Winter Prep for Ottawa Homes — Drafts, Seals & Sticking Doors
There is a narrow window every year, roughly Labour Day to the first hard frost, when everything that keeps winter out can still be fixed easily. Caulk needs surfaces above about 5°C to cure properly. Door frames are sitting at their summer position, so adjustments made now hold through the cold. Wait until December and the same jobs are harder, colder and in some cases impossible until spring.
$200 minimum visit — most homes need 3–6 items done at once
Common problems we fix
What actually turns up on these calls in Ottawa homes, and what each one really means.
You can feel a draft at the front door
Weatherstripping compresses and stops springing back, usually after five to eight winters. The threshold sweep wears through at the same time. Both are replaceable parts. Test it by closing the door on a strip of paper — if it slides out with no resistance, the seal is not sealing.
A door that closed fine in July drags in February
Framing moves through freeze-thaw and the house settles. The fix is almost always a hinge or strike-plate adjustment, and it takes minutes. Doing it in September means adjusting a door that is sitting at its widest, which is the position that matters.
There are gaps in the exterior caulking
Around window trim, door casings, where siding meets brick, and at any penetration for a dryer vent or hose bib. Old caulk goes hard, shrinks and splits. Water gets behind it, freezes, and makes the gap bigger every year. This is the single highest-value hour of the whole visit.
The casement window crank is getting stiff
Operator gearboxes seize in the cold, and a window that will not pull in tight against its weatherstrip is a draft you can feel across the room. Replace the operator before winter, not during — the part is make-specific and often needs ordering.
Cold air comes up through the garage entry door
The most overlooked door in the house. It separates a heated space from an unheated one and usually has the worst seal, because nobody looks at it.
You want the thermostat sorted before the furnace runs
Swapping to a programmable or smart thermostat is low-voltage work, takes about twenty minutes, and is worth doing while we are already there. If the wiring will not support it, we will tell you rather than force it.
How the work is done
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1
Walk the house
Every exterior door and window checked for seal, swing and hardware — including the garage entry and basement doors.
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2
Doors first
Hinges and strikes adjusted while the frame is at its summer position, so the fix holds through the cold.
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3
Seal and caulk
Weatherstripping and sweeps replaced, exterior gaps raked out and re-caulked with the right product for the temperature.
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4
Hardware and thermostat
Window operators and locks freed or replaced. Thermostat swapped if wanted, tested through a heat cycle.
What it costs
This is a bundled visit rather than a single job, which is where the $200 minimum works in your favour — six small fixes across a house cost far less together than six separate callouts. Most winter prep visits land between $300 and $600 depending on how many doors and windows are involved. Weatherstripping and sweeps are $115–$265 per exterior door with parts. Exterior caulking is quoted by the run. Casement window operators are $170–$310 each.
See the full Ottawa rate card →Frequently asked — Winter Prep Ottawa | Drafts & Seals
When is the latest I can book winter prep in Ottawa?
Caulking is the limiting factor — most exterior sealants need surfaces above roughly 5°C to cure properly, which in Ottawa usually means finishing by late October. Door adjustments and weatherstripping can be done any time, but they are cheaper and easier to schedule before everyone else remembers.
Is it worth doing this every year?
No. Weatherstripping lasts five to eight years and good exterior caulking lasts longer. This is a job you do once, then check every few years. Anyone selling you an annual seal-up is selling you something you do not need.
Will this actually lower my heating bill?
Sealing genuine drafts helps, but honestly the bigger win is comfort — a room that stops being cold to sit in. If your bills are the main concern, attic insulation typically returns more than door seals do, and that is a different trade we would refer you to.
Can you do the whole house in one visit?
Usually yes. A typical house has three to four exterior doors, a handful of windows worth checking, and an hour of caulking. That is a single visit, and it is the cheapest way to buy it.
Related jobs
Door Repair Ottawa
$115–$220 per door, most adjusted in under an hour
Casement Window Repair Ottawa
$170–$310 per window including standard operator hardware
Caulking Ottawa | Tub, Shower & Exterior
$145–$250 per tub or shower surround
Part of Doors, Locks & Hardware · Serving Kanata, Stittsville, Nepean, Barrhaven, Orléans, Gloucester and all of Ottawa.
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