15 Smart Design Choices for Cold Climates
Keep your home safe and comfortable in winter by choosing the right home features and systems
Laura Gaskill
December 26, 2013
Houzz Contributor. I cover decorating ideas, Houzz tours & the monthly home maintenance checklist. My favorite pieces to write center around the emotional aspects of home and savoring life's simple pleasures. Get The Simple List, my short & sweet weekly email: https://www.lauragaskill.com/thesimplelist/
Houzz Contributor. I cover decorating ideas, Houzz tours & the monthly home maintenance... More
Ice dams, burst pipes, drafty rooms, dangerously slick stairways — if you live in a chilly climate, you’ve probably had to deal with at least one of these problems at some point. Thankfully, there are some design moves that can help you avoid (or at least mitigate) common winter woes. Here are 15 key design and construction moves that are tailor made for winter climates.
The Roof
1. A simple gable is best. Complicated roof designs invite problems — pine needles, snow and ice can accumulate in nooks and crannies, causing major damage. A simple gable roof is strong and sturdy, and sheds snow easily.
2. Avoid openings in the roof. Know that each hole you cut into your roof, whether for a skylight, chimney or gable, creates a potential spot for leaks and ice accumulation. That’s not to say you should never add these features to your home; just do so with caution and full knowledge.
Hire a roofing professional if you’re considering adding any openings
1. A simple gable is best. Complicated roof designs invite problems — pine needles, snow and ice can accumulate in nooks and crannies, causing major damage. A simple gable roof is strong and sturdy, and sheds snow easily.
2. Avoid openings in the roof. Know that each hole you cut into your roof, whether for a skylight, chimney or gable, creates a potential spot for leaks and ice accumulation. That’s not to say you should never add these features to your home; just do so with caution and full knowledge.
Hire a roofing professional if you’re considering adding any openings
3. Place chimneys near the roof ridge. The highest point on your roof is also the safest place for things like a chimney or vent pipe to go. Since water and snow run down the roof and collect along the eaves, the top is the least-likely spot for snow and ice to build up and cause a leak.
4. Choose a metal roof. It’s the most durable option, sheds snow with ease and rarely springs a leak. Asphalt shingles also stand up well in harsh winters and are less costly to repair than wood or slate shingles.
5. Provide a place where your roof can shed snow safely. Metal roofs can shed snow so quickly, it can cause another problem — giant snow piles surrounding the house! Be sure to include ample space beneath the roofline for this purpose, and provide a safe walking path not directly below the eaves.
4. Choose a metal roof. It’s the most durable option, sheds snow with ease and rarely springs a leak. Asphalt shingles also stand up well in harsh winters and are less costly to repair than wood or slate shingles.
5. Provide a place where your roof can shed snow safely. Metal roofs can shed snow so quickly, it can cause another problem — giant snow piles surrounding the house! Be sure to include ample space beneath the roofline for this purpose, and provide a safe walking path not directly below the eaves.
The Exterior
6. Install a snow-melting system beneath frequently used paths. This technology can greatly reduce the time and money you spend shoveling and plowing your paths and driveway, and make them safer to boot. It’s not cheap, but it may be worth it if you spend a great deal of money and effort on snow removal each winter.
7. Choose easy-to-shovel paths. Gravel paths may look beautiful, but they are nearly impossible to shovel. Which is fine if you use them only in the backyard or other areas you do not need to access in winter — but for your main paths, choosing a hard material makes more sense. Also remember to make paths wide enough to shovel.
Local landscape designers will know which materials are right for your area
6. Install a snow-melting system beneath frequently used paths. This technology can greatly reduce the time and money you spend shoveling and plowing your paths and driveway, and make them safer to boot. It’s not cheap, but it may be worth it if you spend a great deal of money and effort on snow removal each winter.
7. Choose easy-to-shovel paths. Gravel paths may look beautiful, but they are nearly impossible to shovel. Which is fine if you use them only in the backyard or other areas you do not need to access in winter — but for your main paths, choosing a hard material makes more sense. Also remember to make paths wide enough to shovel.
Local landscape designers will know which materials are right for your area
8. Position railings at every stairway. Even short stairways can become treacherous when they’re covered in ice and snow. Be sure every exterior stairway has a sturdy railing to hold on to — don’t forget the side and back entrances to your house, too.
9. Provide cover over entrances. A sheltered entrance makes is safer and more comfortable for you — and for visitors waiting for you to answer your door. Think about adding a portico, covered porch or covered breezeway to your home.
Heating
10. Active solar. Live in a region with chilly winters but plenty of sunlight? Harness that energy by installing solar panels on your roof, and you may be able to cut way down on your heating bill. An active solar heating system (which usually includes panels as well as a storage tank of heated liquid) can collect and store energy from the sun, which can then be used to heat your home through radiant heat in the floors or baseboard heaters.
10. Active solar. Live in a region with chilly winters but plenty of sunlight? Harness that energy by installing solar panels on your roof, and you may be able to cut way down on your heating bill. An active solar heating system (which usually includes panels as well as a storage tank of heated liquid) can collect and store energy from the sun, which can then be used to heat your home through radiant heat in the floors or baseboard heaters.
11. An efficient woodstove. Some of the newest woodstoves and pellet stoves are extremely efficient and clean-burning, making a woodstove an appealing option for heating a cold-climate home — especially if you have easy access to firewood.
12. Radiant heat. This heating system is installed below the floors of a home, providing an efficient heat source — and making toes nice and warm.
Windows
13. South-facing windows. Maximize sunlight with banks of windows positioned on the south-facing side of your home to take in the most light and warmth each day. On the north side, windows should be minimal. Each position has different requirements in terms of glazing, so talk to a window pro to get advice that’s specific to your home.
Windows
13. South-facing windows. Maximize sunlight with banks of windows positioned on the south-facing side of your home to take in the most light and warmth each day. On the north side, windows should be minimal. Each position has different requirements in terms of glazing, so talk to a window pro to get advice that’s specific to your home.
14. The right window style. Classic single- and double-hung windows, as well as sliding windows, tend to leak more air. Choose awning, casement or fixed windows for a tighter seal.
Plumbing
15. Well-insulated pipes. Avoid the dreaded pipe-bursting scenario by making sure your pipes are in insulated walls and are well away from unprotected areas. Any pipes near uninsulated areas should be well wrapped with insulation to protect them from freezing.
Locate a plumber near you to wrap your exposed pipes
Tell us: Do you live in a cold climate? Share your tips for winter living in the Comments.
Plumbing
15. Well-insulated pipes. Avoid the dreaded pipe-bursting scenario by making sure your pipes are in insulated walls and are well away from unprotected areas. Any pipes near uninsulated areas should be well wrapped with insulation to protect them from freezing.
Locate a plumber near you to wrap your exposed pipes
Tell us: Do you live in a cold climate? Share your tips for winter living in the Comments.
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Add an airlock to your winter entrance so you don't lose your heat from inside to outside your house. Homes in a winter environment also require a large mudroom due to the multiple different seasons of clothing and footwear along with winter sports. Have a garage attached to the home. Lay heat coils under the driveway material so the driveway can be defrosted with the flick of a switch. Have a generator hardwired into you whole electrical system. Start with very good windows in place. Mine are new with two pane and air between and still frost on the inside when it goes below -5 degrees. Have some heat source in the basement if you have one. Prepare for the inevitable-very low temps, power outages, and snow loads around the house. (Make sure you put your downstairs screens up or take them off so the snow doesn't push them in.) I see lots of small house designs for living in the south but we need more realistic plans for winter life 8 months a year. Maine Living!