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1. Good house insulation or you go broke heating your house. 1a. I pre-buy my propane(I just did it, and it was 1.69 per gallon, which is the lowest I have had in 10 years)...but you can pre buy your heating oil, cordwood, etc...not natural gas though, but not many have that luxury in NH.
2. Good snow boots, good coat, and gloves!
3. Don't stay cooped up....go to UNH hockey or go snow skiing or ice skating, or go to some UNH or high school basketball games.....play a sport or join a league? I do all of this. I play at basketball with the kids at UNH and ORHS, I am in 2 basketball leagues through the winter....and try to hit hockey and basketball games at UNH too.
4. Front wheel, 4 wheel or awd....I do fine with front wheel drive as I have lived in many a wind and snow blown mountain and tundra. If it takes 4 wheel drive....I probably shouldn't be out.
5. Snow blower...two stage for sure...will save your back...took me 5 years, but finally back to back to back 12" snows(one was 30", and one was half rain on top which turned it into basically iron snow) did it, I broke! And you probably oughta make it a good one....I bought a Honda....set me back, but haven't had a glitch except for shearing pins(get extra when you buy it).
6. Have a generator depending on where you live, but I am in a good spot, and my power still goes out here more than anywhere else I have ever lived.
7. Depending on where you live, a chain saw may be very handy.
8. Keep your vehicles tuned for cold(especially N and W).
9. Take vacations to Florida or Cal/Arizona.
10. Keep the wood dry! I think almost everyone uses some wood.
All of the sudden you may have a new-found appreciation for spring and summer ....even if you came from the crazy humid/hot Houston, Dallas, New Orleans, etc....although this may take a while, it will happen.
FWD vs AWD - I travel all over New England for work. I have FWD and use snow tires and I have never gotten stuck. I am smart though - if a storm is expected, I cancel sales calls and stay home.
Plowing - I've been quoted $10 an inch for my driveway (60x20). The plows typically sweep by every 6" or so but in heavy storms it could be quite a while before you see them. They wouldn't come out for anything less than 2".
I have a 2 stage snow blower - 6 forward/2 reverse speeds and 26" cut. I usually go out every 6-8" to keep ahead of it. That way it takes me about 30 minutes to clear my driveway on each pass.
Living with winter is not the end of the world. Our family skis. My son and I winter camp - low of -14 overnight this winter in a tent. I run outside in the winter. The key is proper clothing and layers. Polartech and most of the synthetic fabrics allow for warmth and wicking away moisture.
Maybe the whole tick topic is deserving of it's own thread, but I have a question for long time NH residents (esp. women). Have any of you tried the "Skin So Soft" insect repellent (Bug Guard Plus Expedition) from Avon? Unlike a deet product, it doesn't need to be washed off and it actually smells quite pleasant. I was wondering if anyone here has had success with it against ticks. It has extremely positive reviews on Amazon.com, and many have mentioned that it works on ticks.
There's no scientific evidence the regular "Skin So Soft" actually has any effect on any biting insect, tests have shown it is about as ineffective as other essential oil products.
However, Avon since introduced "Bug Guard Plus" with Picaridin, which does work against mosquitoes and ticks. You can also get unscented picaridin products.
Quote:
Originally Posted by 399083453
- Take gutters off home in winter to prevent ice dams
A thorough (and expensive) inspection checked out with no issues or moisture or evidence of past ice dams. Any advice for how to prevent them? I'm reading that no roof design is immune. How do you keep the melt water from refreezing on the edge of the roof? I can't find anything about removing gutters. I don't know if that's an option.
No roof design is 100% immune to ice dams (though some steel roof systems come close); on the other hand, some seem designed to encourage the formation of ice dams. The electric heating wire, installed right after the leaves are down, can help significantly to keep the melt water from refreezing on the edge of the roof.
If you stockpile the pure calcium chloride "roof melt" pucks or just pelletized CaCl, you can quickly melt through ice dams by tossing some calcium up on the roof. In a well-sealed container, it lasts forever.
I want to point out that almost every home gets some ice damming in the winter, but not all ice dams cause leaks. I have one room with a vaulted ceiling and that tends to leak if I don't rake the roof there regularly. Last winter, I had ice dams about 8 inches high all around my house and none leaked.
I drive by a home every day that has those heating coils on the edge of the roof. Last winter was so bad the coils couldn't keep up and I saw the owners had to remove ice dams over the coils!
OP mentioned he was moving to the Salem area. If that's the case, the roads are well maintained in the winter and would most likely be cleared of snow within a few hours, even after a big snowstorm. I don't have fwd/awd nor snow tires and I get to work just fine (though I'm an experienced snow driver!)
I don't think I would want to snowblow a 100' driveway! I'd rather hire a plow and throw down some grass seed in the spring if needed. You don't need some big expensive contractor. There are plenty of guys with pickup trucks and plow attachments that will do it far cheaper. Just ask around.
Pretty simple...... Snow piles up in gutter, because its flat, and freezes, snow melts on roof and water goes towards the frozen pile in the gutter and cannot go past it. Simple solution? Take gutters off in winter.
Of course, gutters are not "meant" to be taken down regularly, but you "can" do it. I do. Take me 30 minutes. I store them in the back yard till spring.
Pretty simple...... Snow piles up in gutter, because its flat, and freezes, snow melts on roof and water goes towards the frozen pile in the gutter and cannot go past it. Simple solution? Take gutters off in winter.
Of course, gutters are not "meant" to be taken down regularly, but you "can" do it. I do. Take me 30 minutes. I store them in the back yard till spring.
The best solution is having a steeped pitch metal roof. It also surprises me a bit why houses in NH are not designed as well as they should be given the climate they are located in that features a good amount of snow.
Ice dams are the result of inadequate attic insulation, inadequate attic venting, poor air sealing between conditioned living space and unconditioned attic, or a combination of those factors. If you seal all leaks of warm air to the attic, put enough insulation in the attic, and vent it properly with eave and ridge venting, you will not have ice dams. Cathedral ceilings are another story altogether and are harder to keep from ice damming.
Ice dams don't have to happen. If you have ice dams, it's a sign of something wrong.
Unless you live up a dirt road or have a very steep driveway, 4 dedicated winter tires are more important than 4WD/AWD in my opinion. 4WD only aids in getting you going. Snow tires help you steer and stop better in slippery conditions. Safe automotive snow travel is less about 'never getting stuck' than it is about being able to control your vehicle on the road when conditions are poor and people are sliding out around you.
A Subaru Outback on dedicated winter tires is the best of both worlds.
Get involved in your community, find a winter sport, join a club, get out of your house. The people I find most effected by winter are the ones who stay behind their shutters once the snow flies. We make it a point to never let the road conditions effect our plans unless it is truly ridiculously dangerous out, and honestly, that isn't too often.
Get a good pair of boots, dress in layers, stay fit and healthy enough to clear your walks and driveway (snowblowers are great but you'll still be shoveling). A garage is a nice luxury if it's available to you.
I've lived up here my whole life and don't find winter terribly oppressive, it just is what it is. But it's all about your own experiences and perceptions.
I don't live in NH - but the OP's post caught my eye. I do live in a cold snowy area. (NE Ohio) my son goes to college in Vermont, and we spend time there. My daughter will go to college in MA, as I did.
I agree with Sporin - you simply can't "hole up" in winter. Make friends with winter! Learn to ski, snow board, skate or cross country ski. Or snowshoe hikes. Look on Meet Up.
Get involved with a church - churches in New England are a lot less "churchy" than those in the south. Unitarian Fellowships have people who are atheist and theist. UCC churches are very open minded and accepting.
Personally, I would not be without a 4 wheel drive vehicle. I think the Subaru is a good choice!
Ice dams don't have to happen. If you have ice dams, it's a sign of something wrong.
True. But my issue is only the last 3 feet of the roof, as with most people's roofs. Taking a few minutes to remove the gutters each year is much easier than tearing up the house from the inside, length wise, both sides, to provide proper cold roof ventilation and make sure no heat is escaping from those areas.
Gutters do not cause ice dams. Badly engineered/insulated roofs do.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Sheena12
Personally, I would not be without a 4 wheel drive vehicle. I think the Subaru is a good choice!
Every second car I see on the road in S.NH is a Jeep or a Subaru.
All my vehicles are AWD, but I do not run dedicated snow tires in the winter. My truck has moderately aggressive, siped, all-season (M+S) tires, and I carry quick-install chains, but have only had to use them twice in 5 years.
When choosing an all-season tire for winter traction, look for the snowflake:
Quote:
Originally Posted by 399083453
Pretty simple...... Snow piles up in gutter, because its flat, and freezes, snow melts on roof and water goes towards the frozen pile in the gutter and cannot go past it. Simple solution? Take gutters off in winter.
True. But my issue is only the last 3 feet of the roof, as with most people's roofs. Taking a few minutes to remove the gutters each year is much easier than tearing up the house from the inside, length wise, both sides, to provide proper cold roof ventilation and make sure no heat is escaping from those areas.
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Gutters do not cause ice dams. Badly engineered/insulated roofs do.
