Ontario Winter Home Prep Checklist (Ice Dams, Pipes, Furnace)

An Ontario winter finds every weakness in a house — the un-serviced furnace, the un-insulated pipe, the gap where warm air leaks into the attic and feeds an ice dam. The good news is that almost all of it is preventable in an afternoon or two in the fall. Here is the checklist we would work through before the first hard freeze.

Heating & furnace

• Book a furnace tune-up in early fall, before the rush and before you need it.
• Replace the furnace filter, and keep spares to swap every one to three months through winter.
• Test every smoke and carbon-monoxide alarm and replace the batteries — CO risk rises when the furnace runs hard.
• Make sure vents and cold-air returns are clear of furniture and rugs.
• If you have a heat pump, clear the outdoor unit and confirm the winter/backup settings.

Pipes & plumbing

• Disconnect and drain garden hoses, and shut off and drain exterior taps to stop a frozen, burst outdoor line.
• Insulate pipes in unheated areas — the garage, crawlspace, and along cold exterior walls.
• Know where your main water shut-off is, so a burst pipe is a quick stop, not a flood.
• On the coldest nights, let a cold tap trickle and open cabinet doors under sinks on exterior walls to keep pipes above freezing.

Roof, attic & ice dams

Ice dams form when heat escaping into the attic melts snow on the roof, which then refreezes at the cold eaves and backs water up under the shingles. The fix is not more heat cables — it is stopping the heat and air leaking into the attic in the first place. The cross-section below shows why a well-sealed, well-insulated, well-ventilated attic keeps the whole roof cold and dam-free.

• Clean the gutters and downspouts so fall meltwater drains instead of pooling and freezing.
• Have the attic insulation and air sealing checked — the real cure for recurring ice dams.
• Look for roof issues now (curling shingles, worn flashing) while it is still safe and dry to fix them.
• After big storms, safely rake snow off the lower roof edge to reduce dam buildup.

Drafts, windows & doors

• Seal drafts around windows and doors with weatherstripping and caulk — the cheapest way to cut a heating bill.
• Reverse ceiling fans to spin clockwise on low, pushing warm air back down.
• Add or check attic and basement rim-joist insulation, two big heat-loss areas.
• Close or insulate crawlspace and basement window wells against drafts.

Outside & safety

• Trim branches that could break under ice and snow and hit the house or lines.
• Stock winter supplies — salt or sand, a good shovel, and a snowblower tune-up.
• Confirm walkways and steps drain and will not turn to ice, and check exterior lighting for the dark months.