By Mark J. Donovan
I started pulling out the dock this past weekend up at my new lake home. Surprisingly I think it can be a one man project, and I may not even have to get wet in the process! I was able to remove two 4’x8’ sections of the dock by simply lifting up the top surface panels, removing a couple of bolts from each frame, and then lifting the frames out of the water and walking them down the remaining dock to shore. In 15 minutes I had removed the two sections. Only another dozen sections to go. Within the next week the lake home will be dock free and prepared for the ensuing winter.
Also for winterizing my lake home I turned off water to the detached garage, via the shut-off valve in the main home. I do plan to keep heat and water running in the main home this winter, however I am installing a piece of electronics that will allow me to control the temperature in the home via my phone. With one phone call I’ll be able to switch the control of the heating system between two thermostats. One thermostat will be set for 50 degrees and the other to 70 degrees. Normally I’ll keep the home set at 50 degrees when we’re not there, and then call ahead to switch it to the 70 degree set thermostat when we plan to come up. This way the home will be toasty warm when we need it and have overall lower heating costs throughout the winter. Stay tuned for a video on the installation of this piece of electronics equipment in the next couple of weeks.
