial phone to replace cordless ones that will not work during power outages.  It is also important to have at least one working cell phone but realize that you will need solar powered charging capabilities for longer term outages.  It is also advisable to have 2-way radios for each family member in the event they get separated from other family members.   A CB radio located in your home is also a good idea if you need emergency help and the phone lines or cell phone transmission lines are down.
• good neighbours - I honestly cannot stress the importance of good neighbours in time of an emergency.  Get to know your immediate neighbours and foster a good relationship with them.  Do what it takes to nourish a good neighbour relationsip.  In times of emergency or disaster your neighbours are your biggest assets when it comes to preparedness!

Garden Gnome
©2006-2010

Cold Busters

My childhood home was definitely not energy efficient! It was a small 2-story home with dirt floor walk-out basement. The gas hot water tank was in the basement. My Mom kept bushels of apples, potatoes and home canned foods down in the basement aka dungeon. The main level was heated by 2 natural gas space heaters and I can still remember my Mom's excitement when one of the space heaters was replaced with a new model with a blower. A very steep, narrow staircase led to the upstairs with 2 bedrooms separated by the staircase landing. Cut into the landing there was an opening with a metal grate to let heat up from the main floor. On the narrow end of the landing there was a deep spot where my Mom kept a huge cedar chest to store out of season clothes and behind that was an entrance to one attic. Over top of the stairwell was the entrance to the other attic that we got into by spanning a 2" x 12" plank between the opening and landing then crawling across the stairwell. During the cold winter months the windows were usually covered with beautiful frost created by Jack Frost and large icicles hung from the roof. Many a morning I scorched my backside sitting or leaning on the space heater near the stairwell door!

I honestly think people have become very spoiled with keeping their homes so warm they have forgotten how to dress for winter. When I was growing up September 1 meant no more bare feet and as soon as snow hit boots and winter outdoor clothing were the rule. My Mom also insisted on us wearing under shirts combined with leotards aka tights or one piece thermal underwear aka long johns under our clothes. She also insisted we wore sweaters, slippers and bed socks. At one time nightcaps were always worn but my Mom didn't insist we wear one which was a good thing because I can't stand anything on my head! Now all of that is considered a bit old fashioned! Instead of dressing warmly in the house it is easier to turn the thermostat higher. The problem with turning the thermostat higher is the environmental and financial costs! In my quest to become more eco-friendly I refuse to turn the thermostat any higher than 20ºC (68ºF) during the day and 17ºC (63ºF) at night.

Slippers

I'm a big fan of slippers! I make several pairs of slippers each year using my favourite slipper pattern. Hand knit slippers keep your feet warm and toasty while allowing your feet to breath. They wash beautifully as well. During the winter months I pair the slippers with thick socks usually funky fluffy socks or on really cold days wool socks. You can't beat wool socks for warmth!

When sleeping I still wear bed socks (not pictured) to keep my feet warm. I prefer white, all cotton anklets for bed socks because while providing warmth they allow air circulation. It is important to get good air circulation to your feet to keep the dry and healthy because foot moisture encourages fungal growth.

Thermals

Thermal knit underwear is an ideal energy saver! They are a favourite for those working outdoors during the cold winter months, outdoorsmen and those enjoying winter sports. At the same time they make a great basis for indoor layering. Despite being light weight they really do help keep you warm. They are also quite inexpensive. I paid $5.99 each for the pants and top. As a child long johns doubled as pajamas on warmer winter nights and were worn under flannel pajamas on the bitter cold winter nights. I love using the two piece thermal knit underwear as pajamas because they are downright comfortable! The thermal top can double as a long sleeve shirt for day use paired with a polar fleece zippered vest (one of my favourite cold busters) or T-shirt then topped with a sweater or polar fleece buttoned shirt. On extremely cold winter days the pants can provide an extra layer that will keep you warm without being seen.

Dressing for winter even when lounging around the house will reward you with lower heating bills. Extra clothes do not need to be restrictive either. The trick really is layering as you can always take off a layer if you become too warm. You will be pleased with the lower heating costs too!

Garden Gnome
©2006-2009

It's Coming

Victorian Winter

There is no doubt after the last couple of days that winter is making an entrance early this year. Heavens I have really used a lot of personal restraint to not put on the fireplace to take the chill out of the house. I'm determined to hold out to get to as close to November 1 as possible before using any heating other than solar. The cooler temperatures at a balmy 18ºC (64ºF) indoors just a little lower than the 20ºC (68ºF) we try to keep the house at during the day in the winter. The end of last heating season we discovered a way to shave off a lot of BTU by using only the gas fireplace so I really want to try using that method for as much of the month of November as possible.

We had a cooler and wetter summer that many complained of having no summer at all. It was not all bad though because we only ran the AC for 3 days and with staying home more we spent less money, getting more things done. The fall is now well into it's first week feeling more like winter than fall. Throughout the blogosphere there are warnings for those in the northwestern US states to stock up on wood and supplies for the predicted long, cold winter ahead.

I have been consistently working on caulking and sealing since we moved here just a little over 2 years ago. We are now reaping the benefits of that sealing! I continue to be ever vigilant for any drafts, sealing as soon as they are discovered. Unfortunately we did not get the sunporch rebuilt this year so we will be sealing it up with plastic shortly. The main focus of this year's winterizing is: replacing weather stripping on outer doors, weather stripping windows and installing window treatments (blinds, etc). I will be writing more about that shortly. Window treatments are not a high priority for privacy here so we simply haven't bothered with them because we like the open look. Using energy efficient window coverings will increase our energy savings lowering our carbon footprint.

Garden Gnome
©2006-2009

Winterizing Begins

Snow Over the Water
February 2, 2005

Beautiful scenes like this will be common here shortly bringing with them howling winds, below freezing temperatures along with snow, ice and higher energy bills. The ADFF has passed and while we haven't had a frost yet, the air has turned cold. We have had the gas fireplace on a couple of times to take the chill off the family room so it won't be long before we have to put the furnace on. This photo was taken a couple of years ago at our old house. The house had virtually little wind block, was poorly insulated and received the full force of the north winds. A lot of winterizing was needed to make the house as energy efficient as possible. This house is well protected from the wind, is partially earth bermed and in general a much sturdier, better sealed house that appears to be fairly well insulated. This house benefits from the cooling effects of the water in the warm months and will also benefit from the warming effects of mainly open water in the winter. This will be our first winter in this house so I've already been busy looking for and sealing air leaks.

The heaviest canning season is almost finished. The pantry is well stocked as are the freezers so I will be able to focus on winterizing both indoors and outdoors. My husband will winterize the vehicles and boat which is being lifted out of the water the week of the twenty second. We will be removing lawn furniture and garden decorations. These will be cleaned then stored. We are debating doing the same for the solar lights as they not withstand the freezing temperatures. This is the time of year when it is very important to make sure bird feeders are kept full to encourage the birds to return to your gardens the following spring. We will also be mulching and making necessary preparations inthe gardens for the cold weather.

Why should we winterize our homes? Winterizing is an important way of getting the most for your energy dollars. It makes our homes more comfortable as well. The main energy savers are to insulate, caulk, weatherstripping, replacing old windows and replace old heating systems with energy efficient ones. Do check for rebates and grants if you need to replace your furnace, air conditioning or major appliances. The Home Energy Retrofit Program (Canada) offers a maximum $5000 grant on qualifying purchases. Natural Resources Canada lists details and links various rebates and incentives for selected Energy Star® qualified products in Canada. For one reason or another these may not be possible especially for those living in rented accommodations or those on fixed incomes making it difficult to keep the rising energy costs in check. Landlords in particular often frown upon tenants making permanent changes even if they will help save energy. This is where winterizing can help, Winterizing involves more than the basics to make your home more energy efficient. They tend to be frugal DIY projects and versatile projects that improve your home's energy efficiency. Many of the winterizing projects can be used in rental units as well. They can be taken with you if you move making them ideal.

Windows can present several problems that result in thermal heat loss even if they are energy efficient sealed double pane. The first step of course should be stopping all air leaks either by caulking and/or weatherstripping or using the popular shrink plastic. The second step is creating a barrier to thermal heat loss through the window pane itself. This is where you can have a little fun! Doors can also give a cold zone at the threshhold even if they are insulated and properly weatherstripped. Patio doors can be worse at thermal heat loss because of their large expanse of glass. I'll be making a few posts over the next couple of weeks with some easy to make, inexpensive sewing projects that I will be using for our windows and doors. I also have a couple of easy DIY, inexpensive non-sewing projects for windows. So check back over the next couple of weeks for these projects.

Garden Gnome
© 2007

Doors, Windows & Jack Frost

Jack Frost
on back storm door

When I was little, I used to marvel at the beauty Jack Frost painted on my bedroom window. As the sun broke the darkness of the night, my window would take on a twinkling, magical appearance.

Then I grew up and while I still marvel at the beauty, it has a whole different meaning. Now when Jack Frost paints windows or storm doors it means we are losing valuable energy. That translates into lost energy dollars. We are lucky that the previous owner had the presence of mind to replace most of the windows with energy efficient windows even though he paid little attention to insulation. However, the two 6' x 8' picture windows are still energy losers simply because of their size. They don't frost up so that's a good sign. The front door is a antique, solid wood door with beautiful brass handles. I'd like to keep it for the character of the house. It isn't leaking much air if any. This spring we will be replacing the weather stripping and the storm door. At best the storm door is leaky and even though there isn't a problem with frosting, it is better to prevent a problem from happening. The back door is right beside the furnance. It is a hollow core wood door with a single pane window, not well weather stripped and definitely leaking air. Unfortunately we do not feel this door is worth saving so we will be replacing it this spring with an energy efficient door.

Whenever you see Jack Frost's handiwork on any window or door in your house, take a minute to marvel at the beauty. Then take action! The immediate remedy is to seal around the trim of windows then put up shrink plastic window covering. That will get you through to the nicer weather where you can take the window apart and fix it properly. The quick solution for doors is to hang a quilt or heavy blanket and this is the most common solution floating around on the net. However, I'm not really fond of this idea because I think it creates not only a fire hazard but also creates a barrier in the event you do have to evacuate the house. Another solution that is effective for drafts coming from the bottom of the door is draft stoppers. These are quick and inexpensive to make and they don't impede evacuation if necessary. Simply sew a tube a little longer than your door. Sew one end then turn. Pour in rice or sand until firm then sew up the open end. Place at the bottom of the door. If you really want to save money, use the legs of old jeans. You can even be creative and turn them into little snake critters complete with eyes and trimming. At any rate, they are effective.

Garden Gnome
© 2007