Winter is a beautiful season – a time when we bundle up warm, enjoy hot drinks and gear up for the holidays. But it also brings with it some harsher weather conditions, like heavy winds, snow, and rain, that aren’t always kind to our homes.

Luckily, there are precautions we can take to protect against weather damage and its unexpected, expensive effect on our finances.

Good insurance: your home’s biggest protection

Winter weather can cause all kinds of damage, costing anywhere from a few hundred dollars to tens of thousands to fix – and there’s no greater peace of mind than knowing you won’t be the one to pay if problems occur.

But having insurance isn’t enough. It must be the right insurance. You need coverage for the risks that come with your area’s climate and, in the last few years, we’ve seen that climate begin to change. Flooding and sewer backups are becoming more frequent and aren’t typically covered under standard home insurance. You usually have to opt into them. This is extra important because, if a major disaster happens, BC’s Disaster Financial Assistance won’t cover “insurable damage” (i.e. damage you could reasonably have included under your insurance policy).

So, all that to say, even if you already have home insurance, it may still be worth chatting with one of our experts to check you have the right coverage before winter hits.

4 more tips to protect your home

While insurance is the number one way to ensure peace of mind, there are also little home fixes you can make now that will prevent much bigger repair costs down the line:

1. Protect your water pipes from freezing
   Even with our mild Vancouver Island winters, freezing pipes can still occur. Frozen water pipes are every homeowner’s worst (and often most costly) winter nightmare. That’s because frozen water expands, putting pressure on the pipes that can eventually make them burst. So protecting those pipes should top your winter home maintenance checklist. The best solution is wrapping them in insulation, but there are also several other things you can do to prevent freezing:
   • • Let faucets drip – When temperatures drop, set any taps on exterior walls to a slow drip. This will keep the water moving through your pipes. If you have hot and cold taps, don’t forget to open both lines.
     • Prep outdoor plumbing – Before it gets cold, make sure you shut off water to any outdoor faucets or hose bibs, drain the pipes and insulate them with a freeze-resistant cover.
     • Keep the heat on – Even if you’re going away, be sure to leave your heating on to at least 18°C. This will keep pipes warm enough to avoid freezing if there’s a cold snap while you travel.
   Most importantly though, make sure you know where your water shut-off valve is and that it’s in good working condition. If a pipe does burst, the quicker you shut off the water the greater your chance of avoiding major damage.

2. Inspect your gutters and downspouts
   Your gutters work hard during the winter, carrying rain and melting snow away from your home to prevent leaks. That’s why it’s important to check them in the fall and ensure they aren’t cracked or clogged by debris. Handy tip – installing gutter guards makes clearing out those drains a lot easier.
    
   It’s also a good idea to inspect your downspouts. They should funnel water several feet away from your house to a well-drained area in order to protect your home’s foundation.

3. Trim back tree branches
   Have a tree near your home? If it overhangs your roof, it may be a good idea to cut it back before the winter. Its falling leaves can re-clog those gutters you worked so hard to clear. Heavy winds and snow can also snap any weak or dead branches, potentially damaging your home, car or even injuring someone walking beneath.  

4. Check your attic ventilation
   When we’re prepping for winter, many of us think of insulation. But having good ventilation is also crucial in some places, notably your attic. This is because of ice dams. These form when your roof is warmer than the air temperature. Snow and ice melts, only to refreeze as it runs down to the roof’s edge. The icicles it creates may look pretty but they can weaken your roof’s structure, block gutters, and cause water to leak into your home.
   
   To prevent this, it’s important to check that there’s nothing blocking your attic vents, because the free flow of air will stop your roof from warming. If it’s possible, deliberately removing snow from your roof can also be helpful. Many hardware stores carry roof rakes for this purpose.
   
   Good insurance and little home fixes can make all the difference to protecting your home and your wallet from winter weather damage. Hopefully our tips will help you with it, and our home insurance experts have plenty more to share. So, don’t hesitate to get in touch if you have questions or any concerns about your insurance coverage.