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Old Man Winter
How to Prepare Your Home for Cold Weather By Mark Stackpole
A Change in the WeatherNetwork engineer Stuart Berman relocated to Grand Rapids, Mich., a decade ago after spending some time on the West Coast. "My coworkers couldn't believe that I would be tempted to give up the warm weather and culture of Southern California for the more extreme conditions of the Midwest, but they failed to take into account the yearning for the change of seasons," he says. Along with falling leaves and the nip in the air, which give way to falling snow and a bite in the air, the change in seasons means a change in duties around the house.
Summers require dehumidifiers to deal with the hot, humid days and the winter requires exactly the opposite. Berman uses humidifiers to keep wood floors and furniture from splitting in the cold, dry air. A corn stove, a high-efficiency natural gas furnace and gas fireplaces keep the house warm and reduce fuel costs. Seals around doors and windows are checked to keep cold drafts from intruding, and glass storm windowsreplace the screens on outer doors to insulate and protect from any flying debris a winter storm may loose.
