# 6 Myths About Your First Canadian Winter in a New Build > Window condensation, nail pops, ceiling cracks: what's normal in a new home's first Canadian winter, what to report under warranty and what to maintain yourself. - URL: https://www.bqhs.com/blog/new-home-ownership/first-winter-new-build-myths - Topic: New Home Ownership - Published: 2026-09-08 - Updated: 2026-11-04 - Author: The BQHS Team, Baeumler Quality Home Services (BQHS) Your first winter in a new home is when the house really starts to settle in. The furnace runs for months, the air inside gets drier and the lumber and concrete that went in during construction finally start to dry out. As that happens, you might notice water on your windows, small bumps in the drywall or a thin crack along the ceiling. Most of this is normal, and some of it is worth reporting to your builder. We see the same worries come up every winter, so we've put together six common myths and what's really going on in your home. ## Practical Takeaways - Some condensation, nail pops and hairline cracks are normal in a new home's first winter. - If a crack is wider than about 4 mm, or one side sits higher than the other, take a photo and report it under your warranty. - Keep your HRV running all winter and clean the filters every few months. - Wait until spring or the end of your first year for cosmetic drywall touch-ups, once the house has settled. ## Myth 1: Wet windows mean your new windows are defective When the inside of your windows fogs up on a cold morning, the windows are usually doing their job. Warm air in your home holds moisture from cooking, showers and even breathing. When that air touches cold glass, the moisture turns back into water, and on really cold days, a little ice can form along the bottom of the window. The fix is about air and humidity, not new windows. Keep your HRV and furnace fan running, use your bathroom and kitchen fans and pull heavy curtains or furniture back so air can move across the glass. If you see fog or moisture between the two panes of glass, though, that's different. It usually means the seal has failed, and you should let your builder know. ## Myth 2: Nail pops mean your builder cut corners Nail pops are the small bumps or circles that show up on walls and ceilings when a nail or screw pushes the drywall out a little. They happen because the wood framing behind your walls is drying and shrinking during its first heating season. We see them in well-built homes all the time. They're mostly cosmetic, and builders usually aren't required to fix pops caused by normal shrinkage. It also makes sense to wait before patching them, because more can appear as the framing keeps drying through the first year. Once things have settled, our team can take care of any [drywall and ceiling repairs](https://www.bqhs.com/services/interior-care/ceiling-and-drywall) in one go, so you're not patching the same wall twice. ![Hairline crack where the ceiling meets the wall in a new home](https://whhcdpfddpbfzglzpays.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/public/public_media/blog/2026/first-winter-new-build-myths/first-winter-new-build-myths-2.webp) ## Myth 3: A crack where the ceiling meets the wall means a structural problem A thin gap along the top of an interior wall that shows up in the middle of winter is usually caused by truss uplift. Your roof is held up by wooden trusses, and when the attic gets much colder than the rooms below, they can bow upward slightly and lift the ceiling away from the wall. In most homes, the gap closes again by spring. A hairline crack is nothing to worry about. If the gap is wider than about 4 mm, roughly the thickness of two loonies stacked together, take a photo with a ruler beside it and report it under your warranty. Repairs are best done once the trusses have settled back into place, which is another reason not to rush to patch it in January. ## Myth 4: Any crack in your basement floor is a foundation problem Concrete shrinks as it cures, so small cracks in a new basement or garage floor are expected. Your basement floor isn't what holds the house up, either. It's a slab poured on top of the ground, and the foundation walls do the structural work. What you should watch for is width and movement. A crack wider than about 4 mm in the basement floor, or one where one side has risen or dropped compared with the other, is worth reporting. Garage floors are given a bit more room, and a crack usually only becomes a concern once it's wider than about 6 mm. ![Hand adjusting a smart thermostat set to 22 degrees](https://whhcdpfddpbfzglzpays.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/public/public_media/blog/2026/first-winter-new-build-myths/first-winter-new-build-myths-3.webp) ## Myth 5: Turning off your HRV will save on heating New homes are built to be very airtight, which keeps heat in but also traps moisture and stale air. Your heat recovery ventilator (HRV) swaps that air for fresh air from outside, and it warms the incoming air using the heat from the air going out. It doesn't waste nearly as much heat as people think. If you shut it off, humidity builds up quickly, which leads to more window condensation and, over time, can cause mould. Leave it running at least on low all winter. Clean the filters every one to three months and the core about twice a year. If your home feels too dry, turn it down to the lowest setting instead of off. ## Myth 6: A new home doesn't need maintenance in its first winter A new home still needs looking after, and your warranty won't cover damage caused by skipped maintenance. If a clogged HRV filter leads to moisture problems or a gap in the exterior caulking lets water in, you may end up paying for the repair yourself, even if the house is only a few months old. It's one of the reasons it helps to [understand what your new home warranty covers](https://www.bqhs.com/blog/new-home-ownership/new-home-warranty-by-province) before winter sets in. A few simple habits go a long way. Check the caulking around your windows and doors, clean your HRV and furnace filters and keep an eye on any cracks you've noticed to see whether they grow. If you'd like someone to look things over with you, our [Home Health Check](https://www.bqhs.com/home-health-check) covers the parts of a home that tend to fail first, and you'll get a plain-language report on what we found and what to keep an eye on. Disclaimer: This article is general information for homeowners, not legal or engineering advice. The crack widths mentioned are common reference points used in new home warranty guidelines, but standards and coverage vary by province, warranty provider and type of home. If you're worried about a crack or structural issue, contact your builder, your warranty provider or a qualified professional. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### Is it normal for a new house to crack in its first winter? Yes. The wood and concrete in a new home dry out and shrink during the first heating season, which often causes hairline cracks. A crack wider than about 4 mm, or one where the two sides sit at different heights, is worth reporting. ### Why are my new windows wet on the inside? Warm, humid air inside your home is turning into water when it touches the cold glass. Running your HRV and furnace fan and keeping air moving across the windows usually helps. Moisture between the panes is a different issue and should be reported to your builder. ### Should I fix nail pops right away? It's better to wait. More nail pops can appear as the framing keeps drying during your first year, so patching them all at once after the house settles saves you from doing the job twice. ### What is truss uplift? It's when the wooden trusses in your roof bow upward slightly in very cold weather, lifting the ceiling away from the top of interior walls. It's most common in winter, and the gap often closes in spring. ### Should I run my HRV all winter? Yes. It's designed to run all the time, at least on low. Turning it off lets humidity build up, which can lead to condensation and mould. ### How do I report a problem in my new home? Take photos, write down the date and report it through your new home warranty within the deadline. Depending on your province, that's either a provincial warranty program or the warranty provider named on your certificate.