How to Winterize Your Home in the Tri-Cities: Hose Bibs, Gutters, Salt and Storm Prep

Sidewalk snow rules in the Tri-Cities and Maple Ridge

This is the one part of winter prep that comes with a bylaw. In each of these cities, clearing the public sidewalk next to your property is the owner's or occupant's job, not the city's. Here's what each city says:

If you're a senior or have a disability and can't clear your own walk, you can apply to Coquitlam's Snow Angels program, which tries to pair eligible residents with volunteers. A volunteer isn't guaranteed, so line up a backup too. And if you have a neighbour who's away or unwell, clearing their stretch of sidewalk is one of the nicest things you can do on a snow day.

Our winters are mild compared with most of Canada, and that's exactly why they catch people out. We get long stretches of rain, then a cold snap, then a few days of snow that the whole region isn't quite ready for. The higher neighbourhoods, like Burke Mountain, Westwood Plateau and Heritage Mountain, can have snow and ice on the driveway when it's only raining down by the river. The winter problems that cost homeowners the most usually involve water: a frozen outside tap that splits, an overflowing gutter, a blocked drain. Almost all of it can be prevented in a weekend.

01Hose bibs and outdoor taps

Outdoor taps (hose bibs) are usually the first thing on a house to freeze, and a split pipe inside the wall can leak for days before anyone notices. Do this before the first frost:

• Disconnect every garden hose. A hose left attached traps water in the tap, and that water can freeze and crack the pipe, even on a "frost-free" tap.
• Find the shut-off valve inside the house for each outdoor tap (often in the basement, crawl space, garage or a utility room), and turn it off.
• Open the outside tap to drain it, and leave it open so any leftover water has somewhere to go.
• Add an insulated tap cover. They cost a few dollars at any hardware store and help on exposed walls.
• Have the irrigation system blown out if you have one. Sprinkler lines and backflow valves hold water and crack in a hard freeze.
• Know where your main water shut-off is, and make sure everyone in the house can find it. If a pipe bursts, every minute counts.

One more thing from Port Coquitlam's winter advice that applies everywhere: the shut-off at the property line (the "curb stop") belongs to the city. If you need the water turned off at the street, call the city rather than doing it yourself. In Port Coquitlam, if a resident or plumber damages the curb stop, they can be charged for the repair.

02Gutters, downspouts and the catch basin

We have a lot of mature trees in the Tri-Cities, and by mid-November most of their leaves are in somebody's gutter. When gutters overflow, the water lands right beside the foundation, which is the last place you want it.

• Clean the gutters after the leaves are down, not before. If you can't do it safely from a ladder, hire it out. A fall costs more than a gutter cleaning.
• Check the downspouts with a bucket of water, or watch them in the next heavy rain, and make sure they carry water well away from the house.
• Check the downspout connections at the ground. On many homes they run into an underground drain. If water is pooling there in a heavy rain, the drain may be blocked.
• Clear the catch basin (storm drain) in front of your home during heavy rain and wind. Coquitlam and Port Coquitlam both ask residents to do this, and Coquitlam lets you adopt a catch basin on its map.
• Look at the yard after a big rain. Water that pools against the house or the window wells is telling you something.

03Roof, moss and attic

Our wet climate grows moss on almost every roof that's shaded by trees. Moss holds water against the shingles and lifts their edges, and that shortens the life of the roof.

• Look at the roof from the ground, with binoculars if you have them. Watch for missing or lifted shingles, heavy moss and damaged flashing around chimneys and vents.
• Don't pressure-wash the roof. It can strip the granules off asphalt shingles. A roofer can advise you on safe moss treatment.
• Check the attic on a cold morning, if you can get into it safely. The Insurance Bureau of Canada suggests looking for frost build-up, which can point to a ventilation or insulation problem.
• Watch the trees. Big branches over the roof or driveway are a risk in a windstorm. Never trim anything near a power line yourself. That's a job for a professional.

04Furnace, fireplace and heat pump

Technical Safety BC recommends having every home heating appliance serviced once a year, whatever fuel it uses, to prevent fires and carbon monoxide poisoning. Book it in the fall, before the first cold snap, when contractors are less busy.

• Have the furnace or boiler serviced by a licensed contractor, and check the filter monthly through the heating season. Change it as the manufacturer recommends.
• Have gas fireplaces checked, and wood-burning chimneys swept, before you use them.
• Heat pump owners: keep leaves, snow and ice clear of the outdoor unit so air can flow, and follow your installer's maintenance schedule.
• Test your smoke alarms and carbon monoxide (CO) alarms. The Province advises testing CO alarms at least once a month and having at least one on each level of your home and near the bedrooms.
• If a CO alarm goes off, get everyone outside. Call 911 from outside if anyone has symptoms. If no one does, call the fire department or a licensed gas contractor from outside. Never ignore an alarm. If you ever smell gas, leave first and call from outside.

05Pipes inside the house

Pipes freeze where the heat doesn't reach: garages, crawl spaces, attics and outside walls. Port Coquitlam's advice for a cold snap is a good list for any home:

• Insulate exposed pipes in the garage, crawl space and along outside walls. Foam pipe insulation is cheap and easy to put on.
• Keep the garage door closed if water lines run through the garage.
• Open the cabinet doors under kitchen, bathroom and laundry sinks on very cold nights so warm air reaches the pipes.
• In a deep freeze, let a pencil-thin stream of water run from a tap until temperatures return to normal, and keep the drain clear.
• If a pipe does freeze, open the tap first, then warm the pipe slowly with a hair dryer, heating pad or warm towels. Never use an open flame.

Not sure where your pipes run or how old your plumbing is? If you're buying, this is one of the questions worth asking your inspector. My guide to the home inspections you actually need in B.C. covers what a general inspection does and doesn't look at.

06Stock up now: salt, grit and shovels

Every year it's the same story. The forecast calls for snow, and by the next morning the hardware stores are out of salt and shovels. Buy what you need in November, store it by the door, and you're ready when it comes.

Go easy on the salt. Coquitlam recommends about 20 grams per square metre, roughly one handful, put down before the snow or frost arrives. The City notes that extra salt washes into the storm drains and harms aquatic life in our creeks. Salt is also hard on concrete, plants and pets' paws. It works best before the snow, not on top of a foot of it. Shovel first, then salt.

Where to put the snow. Pile it on your own property, not in the street, where the plow will push it straight back into your driveway. Coquitlam asks residents to put it toward the back of the driveway or on the right side as you face the road. Port Coquitlam says the same thing from the other direction: the left side as you face your home. Keep fire hydrants clear too. In Port Moody, that's required.

Park off the street when snow is forecast so the plows can get through. Coquitlam asks this of every household, including secondary suites.

07Storms and power outages

Fall and winter windstorms can knock the power out for hours, sometimes longer. BC Hydro recommends a 72-hour emergency kit for every household. Here's what goes in it:

• Water: at least 2 litres per person, per day, for three days.
• Flashlights and extra batteries, and a battery-powered or hand-crank radio.
• A charged power bank for your phone, and a first-aid kit with any prescriptions you need.
• Some cash in small bills, spare house and car keys, and copies of important documents.
• Warm clothes and blankets, and supplies for your pets.

When the power goes out, BC Hydro says to check its outage map first, then report it online or by phone at 1-800-224-9376 (or *49376 from a cell phone). Turn off appliances and electronics so they aren't damaged when the power comes back. Keep the fridge and freezer closed. A full fridge keeps food cold for about 4 hours, and a full freezer keeps food frozen for up to 48 hours (about 24 hours if it's half full).

08Away for the holidays?

A lot of families travel over the holidays, which is exactly when a cold snap tends to hit. Before you go:

• Leave the heat on. Turning it right down to save money is a false saving if a pipe freezes.
• Ask someone you trust to check the house regularly, inside and out.
• Consider turning the water off at the main for a longer trip, and know how to turn it back on.
• Read your home insurance policy before you leave. The Insurance Bureau of Canada notes that most policies list how often a home must be checked while you're away, and that most exclude frozen-pipe and water damage when a home is vacant.

09Condo and townhouse owners

If you own in a strata, some of this list belongs to the strata corporation and some of it belongs to you. Gutters, roofs and common sidewalks are usually the strata's job. What happens inside your unit is usually yours. Your bylaws and your strata's insurance set out exactly where the line sits.

• Keep the heat on in your unit, even when you're away, so pipes in shared walls don't freeze.
• Clear the drain on your balcony or patio so melting snow has somewhere to go.
• Unhook the hose on a townhouse patio tap, and ask your property manager whether the outside taps are shut off for the season.
• Report leaks to the property manager right away. In a strata, a small leak can become a claim on several units, and the strata deductible can be large.

Buying a condo or townhouse this winter? Leaks, water claims and the size of the insurance deductible are all things I look for when I review strata documents for my buyers.

10Selling this winter or in the spring?

A well-kept home shows it. When a buyer's inspector walks the property, gutters, roof, drainage, the furnace and the plumbing are on the list. A clean gutter and a furnace service sticker don't sell a house on their own, but a home that has clearly been looked after gives buyers confidence, and confidence is what keeps an offer strong through the subject period.

• Keep your receipts and dates for the roof, furnace, hot water tank, gutters and any repairs. Buyers ask, and having the answers ready helps.
• Fix the small things now. A dripping tap or a loose downspout is cheaper to fix before listing than to negotiate over later.
• Think about the photos early. I time listing photography for the best light and season, sometimes months ahead. I'll shoot a home in November for a March listing, and every view home gets a twilight photo.

If you're planning a spring sale, the winter months are the best time to get ready. My post on how I list a home walks through the whole process, and this guide to pre-listing inspections explains when it's worth getting your own inspection first.

The printable winter checklist

Screenshot this or print it, and work through it over a weekend in November.

Frequently asked questions