What to Check Around Your Home After a Big Snowstorm

3 min read · Thames Valley Snow, London, Ontario

Vents and exhausts first

High-efficiency furnaces, water heaters and some fireplaces vent through side walls with pipes close to the ground. Drifting snow can block both the exhaust and the air intake. A blocked vent can shut down your heat or allow carbon monoxide to build up. After any big storm, clear snow away from these pipes gently by hand and make sure your carbon monoxide alarms are working. Check the dryer vent too.

Roof edges, eavestroughs and ice dams

Look along the roof edge for large icicles, overhanging snow or signs of ice dams, where meltwater refreezes at the eaves. Heavy icicles above doors and walkways can fall, so keep people clear of them. Do not climb onto a snowy roof yourself; if snow load or ice dams worry you, call a qualified roofer. Note where water is dripping onto steps or paths, because that is where refreeze ice will form.

Drains, downspouts and meltwater paths

• Make sure downspout outlets are not buried, so roof water can escape.
• Check that driveway and yard drains are not under a snowbank.
• Look at where snow was piled and picture where it will drain when it melts.
• If the street catch basin is buried and flooding later, contact the City.

Access and safety

• Clear a path to your gas meter so it is not buried and can be read safely.
• If there is a fire hydrant near your home, a clear hydrant helps firefighters in an emergency.
• Check that house numbers are visible from the street.
• Keep a clear route to any secondary exit, like a back or side door.
• Look over steps and railings for packed snow or new ice.

Driveway and the windrow

Once the City plow has been through, check the end of the driveway. A fresh windrow can block the opening even after the driveway was cleared. With our seasonal service, the City windrow is cleared, and return visits are made in long storms. Your timestamped photo shows what the driveway looked like at each visit, which helps when you are trying to work out whether the windrow arrived before or after the crew.

How our seasonal service handles it

Our seasonal plans run from December 1 to March 31. Clearing is automatic every time 5 cm or more falls, so you never need to call or book a visit. In long storms we come back for return visits, and the City windrow at the end of your driveway is cleared as part of the service. Before the season starts we mark your edges, steps and drains so they can be found under snow. After every visit you get a timestamped photo. We are fully insured with $2,000,000 in liability coverage and registered with WSIB. Seasonal salting is available for $175 plus HST and includes freezing rain and refreeze visits, and seniors and front-line workers save 5% on seasonal plans. Prices are fixed for the season: single or 1.5-car driveways are $650 to $725, doubles are $815, and three-car, paver or stamped driveways are $1,050, all plus HST. We measure your property from City of London maps and aerial imagery and send a fixed quote within one business day. A 30% deposit reserves your spot, with the balance due before December 1.

Want this handled for you this winter? Request a free quote and we will measure your property and send a fixed price within one business day, or call or text (548) 888-8702. You can also read more about residential snow removal and how it works.

What's included… and what's extra

A Thames Valley Snow seasonal residential plan starts from $650 for a standard driveway. It covers clearing the driveway every time snowfall reaches the trigger depth in your agreement, plus the windrow the city plow leaves at the end of the driveway. Larger driveways are priced on our snow removal prices page.

Popular add-ons, priced per season: walkway and steps $150–175, salting $175, priority service $125, pet-safe salt $120, driveway extension $95 and city sidewalk clearing $90. Add only what your property needs; everything is listed on the quote so there are no surprises. Get your fixed price or call or text (548) 888-8702.