Unheated house

To the real estate editor: In response to leaving the heat off over the winter, I did this last winter and found no noticeable damage upon return. My home has hot-water heat which I protected by adding 50 percent antifreeze to the water.

I might add that this house is about 100 years old. My grandmother lived here for years and used to shut it up in the fall and live with her granddaughter for the winter.

The dining and living rooms have some cracks in the ceiling plaster but I do not believe it is due to the absence of heat in winter. I did forget to drain the toilet tank last winter and it had to be replaced upon my return from Florida.

A checklist is a "must" if you shut down the house so nothing is forgotten. Glenn Bemis Lorain, Ohio