3 cottage maintenance steps to remember this year

There are always more tasks around the home in a new season, and maintenance for your getaway space is no exception. With winter thawing and spring on the horizon, there are a few things to do before heat sets in. Here are some ways to keep your cottage or cabin in top shape and keep your family safe:

1. Prepare your garden
Many of us discovered or revived our love of gardening in recent years. So remember, as you well know if you’ve been gardening for decades, even if flowers aren’t blooming yet, there’s plenty of work to be done. Make sure your garden is off to a great start by cleaning up your flower beds and vegetable plots, pulling away dead plants and leftover fall leaves, and prepare your soil with compost or a slow release fertilizer.

 2. Check for and prevent damage
As with any secondary property dust, debris and damage can creep up slowly. So at the start of your spring season, do a thorough check for anything that might cause issues such as bent eaves troughs, problematic plumbing or rotting wood trim. Always follow. basic safety tips like never leaving a flame unattended and check that your smoke detectors have fresh batteries and are in good working order. Don’t forget to examine your carbon monoxide detectors, too.

 3. Test your water quality
Your municipal water supply may be safe at its source location, but contaminants can sneak into your home’s water via plumbing. If your cabin is in a rural area and draws water from a well or a surface water source, you likely don’t know what’s in your water. That’s why testing the quality of your water on a regular basis is a key part of maintaining a safe and reliable water source at for your second home.

A simple at-home DIY test kit can let you easily and affordably test your water and receive a professional analysis. Find more information at mywaterquality.ca

credit – newscanada.com