Getting Your Home Ready for Winter — A Gutter Checklist

Ontario winters are hard on gutters. Freeze-thaw cycles, heavy snow loads, ice dams, and freezing rain all put stress on a system that most homeowners don’t think about until something fails. A short checklist in late fall — before the ground freezes — prevents most of the problems.

Work through this list in October or November, after the majority of leaves have fallen but before consistent below-zero temperatures arrive.

Step 1: Clean the Gutters

This is the most important step and should happen last in the fall — after the trees in your area have finished dropping their leaves. Cleaning too early means another load before winter.

• Remove all leaves, seeds, and debris from every gutter run.
• Pay particular attention to corners and low points where debris compacts most densely.
• Dispose of debris in compost or yard waste — don’t push it toward the downspout.

Step 2: Flush the Downspouts

A gutter can be clean and still fail if the downspout is blocked. Flush each one with a garden hose from the top and confirm free flow.

• Water should flow immediately and drain completely within seconds of turning off the hose.
• If it backs up, the blockage is usually at the first elbow — a plumber’s snake or pressure flush will clear it.
• Heading into winter with a blocked downspout means your gutter will fill with ice and overflow.

Step 3: Inspect Seals and Joints

Walk the perimeter and look at every corner joint and seam connection. This is the time to catch small sealant failures before freeze-thaw cycles turn them into larger ones.

• Look for visible gaps, cracked sealant, or staining below joints that suggests previous leaking.
• Minor seal repairs done now cost far less than the fascia damage a leaking joint causes over a winter.
• If you see rust at any joints on an older steel system, note it — this is the season it will worsen most.

Step 4: Check for Sags and Loose Sections

Gutters need a slight slope toward the downspout. Sections that have settled or pulled away from the fascia will pool water and ice instead of draining.

• Look along each gutter run from the end — visible sags are easy to spot at an angle.
• Check that hangers are secure and the gutter sits tight against the fascia.
• A sagging section filled with ice over winter will sag further and may detach — fixing it now is a small job.

Step 5: Check Downspout Extensions and Drainage

Before the ground freezes, confirm that water discharging from your downspouts has somewhere to go other than straight down beside the foundation.

• Extensions should be in place and directing water at least 4 feet from the foundation.
• Ensure the discharge area slopes away from the house and isn’t blocked by leaves or garden debris.
• Underground drainage connections should be flushed and confirmed clear.

Step 6: Look at the Roofline

While you’re outside, take a few minutes to look at the roofline itself — not just the gutters.

• Look for lifted, cracked, or missing shingles along the lower courses — these are the first to be affected by ice dams.
• Check that flashing around chimneys, vents, and dormers is tight — winter is when loose flashing leaks.
• Note any areas where the roofline geometry might concentrate ice and water — valleys, dormers, and low-pitch sections are higher risk.

Step 7: Check Heat Cables If Installed

If your home has heat cables, test them before you need them — not during the first major freeze.

• Plug in and confirm the system activates and runs.
• Walk the roofline and gutter runs and look for sections where cable has shifted, been dislodged, or shows visible damage.
• Ensure downspout cables run fully to the bottom of the downspout — a cable that stops halfway still results in a frozen downspout.

Working through this checklist takes most homeowners less than two hours. The repairs it prevents — fascia replacement, foundation waterproofing, roof repairs, and interior water damage — can take weeks and cost tens of thousands of dollars.

If you’d rather have a professional handle the cleaning, inspection, and any repairs in a single visit, that’s exactly what we do. One call before winter covers it all.