How to winterize your home

Snow, blizzards, frost, ice, hail, wind and freezing temperatures are just some of the terms you might use to describe winters in Canada. While the weather can vary depending on where you live in the country, most Canadians can expect months of frigid temperatures and snow.

Whether you plan to follow the Canadian geese and migrate south for the winter or stay put and tough out the cold, there are several ways you can prepare your home for the cold weather.

Don't wait for temperatures to dip below zero before you start to get your home ready for winter. As soon as you feel a nip in the air, you can begin to winterize. Consider these tips to help you prepare.

• Clean and repair gutters/eavestroughs and downspouts
  During autumn, leaves, pine needless and twigs can clog your gutters (also called eavestroughs), preventing them from draining properly. Before the snow flies, inspect your gutters and downspouts to ensure they're free of debris and don't have cracks or breaks. Also, point your downspouts away from your home's foundation.
• Trim trees
  To help prevent your gutters from getting clogged, consider trimming any tree branches hanging over your roof. If you have tall trees in your yard or you're not comfortable trimming your own trees, consider hiring an arborist.  Before trimming, look into whether the tree is located on your property or on municipal property and any restrictions your municipality may have.
• Inspect the roof
  Regular roof inspections can help prevent leaks. Before snow covers your roof, check or have professionals check for loose or damaged shingles. If you find any issues, call a roofer to make the repairs.
• Winterize your doors and windows
  To keep winter drafts out of your home, check your doors and windows for leaks. If you find a leak, you can use caulking or weatherstripping to seal your doors and windows.
  For a cost-effective option, consider purchasing window film. Window film allows the sun to shine through your windows but prevents cold air from leaking in. If you find any cracked windows, consider replacing them, as they're no longer airtight and can contribute to heat loss.
• Prepare water pipes
  The last thing you want to deal with in the depths of a winter deep freeze is a burst pipe. If you have exposed pipes in an unheated area like a basement, attic, garage, or crawlspace, you can insulate them with pipe sleeves or wraps to prevent freezing.
• Turn off outdoor water
  If you use a garden hose in the summer months, make sure you drain it of water and disconnect it for the winter. You'll also want to turn off the water supply to any exterior taps, and drain all of the water out of them. Water left in outdoor faucets can freeze during the winter months and damage the pipes.
• Clean the chimney
  There's nothing better on a cold winter day than cuddling up by a cozy fire but, before you do, make sure your chimney is clean. Creosote (a by-product of burning wood) can build up in a wood-burning fireplace over time and increase your risk of a chimney fire. To ensure your fireplace is winter ready, consider hiring a professional chimney sweep.
• Test alarms
  Most home fires occur during the winter months.¹ This makes sense as more Canadians turn to their fireplaces and other heating sources to try and stay warm. Ensuring your smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors are functioning properly is another important step in preparing your home for winter.
• Test and prepare the furnace
  Before it gets too cold, test your furnace to ensure it's working properly or have an HVAC professional conduct an annual maintenance check. This is also a good time to replace the air filters. Replacing your filters regularly (at least every three months) can help to increase energy efficiency and improve your indoor air quality.
• Check heating vents
  Do a walk-through of your home to ensure all heating vents are open and aren't obstructed by furniture or carpets. Clearing your air vents allows warm air to circulate through your home more evenly and efficiently.
• Have ducts cleaned
  If you notice that some of your air vents aren't blowing much air, you might consider getting your ducts cleaned. Ducts help distribute air throughout your house. Having a professional clean your ducts can help remove dust and other particles from circulating through your home. Ensuring your ducts are clean can also improve the efficiency of heating your home.
• Seal ducts
  While you're dealing with your ducts, you can also check to see if they require resealing. According to Energy Star, in a typical house, 20% to 30% of the air that moves through the ducts is lost to leaks, holes and poorly connected ducts.² This can lead to higher energy bills and difficulty keeping a room at a warm, comfortable temperature.
• Install smart thermostats
  Installing smart thermostats can contribute to energy savings by allowing you to easily adjust the temperature in your home when you're away or sleeping.³ With some smart thermostats, you can control the heating and cooling in your home from your smartphone. Many smart thermostats also let you see your heating and cooling data so you adjust your behaviours to increase energy savings.
• Store outdoor furniture
  To preserve the life of outdoor patio furniture and plant pots, clean, cover and store them out of the winter elements in a shed or garage. If you have an outdoor grill and you don't plan to BBQ in the snow, give it a good cleaning and either cover it with a tarp or store it away for the winter.
• Prepare winter equipment
  Before the first winter storm hits, make sure you know where your shovels and salt are. If you're lucky enough to have a snowblower, test it early in case repairs are needed. Also, safely store fuel so you're ready to run your snowblower when the next snowstorm hits.
• Review home insurance coverage
  If you plan to travel to a warmer climate during the cold, dark winter months, there are extra steps to consider. One is to review your home insurance policy to see what's required of you while you're away. For instance, with many insurance policies, it's necessary to have someone check on your house daily while you're gone.
  If you're away and something goes wrong, like a pipe bursts and goes undetected for a long period, it will cause extensive water damage. If you don't have a friend or family member willing to house-sit or a neighbour who can check in regularly, you may need to ask about getting extended insurance coverage.

Is your home winter ready?

Preparing your home for the winter takes time, effort and a little bit of money. But it's a worthy investment, especially if it prevents a major issue from occurring. Plus, by taking on some easy and cheap fixes like winterizing your doors and windows, you can quickly regain your initial investment with the savings on your heating bill.

References:

1. Statistics Canada. Average number of unintentional residential fire.
2. Energy Star. Duct Sealing.
3. Energy Star. Smart Thermostats.