Time to button up your vacation home

​Don't leave your vacation home vulnerable to the elements this winter. Check off these to-dos before you say goodbye to your fair-weather family gathering spot for the season:

Prevent water woes (the No. 1 risk to vacation homes)

1. Shut off your main water valve and drain water lines. (However, if you have an automated fire-sprinkler system, leave it on.) Check manufacturer recommendations to see if you also should turn off your water heater.
2. If you do leave the water on, shut it off to individual fixtures (toilets, sinks, ice makers, washing machines, outdoor faucets).
3. Drain toilet tanks and add RV antifreeze to the bowls. Also, pour a bit down sinks (so it stays in the P-traps).
4. Disconnect garden hoses from outside faucets and cover them with plastic foam hoods.
5. Beef up skimpy insulation in the crawlspace, attic and along outside walls.
6. Check the home's sump pump to see that it's working.
7. Clean gutters to prevent ice damming. During rapid snow melt, plugged gutters can cause water to seep back into the roof (causing leaks) or overflow near the foundation, causing leaks and settling.

Unplug electronics

      1. Virtually all electronics are vulnerable to power surges. Unplug things like TVs, computers, appliances, toasters and coffee makers.

Keep it (barely) warm

1. Set your thermostat no lower than 55 degrees to keep pipes from freezing. Open cabinet doors to help warm pipes under sinks.
2. If you heat with oil or propane, make sure the tank is full.

Protect against wind damage

1. Trim dead limbs from trees near the house.
2. Store patio furniture indoors so it won't become a window-shattering missile in high winds.
3. Lock skylights and vents to keep out wind-driven rain.

 Make it look lived in

1. Set timers on outdoor and indoor lights.
2. Hire someone to maintain the property by raking leaves and plowing snow from the driveway.
3. Let a trusted neighbor and the local police know your house will be empty.