Getting our home ready for winter

There's been a hint of winter in the air lately, and, as a result, Mr. Speedy and I have been turning our thoughts to getting our home all comfy and cozy before the snow starts falling. (Check out our fall home prep for some to-do list inspiration).

We've scheduled our furnace maintenance appointment to hopefully fend off any mid-winter breakdowns, and our plants have received a military haircut.

The BBQ and lawn furniture are ready to be stowed away in the garage, and we've had someone come by to give our roof a little TLC before it got too icy. 

Bleeding our radiators turned out to be a bigger job than expected because there was so much air in our system. But, it was also one of the tasks with the biggest pay-off, because they're heating so much more effectively now. No more waking up in the morning to a cool radiator in the bedroom and frozen toes!

We've also picked up some insulating window film to help stretch our heating dollars - but still need to install it. I'm betting it will make a much bigger difference once it's no longer sitting in the box!

Sadly, that's not al our to-do list. We somehow have made it this far into November without owning -- or needing, thank goodness -- snow shovels and salt (did you know you can now buy it scented?), an obvious essential for any homeowner or renter with a walkway. 

Our eaves troughs could also use some attention - a job that's been put off because we have yet to buy a ladder (and, also, perhaps, because it's rather unpleasant.)

And, finally, we also need to pull down our screens to store for the winter, a task the CMHC says promotes better air circulation to warm the glass and may help to prevent condensation on windows.

Those are the relatively simple, and mostly DIY, tasks we've got on our radar this winter.

The Home Depot also recommends:

- Weather stripping windows, which they say can offer up to 20 per cent saving on heating and cooling bills (with the simple peel and stick install, even newbie DIYers like us can handle it!).

- Wrapping your home in insulation with a higher R value, to prevent drafts, which is also estimated to reduce bills by 20 per cent - but does require a bit of time and effort.

- Upgrade your lightbulbs to CFLs, if you haven't already, and make sure any new light fixture purchases are Energy Star rated.

- Install/use a programmable thermostat. We've got ours scheduled to turn down during the day when no one is home and overnight while we're sleeping. Home Depot says the average household can save about $180 a year by setting a programmable thermostat!

- Installing water heater blankets and pipe insulation minimizes the amount of heat lost through the walls of the water heater, meaning it will turn on less often and save you money - for about a nine per cent savings on our water heating costs. 

And, if you're looking for a bigger savings, and bigger project, you could always install Energy Star windows and doors to help keep the heat in and the cold out this winter. 

What's on your winter to do list?

Flu-proofing your home

If the number of vacant desks, sickly tweets and my own bout with a nasty bug are any indication, I'd say cold and flu season is upon us. Pair that with the panic over the H1N1 virus (get all the latest news at sister site Healthzone.ca), and we're all being a little bit more careful lately.

Of course, you can't actually "flu-proof" your home, but you can help stem the spread of germs. While handwashing tops the list of important things to do, you should also consider the following to help banish those icky bugs:

- Wipe down faucets, light switches and door handles regularly. Whether you're a commercial-grade disinfectant type or prefer the natural germ-killing mixture of vinegar and water, make sure to give these commonly touched areas a thorough, and regular, cleaning.

- Clean your laptop/computer. I know I'm not as good about this as I should be, but I also know that every time I'm sick, I rely on my laptop to keep me entertained - meaning there's probably a few germs hanging out in my keyboard. Not to mention all the bunny hair and dust that's probably living in there, too.

- Clean your remote. I hadn't thought of this one until I saw it on This Old House, then had to run home and wipe down all our remotes and video game controllers. Like your computer, you rely on it when you're sick, so it's quite possibly one of the most disgusting things in your home.

- Clean your cleaners. Cloths, mops and sponges can end up just pushing germs around. So either replace them or bust the germs by sending them for a spin in hot water in your washing machine or dishwasher. You can also try microwaving them for a minute.

- Wash your sheets, towels and blankets in hot water. It may not be eco-friendly, but a cold wash doesn't reach the necessary temperatures to kill any germs hanging out in your pillowcase or favourite comfy throw.

- Prevent cross-contamination by using separate sponges for dishwashing and counter cleaning, and use separate cutting boards for meats and veggies.

Choosing copper finishes. for example for sinks and pulls, could also help, as some sources say copper may have antiviral properties.

And, for those times when all the handwashing and cleaning just aren't enough to keep germs at bay, be sure to stock up on loads of tissues, comfy blankets and a large but stylish tea pot!

For more clean home tips, check out the excellent guide from This Old House and check out our green cleaning guide.

Stretching the budget in our master bedroom makeover

Mr. Speedy and I were busy with the paintbrushes this weekend, replacing the blotchy baby blue walls with a lovely shade of grey. (See my sneak peek here).

While the touch-ups are done and the furniture has been put back into place (hooray!), I'm not quite ready to share a photo of the whole room - because it's part of my much-delayed (due to illness, vacations, holidays and the like) master bedroom makeover! (Catch up here and here).

I will, however, share a great tip I've learned during the process. You might remember that we're trying to transform the room on a skimpy budget - a mere $200 - so we couldn't just pop on over to the hardware store for a $50 can of paint.

Instead, Lisa Canning, who has a reputation for being able to do a room on the cheap, advised me to explore the world of mistint paint. So she and I hit up Rotblott's with the hopes of finding a can of sophisticated grey.

While the selection was mostly neutrals, we were lucky enough to score a can of mistinted "Rockport Gray", a Benjamin Moore classic. We also picked up another small can of a similar grey, in case we ran out, and some rollers, all for the sweet price of $13!

The downside to going with a mistint is that we could only find one can of the mistinted Rockport Gray, so if we ran out, it would be seriously tough, if not impossible, to match.

Bracing for the worst, we bought the safety can of a similar shade, which we could have used to paint the mostly-covered up wall behind our wardrobes - where the colour change would have hopefully been hardly noticeable. Luckily, we were able to do the whole room with one can!

The new coat of paint has already made a world of difference in our space, and our sweet deal will definitely help us stretch our budget even more.

How do you divvy up the housework?

After checking out that study on how couples that do more housework have more sex, I couldn't help but wonder about how households split up all those unpleasant, but necessary, chores.

The study found that women spent much more time cleaning house than men - 41.8 hours compared to 23.4 - but those stats also showed that the men were spending more time in the office (33.8 to 19.7).

What about the couples who spend an equal, or at least similar, amount of time doing paid work? And how did the wives and husbands in this study split up the household work?

At Casa Speedy, keeping up with the chores (along with completing all the necessary renovation, maintenance and decorating projects) can certainly be a real challenge.

We try to split things up, but most often the jobs fall to the person who cares the most. For example, I'm picky about having my clean clothes folded just so (a girl's gotta keep her closet organized), so the laundry generally falls to me. Mr. Speedy has developed a very precise system for handling our trash and recycling, so I happily keep my hands off that task.

Along the same lines, I generally am the one responsible for cooking supper, while Mr. Speedy handles breakfast and caffeine for me, the resident sleepyhead. We share the dishes, and take turns tidying, sweeping, and scrubbing, based mostly on who's free, bored, or most bothered by the state of the place.

How do you keep up with the household chores? Do you try to split things 50-50 or does one person in your household do the heavy lifting?

Poll results: Holiday reno plans?

This week was a bit reno-centric here on Yourhome.ca. We learned that the renovation tax credit - which is still waiting on the final stamp of approval from the government - is a hit and that Canadians feel now is the time to be tackling those home improvement projects. For some renovation inspiration, check out our home improvement special section.

Meanwhile, I shared my holiday renovation plans and asked how many Yourhomers had similar stressful schedules planned - turns out nearly three-quarters (69 per cent) are equally optimistic. The perhaps more sensible 31 per cent will be focusing on their cooking, cleaning and shopping while the rest of us are slapping on that last coat of paint during the holiday crunch.

This week's poll asks whether The Genworth Mortgage Insurance First-Time Homebuyer's Monitor (read all about it here) found that 25 per cent of renters would give up their car for home ownership, and the same amount of homeowners would sacrifice their vehicle to keep paying the mortgage.

And, for some lighter fare this weekend, check out Colin and Justin's chocolatey family room makeover, get inspired to tour the Distillery District, swoon over some gorgeous, if pricey, faucets, find out why cleaning is sexy and get decor advice from green queen Samantha Pynn.

It's reno time?

I know Mr. Speedy and I have felt spurred along by the Home Renovation Tax Credit to complete our reno projects before the Feb. 1, 2010 deadline.

(UPDATE: Just wanted to clarify that the HRTC is still subject to parliamentary approval - the bill (C-51) is still in committee, and is expected to be voted on in December.)

And, according to an Ipsos Reid survey for the Royal Bank of Canada released yesterday, we're not alone.

The survey found that a majority of Canadians plan to claim the tax credit (up to $1,350), and says almost half have decided to tackle more projects because of it, with Ontarians spending an average of $12,428 on home improvements this year. (Read the full story).

Remember that the work must be of "an enduring nature" and "integral to the dwelling" on an owned, personal dwelling to qualify - covering everything from big projects like installing a furnace or renovating a kitchen to laying new floors, painting, or installing a chandelier. And make sure you keep those receipts!

The survey also found that the time to renovate is now: fewer Ontarians are planning renovations over the next two years: 67 per cent this year compared to last year's 71 per cent.

Another key finding is that most renovators - 76 per cent - are paying for their projects out of savings (up from 70 per cent in 2008) instead of dipping into credit.

So, for those of you pushing to get those projects done - kitchens and bathrooms are at the top of revamping lists - here are some great resources to help inspire you and get you ready to grab that hammer (or hire a pro):

Federal Home Renovation Tax Credit website

HRTC fact sheet

Ipsos Reid/RBC survey results

Making your renovations pay off

Choosing the right stove to heat your home

Green your renos

Fall home maintenance

DIY could mean don't injure yourself

Now's the time to renovate

Suburban homes worth renovating

More on the Home Renovation Tax Credit

Share your holiday renovation plans

First the heater, now new boiler regs

It's been one of those weeks around my house. So much to do, so little time. All compounded by our old hot water heater giving up the ghost and soaking our basement. And, of course, because it was one of those weeks, one of the connections to the new one was leaking too, so we had to have yet another service call.

Because it was a small trickle, they booked us an appointment for two days after we noticed the problem, meaning the repair guy showed up yesterday. He soldered up the hole in the connector, and the basement is drying out again. At that point, I expected that we could finally put the whole soggy mess behind us.

But, it wasn't that easy. We happen to have an old boiler that's still trucking along and doing an excellent job of heating our house. But, we were unaware of new carbon monoxide regulations - effective yesterday! - that required us to have a carbon monoxide test done, a carbon monoxide detector in our sleeping area - ours was in the basement, near the boiler - and more ventilation to the unfinished portion of our wee basement, which required removing a door between the spaces. (Read more about the regulations here).

We were lucky, we passed the test, and removing the door was a quick fix (armed with pliers cause our hammer is MIA), as was moving the plug-in carbon monoxide detector upstairs. So we got our pass tag, and, other than the inspection fee, the whole thing was pretty painless. Here's hoping that once we get our annual cleaning out of the way, we'll be done with service calls for a while!

This new homeowner's trying to stay afloat

Buying a new home is exciting. So's decorating it. Even moving, while stressful and messy, also comes with a fun sense of anticipation.

But, once the dust settles, there's also an awful lot of work to do. Always. With winter coming, the eaves troughs need cleaning, the lawn needs its final mowing and the roof could use a bit of patching. We also need to buy shovels before the white stuff hits.

And that's on top of the other stuff on our to-do list, like finishing the painting, hanging artwork, installing more shelving units in closets and getting the guest room ready for holiday guests.

Plus, there's all that 'regular' stuff, like cleaning and cooking that really ought to happen.

So, at any given moment, I feel like there's at least a dozen things I should be doing, taking precedence over the things I'd like to do. Mopping the floors or washing dishes will always trump the creative fireplace makeover that I'm dreaming of, or even catching up on some TV. 

And, then there's the unexpected stuff, like our water heater turning our basement into a wading pool earlier this week.

So, this week, this new homeowner is feeling a little bit overwhelmed. OK, really overwhelmed.

But even with my anxiety over everything that needs doing, I still couldn't help but get a little inspired by today's Home Improvements special section, which includes how to figure out the return on your renos, how to green your projects and getting your furnace ready for heating season.

How am I ever going to whittle down my to do list if I keep adding projects? Guess I'll just have to buckle down, keep plugging away, and learn to accept that owning a home means that nothing is ever truly finished.

Our first wet basement

After spending Thanksgiving weekend with my in laws, we returned home Monday ready to tackle the week. While I stocked our fridge with leftovers, Mr. Speedy ran down to the basement to feed Allistair, our bunny, who had been home alone all weekend. All seemed well.

Then Mr. Speedy yelled "We have a problem" followed by silence. I shouted "What?" while wondering whether we'd been robbed or if the bunny had not fared so well flying solo for the weekend. When I still didn't get a response, I dashed downstairs to try to quell my wild imagination.

That's when I saw Mr. Speedy standing in water up over his ankles in the unfinished portion of our basement. What used to be our laundry and storage area had turned into a wading pool.

So, I grabbed some flip flops and started rescuing boxes while we tried to figure out where the water was coming from. A quick investigation showed some telltale bubbling from the water heater, so we quickly phoned the rental company and turned the handle to stop the flow of water from the cold water pipe to the heater.

Repairmen, and a new hot water heater, were on their way (and arrived within hours, thankfully) but, it was a holiday and we still had several inches of water in our basement. And, we had neither a car nor a wet vac.

We called in a favour from a friend with a car, who then did the tour of closed-for-the-holiday hardware stores with Mr. Speedy while I waited for the repairmen. We figured we were out of luck, but thankfully, our friend remembered that his church had a wet vac, and was able to borrow it for us.

The wet vac, along with uncovering a floor drain that had been closed off by a previous owner, helped take our basement from a pool to a puddle.

So, things are looking up. Our shiny new water heater has been installed. The carpet and underpadding that had been down there (which, honestly, we hadn't liked much anyway) has been trucked out to the garage awaiting disposal, the dehumidifier and fans have been working overtime, and the space has had a thorough scrub.

But, sadly, the story isn't over. Last night, while debating whether it was finally dry enough to return all the storage items, which have been cluttering up the finished portion of the basement, Mr. Speedy noticed a small but steady trickle of water streaming down the side of our shiny new tank. Turns out the soldered new connection isn't quite sealed. Argh.

So, they're coming tomorrow to finish patching it up. All in all, we were pretty lucky. No real damage was done to our home, and nothing important got waterlogged. But, it was definitely stressful and perhaps the least fun we've had since moving in. I'm hoping that after tomorrow, and another scrub, my basement will return to its former glory of storage area and laundry room, albeit sans carpeting.

It's fall! Or is it?

While Tuesday may have been the first official day of fall, just over a third of Ontarians (36 per cent) agree that Sept. 22 signals the start of the season, according to a recent survey.

Conducted by Angus Reid on behalf of Direct Energy, the survey found that just under one third (30 per cent) of those interviewed instead felt that the first day of school is also the first day of fall. (A sentiment echoed by 1 in four across Canada).

The survey also found that 81 per cent of Ontarians agreed that the leaves changing colour signalled the start of the fall season. Other rituals that are a sure sign it's autumn? Turning on the furnace, 21 per cent, turning off the air conditioner, 19 per cent, and wearing warmer clothes, 43 per cent. 

So is it fall? Officially yes - but I haven't seen any red leaves or turned on my furnace, so the fall boots and corduroy jacket have yet to make an appearance. 

But, the "official" Sept. 22 date is a good reminder to start your fall home maintenance (see our tips). Yes, I know it's unpleasant, but wouldn't you rather do it now than be stuck freezing waiting for someone to come fix your furnace, while surveying frosted plants and trying to climb your icy ladder to clean out those frozen eavestroughs? Yeah, I thought so.

Direct Energy recommends testing your furnace now to avoid that whole freezing part of my nightmare scenario. Plus, if something is actually wrong, you'll have better luck getting service now than when the first cold snap hits. 

Here are the company's tips to get your house ready for winter:

- Turn on your furnace once every 60 days when you aren't using it. Schedule a maintenance appointment before it gets cold. And clean or replace your furnace filter every two to three months to save money on your heating bill.

- Cover your air conditioner to help ensure it's ship shape come next summer.

- Consider upgrading your old furnace to a new energy efficient unit, which will help cut your bills. There's a new minimum energy performance standard for home gas furnaces rolling out on Dec. 31, requiring 90 per cent efficiency for new purchases. (The regulations don't require homeowners to switch out existing furnaces.)

- Get a home energy audit, which can identify spots to make your home more energy efficient.

- Clean your ducts, which will help your ventilation system operate better and will reduce the amount of dust in the air, improving indoor air quality.

And, if all this winter talk is getting you down, just think about hot chocolate, hot apple cider and cozy sweaters! Doesn't that feel better?