How to Prepare Your Home for Winter in Ontario

Winter in Ontario is hard on a house. Sub-zero temperatures, heavy snow loads, ice storms and one freeze-thaw cycle after another put every part of your property to the test.

This checklist goes area by area through the winterizing jobs that matter most. Work through it in October and early November, while the weather still lets you get outside.

Exterior Tasks

• Shut off and drain every outside hose bib. A frozen outdoor faucet can burst the pipe inside the wall.
• Disconnect garden hoses and store them, because a hose left attached traps water at the bib
• Clear leaves and debris out of the eavestroughs and downspouts
• Extend downspouts so they let out at least 2 m from the foundation
• Repair foundation cracks before they fill with water and freeze
• Check the roof for damaged or missing shingles and fix them before snow loads add stress
• Make sure the ground around the foundation slopes away from the house

Windows and Doors

• Check the weatherstripping on all exterior doors and replace any that's flattened or torn
• Add or replace door sweeps to stop cold air coming in at the threshold
• Look over the window caulking and fill any gaps, particularly on north- and west-facing windows
• For older windows that lose a lot of heat, think about a plastic film insulation kit
• Make sure every storm window and door closes and latches properly

Heating System

• Book a furnace inspection and cleaning. September or October, before heating season, is ideal.
• Put in a new furnace filter before winter, then change it every 3 months while the heat is on
• Switch the thermostat to heat and test it before you actually need it
• Make sure nothing is blocking the baseboards or radiators
• If you have a fireplace, have the chimney swept before you light it

Plumbing

• Know where your main water shutoff is
• Insulate pipes in unheated spots like the garage, crawl space and exterior walls
• When a cold snap hits -20°C or colder and hangs on, let the faucets on exterior walls run at a trickle
• Leave cabinet doors open under sinks on exterior walls during extreme cold

Safety Systems

Heating equipment works hardest in winter, and that's also when the carbon monoxide risk peaks.

• Test smoke detectors and change the batteries
• Test carbon monoxide detectors, and replace any that are more than 7 years old
• Keep the fire extinguisher where you can get at it, and check that it hasn't expired
• Check that the dryer vent exhausts cleanly outside. Blocked dryer vents cause fires all year, but more often in winter when lint builds up.