Guarding Your Home Against Winter-Related Damage

Homeowners, wishing to guard against any damage that the winter season might cause, can take some simple steps to prevent water damage.

Frozen or Burst Pipes:

Pipes along your exterior walls are most vulnerable to cold temperatures, especially in homes with inadequate or improper insulation.   

• Keep the cabinet doors under your sinks open during cold spells, especially in bathrooms located in finished basements. The warm air will help prevent the pipes from accumulating ice and bursting.
• Wrap your pipes with insulation; there are special kinds of wraps made of foam rubber or fiberglass for this purpose.

Spigot Breaks:

If your outdoor spigot or faucet is the source of a burst pipe, you probably won't notice the issue until spring when you turn on your hose again and discover your basement is flooding.

• A simple styrofoam spigot cover from your local hardware store only costs about $2.50, but can save you thousands of dollars in water damage cleanup. When you store your garden hose away for the winter season, place the insulating cover over your outdoor faucet to avoid a burst pipe that is vulnerable to icy temperatures.

Attic Insulation:

Without proper insulation, especially under the eave sections of the roof, the temperature variations we see during the winter months can cause condensation and moisture to build up in your attic. Even without an actual ice dam buildup visible from your home's exterior, inadequate insulation is often the culprit for rotting rafters, mold growth, and other types of water damage.  

• Hire a company like ours to perform an energy audit in your attic space to point out the most vulnerable areas.
• Installing the right insulation in crucial areas of your attic can save a lot of money down the road, since gradual damage of this sort is often more expensive to repair than a sudden loss.

Please contact 1st Call Disaster Services to speak to one of our project managers if you are dealing with water damage or if you want to prevent it. We're always available for you, whether you need a professional to install the best insulation products or if you're facing a water damage emergency.