Closed for the Winter

Gabrielle Massa uses her four-bedroom house in Lake George, N.Y., for the occasional winter weekend, but she does not like to take any chances. "My neighbors had a big flood last year because of broken pipes," said Ms. Massa, who brings patio furniture inside, shuts off the water to the house and stocks up on mousetraps before the first big freeze.

"If I know I won't be there for a month, I drain all the pipes so I don't have to leave the heat on. The first year I paid a management company a few hundred dollars to do this, but it was expensive, so I learned to do it myself."

Closing up a vacation home for the colder months is an autumn rite for second-home owners in the Northeast and Midwest. And taking steps in the fall to protect the house from harsh winter weather is the best way to insure a stress-free return in the spring.

Electricity

"If you can afford it, leave the heat on at a minimum of 60 degrees; heat is an effective way to dehumidify a house," said Tom Kraeutler, AOL's home improvement editor and a former home inspector, noting that moisture can lead to peeled wallpaper, warped doors and in the worse case, mold.

Labeling each circuit breaker switch will make turning off electricity to different parts of the house easy, Mr. Kraeutler added. Leave the power on to the security system, a front porch light and the heating system. Turn off the power to bedrooms and electric-powered water heaters.

But simply leaving the heat on does not mean it is unnecessary to drain the pipes. After all, if a storm hits and electricity is lost, the house can quickly turn into an igloo. "In the winter we have a lot of pretty severe storms," said Paul Jarvis, the owner of Cabin Ready, a home maintenance company that serves seasonal homeowners in Grand Rapids, Minn. "Power can be out for week in some areas."

Plumbing

Preparing the pipes for winter is the most critical step in closing a house. The danger of not turning off the water and draining pipes is simple: disaster in spring. "I've seen houses with running water out the door in April. There is always one that makes it into the newspaper," said Brad Pratt, a broker with the Island Group on Martha's Vineyard.

Remember, even if there is someone checking on the house regularly, surprise leaks are always possible. "What is holding the water in the pipes is ice," said Ed Del Grande, a plumber and host of "Ed the Plumber" on the DIY Network. "Homeowners get a false confidence and then the thaw comes.".

Even if a freeze does not break a pipe, the ice buildup can bend copper pipes enough to require that they be replaced.

Begin with turning off the main water valve to the house and then open the faucets to drain out the water. Some homes are designed so that all the pipes sit at sharp angles and rely on the force of gravity to drain water. While some management companies might stress that this design means there is no need to blow out the lines with an air compressor, Mr. Del Grande said that assumption is a big risk: "You might get lucky with gravity. But every house is different and you need to learn about the little quirks in your house."

He recommends blowing out the lines with an air compressor that forces out remaining water and then draining the water heater. Next take care of the traps, or areas in the house where water can pool. Pouring a non-toxic antifreeze down all drains is a secondary line of defense against cold temperatures.

And don't forget about the toilets, which are no match for ice. "I've seen toilets split right in half," Mr. Del Grande said.

Outdoors

Boat docks should be removed before the first freeze and outdoor furniture should be placed indoors.

"Take inside umbrellas and anything with foam padding, which is a breeding ground for mold and bugs," Mr. Del Grande said. Furniture that is too heavy or cumbersome to move or is in a climate with a milder winter can be left outside with some precaution. Mr. Del Grande also recommended spraying metal furniture with a protector like WD-40. "It's like putting a raincoat on it for the winter months." Wood furniture, if left outside, should be coated with teak oil.

Like the plumbing system in a house, the sprinkler system should be blown out to prevent burst pipes. Also, the water level in swimming pools should be decreased by one to two feet, but not completely drained. The remaining water in the pool serves to give support for the pool walls. A pool cover will help keep out debris and handle any ice buildup. Inflatable pool covers act as a cushion to ice, giving it room to expand and alleviate pressure on the pool walls.

Seal It Up

Keeping the critters out of a vacant house is a constant and often losing battle for homeowners. Insuring that there is no food left out and putting wire mesh screens over the chimney and any outside vents can help keep the animals away, but they still might use your house as a winter retreat.

Mr. Jarvis, who splits his time between the Twin Cities and a cabin in Grand Rapids, said it is not unusual for him to return to his northern Minnasota lake house and find acorns in his bed. "I try to make the house as air tight as possible, but the chipmunks are pretty industrious. I have no idea how they get in," said Mr. Jarvis, noting that at least, as house guests go, they are not so bad. "They don't leave much else behind. They're fairly clean animals."

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