Winter comes around and there are so many things to handle. The harsh Canadian winters pull no punches and it's the homeowner's duty to protect their home, and their investment, from damage.

Garden

If you have a yard to show off, it’s important to be mindful of what your plants and trees might need during the winter. Chances are that you have some plants that are perennial or a few trees that might be older than you are. The biggest danger to these lovelies is dessication: dehydration caused by the roots being unable to access the moisture from the frozen earth. 

In harsher winters (like ours), spray-on anti-dessicants like Moisturin(made with chemical polymers) or Wilt Pruf(made from pine oil) can be picked up from your standard home supply store in the garden section. It is best to apply anti-dessicant spray twice: late November/early December, as well as in February. Dry foliage is necessary for application and the spray needs time to dry before it becomes effective. This ensures that your greenery is feeling grand all year round.

Bonus tip: if you're one to keep houseplants, note that the recommended minimum for most tropical plants kept indoors is about 12°C. 

Insulation

Everyone knows the horror of heat loss. Don’t slack on those windowsill cracks. Keeping mindful of your window insulation care ensures their longevity. It’s a hell of a lot cheaper to touch them up when you see signs of trouble than replacing all the windows come spring.

If you have a crawlspace, make sure any gaps in the foundation walls are filled with caulking or expanding foam. Check the attic and weather strip the exterior windows and doors to the basement too.

Protecting Your Pipes

Water pipes need protection from temperature same as anything. -6°C or below is enough to cause damage. Think about the winter temperatures we’ve had in the last few years. That’s a lot of pipe horror stories, isn’t it?

Apply snap-on foam insulation to exposed pipes and miter foam around any elbow joints. You can also wrap pipes with heat tape (UL approved heat tape has protections against overheating as well). Be sure to follow the safety instructions!

If you have a sprinkler system, blow compressed air through the irrigation lines after you’ve turned it off for the season to ensure the lines are properly drained. Also disconnect and drain all garden hoses.

Dripping faucets is usually a bad thing, but during problem seasons, allowing faucets to drip (both hot and cold lines!) periodically can ensure that the water is still moving and less likely to freeze. It also relieves any built up water pressure.

Opening pipe cabinet doors to allow better heat circulation to the pipes is also a simple way you can be mindful of pipe care (particularly for older houses).

Hopefully these tips will have you sleeping a little easier (and warmer!) in the upcoming months. Take care, and take care of your home!