Loading ...It’s freezing here in Chicago and I just learned a valuable lesson. Never wait until December to cover the roses. That’s right. I just battled the snow and wind to put stakes and burlap around four sections of roses. As the weather forecast looked bleak for tonight–12 below zero with the wind chill–I knew I had to take on this one last home repair project to give our landscaping a good start for the winter.
Help…Those Lingering Home Repairs
This seems to happen to me every year. You try to get all the fall landscaping or home repairs done, but there are always lingering projects. As I shook off the snow, I thought…why didn’t I start covering those roses in early November? Like any home repair or remodeling project, timing is important. Here are some other home improvement projects that require good planning:
- Kitchen remodeling. The timing is critical because you’ll be working without a kitchen for awhile. Aim for warm weather when you can grill outside. Don’t do it around prom time, a child’s big birthday bash, or your spouse’s intense work season. Enough stress is enough!
- Painting. Sounds obvious, but I’ve had relatives start a painting project 3 days before I got there for a visit. Were they trying to tell me something?
- Bathtub reglazing. A great home repair project, but the glaze needs a few days to cure. Plan it when you can shower at the health club or a friend’s house.
- Deck or fence staining. Temperature is a factor here, so wait until it’s at least 50 degrees so it can dry for a few days.
- Planting trees and shrubs. In colder climates they need at least 6 weeks before the frost to get their roots started. Don’t plant or do major landscaping after mid October or early November at the latest.
