With less than a month before December 21^st, the official start of Winter, it becomes more and more important to make sure that your home is properly weatherized, especially in the case of your water pipes. Every year, 250,000 properties in the United States have at least one room damaged by a burst pipe. When water freezes, it expands by approximately 9%. Because of this, cold winter weather can often cause the water in your pipes to freeze, expand, and burst your pipe. Burst pipes are a serious and all too frequent problem, causing homeowners to file home insurance claims 5x more often than fire damage claims.

That having been said, let’s take a look at how you can protect your home from harsh winter weather. It’s a little colder out than last week, so hopefully your outdoor preparations are complete, and you can go ahead and move indoors.

INDOOR WINTER WEATHER PREPARATION TIP SHEET!

1.) INSULATE YOUR ATTIC
Heat rises, so it’s no surprise that much of the heat from your house can quickly escape through a poorly insulated attic. When this happens, losing money on heating bills could just be your first problem. When snow falls on a roof with a poorly insulated attic underneath, the heat from the home escapes and begins to melt the snow on your roof. The snow then begins to refreeze. As more snow piles on, more snow freezes and refreezes on your roof. This can cause ICE DAMMING, a phenomenon that can cause water seepage (and mold damage down the line) or even a collapsed roof! Make sure your attic is properly insulated this winter.

2.) LOCATE YOUR PLUMBING SYSTEM SHUTOFF VALVE
If a pipe does break and leak inside your home this winter, where your plumbing shutoff valve is located will be a critical piece of information. Some shutoff valves aren’t easy to operate without a pipe wrench, so keep one near your shutoff valve in case of emergency.

3.) KEEP IT HEATED EVEN WHEN YOU’RE AWAY
If you plan on leaving your home for more than a few days in a row this holiday season, make sure to properly prepare your home before you leave. Keep your home heated to at least 65 degrees while you are gone. Open up under-sink cabinets to allow warm air to reach the pipes. Allow your faucets to drip a little to alleviate pressure in potentially frozen pipes. If you follow these steps, you should be able to leave for grandma’s house with confidence that your property will be safe, warm, and dry when you get back.

4.) ROUTINE SERVICING
Late autumn to early winter is a good time to have your heating system, fireplace, chimney, and wood-burning stoves professionally serviced. Annual servicing not only makes your property safer, but it also improves functionality. It’s always better to find a problem with your heater when its warm, as opposed to having your heater shut off unexpectedly in the freezing dead of winter. Clean air ducts means improved heat dispersal throughout your entire property. Have your air ducts cleaned by Bio-Clean of New Jersey this winter!

5.) INSULATE YOUR PIPES
Insulating the pipes in your home is the most critical step in avoiding a catastrophic pipe burst. Exposed pipes are commonly found in basements, unfinished garages, mudrooms, and laundry rooms. Check these pipes for existing leaks and damage, and make sure they are properly insulated. Heat tape, slide-on foam insulators, and and fiberglass insulation are all available at your local home improvement store.

Even if you follow all of these steps, old man Winter can still sometimes find a way into your home, wreaking havoc along the way. If your property suffers a catastrophic pipe burst, call the water damage remediation professionals-- Call Bio-Clean of New Jersey.

Labels: burst pipes, frozen pipes, water damage, water damage restoration, weatherizing