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CartHere's How to Prepare Your Home for Extreme Cold
Canada has one of the world’s most extreme winter climates.
Winter weather can include periods of extreme cold, when temperatures dip well below regional norms. Preparing your home can help you stay comfortable, save on energy costs, and prevent ice and water-related property damage. Here’s how to get prepared.
How to Prevent Damage from Extreme Cold
A solid damage prevention strategy to protect your home from extreme cold includes long-term planning and emergency preparation.
Long-term Planning
Preparing your home for extreme winter cold includes home improvements to cut heat loss, drafts and ice buildup. Some of these updates and upgrades are simple DIY tasks, while others may require professional assistance.
TIP: You don’t have to tackle your winter damage prevention action list all at once. Prioritize upgrades based on need and budget.
Home Protection Products
Gear up with essential equipment and supplies to help prepare your home for extreme winter weather and to help you react swiftly to emergency situations.
TIP: Preparing your home for extreme cold will also help it stand up to other types of severe winter weather, such as ice storms (which typically occur during warmer temperatures).
Emergency Preparedness
What to Do if There’s an Extreme Cold Weather Alert or Warning
Extreme cold is defined as a period of two hours or more of very low temperatures, often made even worse by wind chill. Local authorities use different temperature criteria based on regional norms, but preparation is similar. Here’s how to get ready.
Emergency Heaters
Here’s How to Choose Backup Heat Sources
TIP: You don’t have to heat your entire home. Prioritize heating one room where all household members and pets can gather to stay warm.
How to Prevent Damage from Extreme Cold
A solid damage prevention strategy to protect your home from extreme cold includes long-term planning and emergency preparation.
Long-term Planning
Preparing your home for extreme winter cold includes home improvements to cut heat loss, drafts and ice buildup. Some of these updates and upgrades are simple DIY tasks, while others may require professional assistance.
TIP: You don’t have to tackle your winter damage prevention action list all at once. Prioritize upgrades based on need and budget.
Home Protection Products
Gear up with essential equipment and supplies to help prepare your home for extreme winter weather and to help you react swiftly to emergency situations.
TIP: Preparing your home for extreme cold will also help it stand up to other types of severe winter weather, such as ice storms (which typically occur during warmer temperatures).
Emergency Preparedness
What to Do if There’s an Extreme Cold Weather Alert or Warning
Extreme cold is defined as a period of two hours or more of very low temperatures, often made even worse by wind chill. Local authorities use different temperature criteria based on regional norms, but preparation is similar. Here’s how to get ready.
Emergency Heaters
Here’s How to Choose Backup Heat Sources
TIP: You don’t have to heat your entire home. Prioritize heating one room where all household members and pets can gather to stay warm.
Cold Damage Cleanup
The good news about extreme cold is that it’s temporary. Once the chill subsides, you should inspect your home for damage caused by freezing or ice. Here’s what to look for and how to deal with interior and exterior damage after a cold snap.
Inspect Your Home after Extreme Cold
Here’s What to Look for After an Extreme Cold Snap
Sometimes, despite your best weatherproofing efforts, extreme cold can damage your home. Freezing or burst pipes cause immediate damage and inconvenience, while other issues — like a leaky roof or mould — will threaten the long-term safety of your home.
TIP: If pipes have burst in your home, causing water damage, contact your home insurance agent for advice. Document the damage by taking photos or video.
Safe Cleanup & Repairs
Here’s How to Clean Up after Extreme Cold Damage
In most cases, it’s best to wait until a cold snap is over before tackling damage mitigation. Here’s a checklist of cleaning to-dos once the chill is gone and it’s safe to work outdoors or in your home’s crawlspaces.
TIP: Monitoring your water meter is a good way to stay on top of your household water usage so you can identify unusually heavy use, which may be indicative of a leak.
Home Cleanup Products
Keep your home clean, warm and comfortable as you clean up damage from extreme cold weather. These essential cleaning supplies, tools and equipment can help.
TIP: Keep your walkways and drive clear of snow and ice for your family and neighbours’ safety, as well as that of visiting service providers and repair workers.
Here’s How to Thaw Frozen Water Pipes
Frozen pipes are at risk of bursting, resulting in a big mess and repair costs. But by acting fast, you may be able to thaw your pipes without any damage. Here’s what to do.
TIP: Don’t forget to reapply foam pipe insulation after you’ve thawed your pipes. Repeated freezing increases the risk of a pipe bursting.
Essential Products
Here's How
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