House manual
Wifi Network: 23LakeBuel
Password: warmwelcome
Kitchen
When you come and go, make sure the storm door is closed. It can get very windy and if it’s not closed it will swing around and break.
The under-cabinet lights are turned on and off by tapping the button on the light strip closest to the refrigerator.
Feel free to help yourself to olive oil, spices, non-perishables, etc.
The tap water is safe to drink and is provided from our private on-site well.
Please empty the refrigerator before you depart.
Garbage
Please put garbage bags and recyclables in the bins outside.
During warmer months the bins will be in the shed outside (so as to not attract the curious bears!).
During colder months the bins will be under the balcony outside the kitchen.
Garbage collection day is Wednesday. Our property manager takes the bins to the curb on Wednesday mornings and puts them back in the evenings, so you don’t have to worry about it!
Dining room
The switch for the dining room light is under the silver frame in the den.
Den
wood-burning stove directions
You are welcome to use the wood-burning stove during your stay. Firewood is not included, but in the event that there is some located in the den, you are welcome to use it. Otherwise, you can purchase firewood and starters at Guido’s, Big Y, Market32, or Carr’s in Great Barrington.
It is the guest’s responsibility to comply with these directions and use the wood-burning stove responsibly:
It must be at least 20 degrees colder outside than the inside temperature of the house in order to safely light a fire in the wood-burning stove. If the indoor-outdoor temperature differential is too low, the house is likely to fill with smoke as a result of bad draft conditions. Why? In order for the chimney to function as it should, the cold air needs to draw the smoke up and out of the chimney, if it is too warm outside and cold inside of the house, the hot air and fire by-products (including smoke and carbon monoxide) will enter the room.
The stove is an EPA-certified Vermont Castings Aspen.
It features Continuous Combustion Control™ (C3) Technology and automatically optimizes heat output and efficiency throughout the life of the burn. It does not require manual air control of the vents.
Open the damper (located on the upper right-hand side of the stovepipe) before starting a fire. Close the damper when the stove is fully cooled after a fire. When the damper is horizontal it is open and when it is vertical is it closed.
Living Room
The switch for the backyard area lights is to the left of the sliding glass doors.
Check out the gift shop in the closet!
Heat and air conditioning
The house is heated by hot water baseboard heaters. They are located in every room of the house.
Kitchen Thermostat: Controls heat for the kitchen, dining room, and den.
Living Room Thermostat: Controls heat for the living room.
Green Room Thermostat: Controls heat for the Green Room.
Upstairs Library Nook Thermostat: Controls heat for the library nook, the purple bathroom, the private office, and the Yellow Room.
White Room Thermostat: Controls heat for the White Room, Pink Room, and white bathroom.
There are mini-split AC units in the Den, living room, Green Room, Yellow Room, and White Room. These also function as heat pumps for the colder months.
Washer/dryer
Located in the basement. The door to the basement is under the stairs in the dining room, please watch your step as it is a very old stone pile foundation basement!
Deliveries
If you have something delivered it will likely be left on the doorstep, but if it’s a small package it may have been left in the black mailbox directly across the street.