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paqcrewmama
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# Posted: 24 Aug 2015 10:57am
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My parents actually lived in our cabin last winter while they found a f/t home here in NH. I didn't have to winterize. This year we're shutting down the place for probably 3-4 months (Dec to mid-March). We're still in the process of ripping out walls and finding the HUGE insulation gaps in this place (cost my parents a small fortune in propane despite dad's prolific use of insulation to stuff gaps and drafts).
Anyways, I've been thinking of things we'll have to do to winterize and minimize moisture damage and such. I'd truly appreciate any tips you can add to this list!
-pull any canned goods, painting supplies, renovation supplies that can handle the freezing temps
-tote up linens, towels and anything else that might become mouse fodder
-winterize the toilet and water system (we'll bring in a local plumber to show us how to do this correctly this winter as we basically had to redo the system twice when the first plumber did such a horrible job and I don't want to end up with a costly oversight on the winterization).
-make off-grid moisture catchers using buckets and calcium chloride to try and keep extensive moisture out of cabin over the winter (dad can come in periodically to check on them)
-put away outdoor chairs, picnic tables into barn
-make sure propane tanks are full (mud season on our road is BAD and the propane truck might not be able to make it up when we return in the spring to use the cabin so making sure I have enough propane for our spring use will be important)
Things I'm not sure on:
-mattresses- Ours is in the loft to stay (bought one that was all air shrunk and it opened up once we removed the plastic-only kind that would fit up the loft stairs). I can prop it up off the plywood and off the wall and try to make it less attractive to mice. The boys have regular mattresses. I have them in protective bags. I just read that one guys actually suspends his mattresses in his cabin up off the floor. I could actually do this with their mattresses by inserting hooks from our beams in the back room. I could put snap and sticky traps on top of the beam to catch any mice attempting an arial assault. What do you think?
-mildew and condensation control- I read about the non-electic, off-grid option of the calcium chloride (damp-rid stuff but it's actually the non-salt option many of us use in the winter to melt ice and it's MUCH cheaper in the big bags instead of the little damp rid bags!) How much condensation do your places get with the heat/freeze cycles through winter? I could pull all the curtains to minimize the "dampness factor" but I actually figured that keeping the sun out of the cabin would be better to keep the warm/cold cycles to a minimum (read this is the big reason for moisture like when you have a cold beverage in a glass on a hot day-the temperature difference leads to condensation on the outside of the glass-same thing with stuff in your cabin). Any thoughts?
I know I'm missing stuff and just haven't given enough thought to things yet. We have a camper that we've winterized for years but the house seems different so again, any advice is greatly appreciated! THANKS!
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FishHog
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# Posted: 24 Aug 2015 03:38pm
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If you have that much of a moisture problem inside, I'd put in some vents you open when your not there, and leave them open. My last place had vents that I only closed while I was there and actively heating. Never any moisture issues. I've never had mattress issues either, but I guess it depends on how many mice you have.
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bobrok
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# Posted: 24 Aug 2015 05:02pm
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I know this will sound kind of dumb, but we've put dryer sheets all over when we're closed up for winter. On the lamp shades, furniture, inside cabinets and drawers (incl. kitchen), hanging on the curtain rods. My wife buys a box at the dollar store and uses the entire box (!) in our 20 x 20 camp. This was something she'd heard from many people so we tried it once and now have done it every year.
I'd say it works. They seem to absorb dampness and they leave a pleasant scent.
I've also opened up a bag of charcoal and let that sit to absorb odor and moisture. We had a smelly kerosene spill in the car once and the charcoal worked wonders on this.
We saved the plastic wrapping that our mattress came in and use that to cover the mattress over the winter (of course with dryer sheets on top of the plastic).
This is a risky option for some, depending on location, but I always leave 2 windows open at the top sash at opposite ends of camp to allow for breathing. We are in a gated club type area and have little concern for break-ins so I'm comfortable with this. I think it helps.
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paqcrewmama
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# Posted: 24 Aug 2015 06:43pm
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The cabin has so many air leaks that ventilation isn't an issue. Really. Former owner never repaired/replaced battens and the mouse infestation was horrific so there is almost no insulation in some areas because the mice chewed it all away. I can actually see outside in some areas through cracks so it's definitely naturally ventilated. LOL I wasn't sure how much condensation we might have so maybe I'm just overly concerned.
Bobrok, the charcoal might be good just for odors. Again, still a funk in the cabin when it's closed up due to mouse and moisture, we're sure.
FishHog, we've definitely reduced the mouse population in the house considerably but I know that without someone in there, they'll want to move back in. Making this place more mouse-proof will take a few seasons. I'm going for large numbers of traps and lots of poison.
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silverwaterlady
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# Posted: 24 Aug 2015 07:17pm
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Please do not use poison. Other wildlife will eat the poisoned mouse and die.
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RichInTheUSA
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# Posted: 24 Aug 2015 07:28pm
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Agree on the poison... don't use it.
There are posts on this site about "bucket traps". They work like a champ!
There are also post on this site about winterizing... We now have a winter "check out" list as a result.
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paqcrewmama
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# Posted: 24 Aug 2015 08:19pm
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Yeah, I'm not a huge poison fan for that reason. I've seen the bucket traps but they won't be affective if the water freezes up, right?
I'll try to find the winter check out list Rich, thanks!
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old243
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# Posted: 24 Aug 2015 10:12pm
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I read a post where someone used windshield washer antifreeze in their bucket trap, in the winter. He was doing weekly checks of properties. I expect he just removed the mice and reused the liquid. Also have to rebait as necessary. We use moth balls on the beds. old 243
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RichInTheUSA
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# Posted: 24 Aug 2015 10:41pm
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The bucket trap works fine if you put RV anti-freeze in the bucket with the water. 
Here is one of the threads I remember about winterizing...
http://www.small-cabin.com/forum/3_5227_0.html#msg78915
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FishHog
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# Posted: 25 Aug 2015 08:50am
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bucket traps do work great all winter long if you use antifreeze. I've used automotive antifreeze mixed 50/50 with water. it basically pickles the mice, they don't smell and look like they just died, even after 6 months of sitting there. I scoup out and reuse the antifreeze until its getting dirty enough that I want to change it. I take it home and dispose of at work. I burn my mice to avoid something eating them.
Agree, poison isn't the best, but sometimes it is what it takes to get things under control if its been neglected for sometime. Use it responsibility and only for as long as needed if you need to.
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rbhfree
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# Posted: 6 Sep 2015 04:12pm
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I am new to this forum so I hope I am not repeating a question. We have a log chalet in the mountains in BC and we are winterizing it in a few weeks. We have a freezer in the cabin which is run off solar power. I would like to know if anyone has left food - primarily liquids - in the freezer, which will be turned off, over the winter and what the results were. We of course understand to leave bottles only partially full of liquid.
Thoughts and advice?
rbhfree
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AriannaRodriguez
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# Posted: 24 Dec 2016 01:56am
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Hello everyone,
I am also new to this forum and would like to give suggestion. Actually one of my friends lives in Florida was facing the same problem of getting freeze and moisture in the house during winters. She got solution to the problem after installing siw windows which provides 24 hours of protection and gives natural light by filtering UV rays.
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SE Ohio
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# Posted: 24 Dec 2016 09:27am - Edited by: SE Ohio
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Arrianna, how do you like working for siw windows? Do these windows really keep a cabin from freezing, and absorb moisture? The UV rays that your windows filter could actually help cut down on mold and mildew... Nice first spam-post here, though.
Here's SIW's toll free number we can call to complain about this spam: 1.877.274.8283
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Steve_S
Member
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# Posted: 24 Dec 2016 10:12am
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LOL SE Ohio - Indeed Xmas Spam - Turkey Flavoured maybe but still Spam, even worse that this individual dug up a Necro-Post to spam us.
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Gary O
Member
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# Posted: 24 Dec 2016 11:02am
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Quoting: SE Ohio Here's SIW's toll free number we can call to complain about this spam: 1.877.274.8283
HAH!
good'n
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KinAlberta
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# Posted: 24 Dec 2016 08:51pm - Edited by: KinAlberta
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I feel lucky being here in Alberta. Since the 1950s we'd unplug the fridge, remove any food and water and then - close the door.
Temperatures here range from near 90 F in the summer to -40 F in the winter, but it's dry.
One mistake we made was to put an old colour TV out there and leave it plugged in. We figured it cost us about $600 in electricity over about a decade in the 1970s-80s pretty much just sitting there because it had an "instant on" feature.
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Eddy G
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# Posted: 25 Dec 2016 10:19am
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We're in NH as well. Our cabins sound very similar.... After all the work we've done (and so much more to do) the last thing we want is the mice back in the walls or at all....
The bucket traps are good but we have also found MINT to be a real help. We put spearmint and peppermint plants hear and there along with little tea bags with mint that we bought at the feed store... mice seem to hate the stuff and I feel a lot better about it laying around then poison...
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KinAlberta
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# Posted: 25 Dec 2016 12:29pm
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We have a travel trailer that sits in storage for the winters so we put in the dryer sheets and Irish spring soap bars. Apparently they do something other than boost corporate profits. Folklore days they are supposed to keep out critters.
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paulz
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# Posted: 1 Jan 2017 07:21pm
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Quoting: FishHog If you have that much of a moisture problem inside, I'd put in some vents you open when your not there, and leave them open. My last place had vents that I only closed while I was there and actively heating. Never any moisture issues. I've never had mattress issues either, but I guess it depends on how many mice you have.
I've kept my cabin closed up when not there but I'm now thinking maybe I ought to crack open my two gable windows. Will the plastic window screens keep varmints and rodents out or do I need to make some metal screens?
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lakeangler
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# Posted: 8 Jan 2017 12:30pm
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Many buddies use dryer sheets to keep critters at bay. I'm a believer they seem to work. Some dryer sheets have citronella in them.
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FishHog
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# Posted: 8 Jan 2017 04:42pm
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Quoting: paulz Will the plastic window screens keep varmints and rodents out or do I need to make some metal screens?
I would say it depends on the size of the varmits and how bad they want to get in. I have metal mesh covering any area I don't want them to get through.
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