Winter Weather Can Lead To Water Damage

1/6/2021 (Permalink)

Frozen Pipes!

Winter weather has the potential to lead to water damage! Wait what do you mean a type of weather can lead to water damage? Well no, not the weather itself but the factors that fall in between. 

Winter weather brings low temperatures. When water is mixed with low temperatures, the water freezes. When water freezes, it expands. That water could be within your pipes and a solid structure will be filled with more pressure than it can handle leading to the bursting of your pipes if they are not properly thawed. If your pipes burst, the water needs to go somewhere and unfortunately that place will be your home. 

Some simple factors to take into mind as the temperatures continue to drop are:

• Remove any excess water from water sources around your home such as hoses or sprinklers
• Add insulations to places such as your attics, basements and crawl spaces to help maintain higher temperatures within your home 

If water starts to trickle out of your faucets, your pipes are most likely frozen.

What to do:

• Open the cabinets or doors where your pipes are to allow heat to reach them
• Keep faucets open. The water will need to drain out once pipes are thawed
• Place some sort of heat around or near the pipes
• Check all faucets to determine what other pipes are frozen

As always, if you are not able to unthaw your pipes before it is too late... give SERVPRO of St. Mary's County and SERVPRO of Calvert County a call!