| It is late September and with Winter on the way | | | | water pipes had to be wrapped with thirty feet |
| again it is time to start checking all the weak | | | | of electric pipe freeze prevention heating cable, |
| points both inside and outside of your home. Living | | | | with a plug in and then have insulation taped all |
| in a trailer that we have been winterizing since the | | | | around the pipes leaving an access door in the |
| beginning of the August, there have been a few | | | | skirting for easy entry. It has taken a month to |
| things come up that normally would not in a | | | | build the 12 x 12 porch, working on it in the |
| regular home. Here are a few of them to keep in | | | | evenings and weekends. |
| mind even if you are not in a trailer or doing | | | | Our trailer is on a small acreage so there was a |
| renovations. | | | | lot of wood boards that were still usable and |
| After the initial move and since our trailer is an | | | | being economy minded people on a budget who |
| older model, 1960 or thereabouts, we had to | | | | do not like to waste anything, we spent time in |
| make some decisions about its overall condition. | | | | cutting these boards for use in building the frame |
| The first thing we decided on was to pull down | | | | and roof of the porch. My hubby and his friend |
| the ceiling in the kitchen and living and tear out the | | | | put twenty feet of soffet up plus the flashing |
| ceiling cover, plastic barrier and the old, wet | | | | then framed and built most of the porch and put |
| insulation so the ceiling could dry. I sprayed the | | | | it together. Finishing the low sloped roof with |
| wet areas with bleach water to kill and prevent | | | | metal and pulling it into place, securing it with three |
| mold. The rest of the ceiling will be done next | | | | inch screws. It is detached from the trailer in case |
| spring. We built twenty nine trusses to put on the | | | | of a move. This will be set up as my winter porch |
| existing roof rather than removing the old roof | | | | pantry. The electrical is done in the porch for the |
| and rebuilding from scratch. While the roof was | | | | indoor and outdoor lights and the switches are in. |
| being built onto it and insulated with R20, then | | | | Now we can insulate and sheet the inside of the |
| shingled, the existing vents for the furnace and | | | | porch, I can clean and paint the floor and our |
| water tank had to be checked and either | | | | freezer, bin, three tier shelf can go in. I still need |
| reinforced or put in again. Originally there was no | | | | my two tables, wood/recycle/trash and potato |
| attic opening to get into the roof so that had to | | | | boxes in and the shelving built. Then I can stock it |
| be cut out in the spare room closet and covered. | | | | for my pantry. |
| I replaced all the light bulbs with energy savers. | | | | After I used closed cell foam tape weatherstrip |
| Once we had enough hose down the well to | | | | on the windows and doors, I covered the |
| reach the water, more was needed to go from | | | | windows with shrink-to-fit, clear film window |
| the pumphouse to the trailer to be hooked up for | | | | insulator over the all the windows inside, finishing |
| access to indoor running water. The only way I | | | | them with a blow dryer to tighten them up and |
| had access to running water previously was by | | | | keep the drafts out; Alberta winds can get pretty |
| going out to the pumphouse and turning on the | | | | vicious. Our wood stove has yet to go in; first we |
| noisy generator that was hooked up to the well | | | | need to build a raised wood platform in the living |
| pump, back in the house I had to pail enough cold | | | | room with enough room under and behind it to |
| water for use on the stove and for baths after | | | | allow for airflow, then put light cement board |
| which I went back to the pumphouse and turned | | | | insulation against the wall for added protection. |
| the generator off. This, for a month before the | | | | Ceramic tiles go on the platform, a vent is cut |
| hose was hooked up under the trailer and little do | | | | into the wall behind and covered for fresh air, a |
| we realize just how much water a washing | | | | hole is then cut into the ceiling and out through |
| machine uses until you have to pail it in, which is | | | | the insulation and roof so the pipe can be put in |
| why I use only cold water for washing! All the | | | | place with an added half pipe attached to the |
| electrical also had to be hooked up for the lights | | | | existing one, again for added protection. After |
| and power to the appliances. | | | | that the wood stove is connected and fired up, |
| That done, we next installed a new 40 gallon | | | | using the furnace fan to circulate the heat from |
| propane water tank, that had to be ordered in, to | | | | the wood burner to heat the rest of the trailer; |
| heat the well water and got the electric furnace | | | | this will greatly cut down on our propane use. By |
| converted to a propane user; the 250 gallon | | | | the way, one of the best and most economical |
| propane tank for the yard was delivered and | | | | fire-starters you can use is the lint from your |
| hooked up by a gas fitter who also had to check | | | | dryer; I save all of mine for just that purpose. |
| the fittings and connections of the propane | | | | There is still the pumphouse to insulate and a nine |
| copper wiring to the trailer. At this point it is good | | | | inch portable dish heater to put in to keep it |
| to keep in mind that Alberta regulations are set | | | | warm for the winter and keep everything from |
| so only 80 % of the tank is filled for safety | | | | freezing. Thirty six feet of house cover is needed |
| reasons and you have to manually check the | | | | to go on the out side of the porch to protect the |
| amount of propane left in your tank and know | | | | wood over the winter months and the rest of |
| what the current price of propane is when | | | | the soffet has to be put on. Next Spring we will |
| ordering another fill to make it economical to use. | | | | put siding on the porch and attach three inch |
| Does anyone hear solar panels echoing in their | | | | board insulation to the outside of the trailer walls, |
| heads! Well, so far, so good. | | | | then re-side it. Its important to remember that |
| September has been busy as money and time | | | | everything you add to a trailer also adds to the |
| was spent on cutting to fit and painting some of | | | | overall weight of the trailer, that is why when |
| the OSB sheets that were used for the porch, to | | | | building the roof you can have only a foot of |
| skirt in the bottom of the trailer to protect the | | | | overhang. Even though there is still work to be |
| water lines from freezing and keep the mouse, | | | | done most of the important things are already in |
| vole, mole and bug populations at bay. Before | | | | place for the coming of winter. Its a good idea to |
| finishing the skirting and packing dirt along the | | | | prepare and plan ahead for trailer renos, a line of |
| edge and up the skirting all around the trailer, the | | | | credit at your local hardware store also helps. |