We do live in the North, and that means Vancouver homeowners need to take a few steps to ensure their dwellings are secure for winter. Weatherproofing isn’t just for areas laden with snow, the cold weather alone and incessant rain that hails with the winter months can wreak havoc on your home. Whether you’re gearing up to sell your house, or just purchased a property in Vancouver, here are a few things that will help a clean home inspection and keep you cozy all winter long.

Protect Your Patio & Potted Plants

Start by storing patio cushioning, and either cover furniture well to prevent rust and weathering, or move it inside -- along with your potted plants. Keep your greens as close to warmer outside temperatures as possible at first to prevent them from going into shock.

Waterways

It’s good to blow out your outdoor pipes and turn off the water for winter months to prevent ice from forming and potential bursting. Insulating your pipes and hot water tank as an added layer of protection can also save you on energy bills. Drain hoses and store them indoors as well to keep them in pristine condition. Remove all debris from gutters to prevent water build-up and keep melting snow on the move. When it does snow, watch out for ice dams on the roof that can cause water back-ups, which can then leak behind siding and cause serious damage to your walls.

Don’t Crack Under Pressure

Either hire a professional or do a walk-through of your property to ensure all windows, doors, and roof openings such as skylights have weather stripping that’s intact. Break out the caulking or invest in new stripping and insulation so no crack in the foundation or walls is left untended; this can lead to heat loss and high energy bills. Windows especially can be a huge source of heat loss. Simple window coverings can do the trick, or consider a low-emissivity coating to reflect UV rays and save energy.

Fireplace & Furnace Maintenance

If you’ve got a traditional wood-burning fireplace, check to ensure your wood rack isn’t warped, which can prevent oxygen from getting underneath. Have a professional check your fireplace every year, whether it’s old school or gas. Clean chimneys help prevent smoke from circulating inside your home instead of out, and it’s always a safe bet to keep gas in check.

Pinterest Your Way to Cozy

Keep the inevitable slush, dirt and debris at bay with a boot tray at the entrance filled with polished river rock for pretty yet effective drainage. And don’t underestimate the power of a few rugs over hardwood and additional throws on the couch for both added heat, and pops of colour on dreary winter days.

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Living in Vancouver means living with the rain. To coexist happily with this potentially damaging element, weatherproofing is a homeowner’s best friend. It not only keeps your home toasty warm from the wet and cold, but will also help keep your heating bills in check. The most crucial areas are windows, doors, basements and decks.

Weatherproofing your windows and doors will prevent the elements from infiltrating your home and heat from leaking out. Check around windows for caulking that has gone stiff or crumbly. Removing it is fairly simple with a screwdriver; take care to remove all of it before laying down a new bead of caulking in its place. Weatherstripping is common around doors to protect against drafts. Replacing peeling, cracked, or missing weatherstripping with new flexible vinyl weatherstripping is an important but quick fix.

More involved steps to fully weather-proofing your home include ensuring your pipes are cold-weather friendly to prevent bursting in extreme temperature changes, decks are weather-proofed against mould and mildew, and basements are properly insulated and crack-free. Easy for the ambitious DIYer, or research the best Pro in your area to help out with these last three.

If you have any weather-proofing tips for fellow Vancouverites or can recommend a good Pro, don’t hesitate to share below!