Your Quick Guide to Preparing Your Home for the Winter

Canada has harsh winters. Between the biting cold temperatures and the ever-present flurries of snow, making sure your home is ready for the winter weather is important.

Frozen water in your pipes and cool air sneaking into your home can make your house less energy efficient and cost you a lot of unnecessary cash. 

While you can’t avoid “acts of god” like blizzards that knock power lines out or temperatures that reach 40-below, there are a few fairly simple things you can do to prepare your home for Canada’s toughest season.

1. Replace furnace filters

How often your furnace filters need to be replaced depends on their thickness. If it’s of smaller width (one to two inches), it’ll need to be changed more often (between one and three months) — thicker ones (say five to six inches) can probably wait longer (around nine to 12 months).

Doing this only takes a few minutes, and you don’t necessarily need to hire a professional to get it done. But you do want to be careful when doing it yourself and make sure the power is off before you get started.

Changing the filter on a regular basis helps to ensure your HVAC system is working at maximum efficiency. Not to mention a dirty filter is a fire hazard.

2. Protect the air conditioner

While we’re talking about HVAC systems, you’ll want to take a look at your air conditioner as well. You probably won’t use it during the cold Canadian winters, but that doesn’t mean you want to forget about it either.

Your unit is probably built with outdoor elements in mind, but things like falling icicles and debris during the winter can damage it. You can protect the unit with a breathable cover. But you don’t have to get too fancy. Secured plywood, a small awning, or any kind of shelter can get the job done.

3. Clean the eavestrough

Your gutters and downspouts can get pretty dirty in the fall with leaves and debris finding their way in there. Even if you already did this job at the end of summer, you should probably do it once more before the snow starts to fall, otherwise all that gunk could freeze in the cold temperatures.

It’s good practice to scan the troughs to find and minimize anywhere that liquid can accumulate and freeze. Frozen liquid in your gutters can expand and ultimately create cracks which lead to leaks when the ice thaws.

While you’re up there, you’ll want to take a peek at your roof. If it needs to be reinforced or the shingles need to be secured, you want to do it before the snow starts to fall and melt. Otherwise you might be looking at leaks come spring.

4. Turn off outdoor hoses

Frozen hoses and sprinklers can mean leaks or a broken system come spring — if you have an underground system that could get really pricey. You can prevent this by draining them prior to the big Canadian freeze.

Honestly, frozen water simply wreaks havoc. You want to keep it out of anything it could damage, especially pipes. It’s relatively easy to do and can save you a ton of time and money in the future.

5. Get rid of drafts

A window, door, or even the trim of your house can help sneaky little drafts of chilled air in, rendering your house less energy efficient. You’ll want to check the weather strip, and fill any gaps using caulk or spray foam. This will ensure heat doesn’t escape and jack up your energy bill.

You can also make your home a tad more efficient by moving your furniture away from the vents. Not only does this protect it from heating, but it allows the air to circulate freely.

6. Clean the chimney

Chimney sweeping isn’t just for the cast of Oliver Twist. If you have a chimney it needs to be cleaned.

Winter is the season to cozy up in front of the fire in front of the tree and watch The Grinch. But before you light anything in that fireplace, you want to make sure it’s cleaned and inspected.

Chimneys should be inspected at least once per year, but if yours is used year round you’ll want to do it more often. Fireplaces are unsurprisingly a fire hazard, so it’s important to stay on top of chimney maintenance. Ultimately, this could save you cash in the long run.

While you’re at it, add a carbon monoxide alarm to your house. This silent killer can sneak around when you least expect it, so it’s better to be prepared.

7. Prepare the shovel

Winter in Canada is pretty much guaranteed to mean snow — unless you’re on the west coast, then it’s all rain, all the time. The first snowfall always seems to be the worst to shovel. You’re never quite ready and you need to dig out your shovel (and winter boots), so prepping for it is a good idea.

Pull your shovel out of storage, grab a bag of salt or sand, and make sure your boots are accessible. If you use a snowblower, make sure to turn it on a double-check that it works. It’s not fun to think about, but it’ll make the first snowfall a tad bit easier.

Throughout the winter, you’ll want to make sure that you regularly clear all of your entryways, sidewalks, and driveway. If you shovel and salt them regularly, the heavy snowfalls should be easier to clear. Snow that’s not removed tends to get packed in and could turn to ice. This can be dangerous for you, your visitors and city workers like the waste collection team or postal workers.

8. Be storm ready

Winter storms simply can’t be avoided here in Canada. It’s not always a light dust of snow, there are thick blizzards, icey sleet, and wild winds — so it helps to be prepared. In this case, preparation means building yourself a survival kit.

While you can put whatever you want to in your survival kit, these things should definitely be there:

• Flashlight
• Extra batteries
• Fully-charged power bank (you’ll want to charge this regularly)
• First aid supplies
• Blankets
• Candles (don’t forget the lighter or matches)
• Fire extinguisher
• Smoke detector
• Food (granola bars, power bars, or crackers — something that works in a pinch)
• Water
• Emergency heater

You want to have a version of this kit ready in your house. Store it somewhere safe but easy to access. It’s also not a bad idea to put one in your car as well — but don’t forget to throw some jumper cables in that one!

Getting ready for the cold

Preparing your home for winter shouldn’t be hard. Each season has its own prep checklist, but the cooling temperatures can make winter one of the least pleasant ones — so if you haven’t done it already, make it a priority for this week. 

If you’re looking for more seasonal home maintenance tips, download the free GarbageDay App and have them delivered right to you.