Your Home Winterproofing Checklist

We all know it’s the harshest season. Sleet, snow, slush, freezing, cracking, shifting; your home has to withstand a lot during our Canadian winters. Thankfully for homeowners, there are a few very simple and inexpensive steps you can take in October and November to ensure your home will weather the coming…erm, weather.

• Service your furnace You don’t want anything going awry with your furnace when temperatures begin to drop. If left unchecked while you’re out of town, it could mean burst pipes, water damage and an assortment of other headaches. But even on a day-to-day basis, if your furnace is running inefficiently it could be costing you money. A quick check to make sure everything is running as intended could help. A smart thermostat can also ensure your furnace isn’t working any harder than it has to and some come as cheap as $20.
• Seal the gaps Drafty rooms not only let the heat out of your home, it may also be a way for unwelcome critters to get in. Check for cracks in your home’s foundation and walls. You can fill them using either caulking or, for larger openings, a foam filler. Around windows and doors, paintable silicone caulking should do the trick.

Long-term, it may also make sense to do an energy audit on your home and re-insulate if necessary. That will not only fix any drafts, but will also cut down on heating costs and help with sound travelling through the house. It is an investment, though—up to $4,000 per home.

• Give the snow somewhere to go As snow accumulates on your roof, you want to make sure it has somewhere to go when it melts. Clogged gutters, downspouts and eavestroughs can create spots where water can freeze and expand, leading to leaks. So make sure you get them cleaned! Installing leaf guards on the eavestroughs is also always a good idea.
• Get your outdoors in order If you have a place for it, put your patio furniture away to stop it from degrading. If not, a tarp should suffice. Bring your plants inside (but be sure to check them for fungus and insects), and trim the hedges outside so it’s not touching your house. Wet leaves and branches brushing up against your walls can erode brick and damage siding.