Winter is here, and although New Mexico doesn’t get nearly as cold as many other states, you still need to beware of frozen pipes in your home. When water freezes inside a pipe, it expands, often resulting in a burst pipe. As the pipes thaw out and water begins to freely move through them, your home can become flooded quickly. If water damage isn’t properly and thoroughly dealt with immediately, your troubles may only get worse and more expensive.
When a pipe bursts in your home, you may not be able to see all of the water that came from it, as the water can collect behind walls, under various surfaces like tile and other flooring, and may be saturating studs, joists, drywall, or plaster. These issues can lead to structural damage, toxic mold growth, or both.
You may be tempted to do the work yourself if a pipe should burst in your home, but calling experienced, IIRC-certified technicians like those at American Restoration Water & Fire is the only way to know the problem is properly dealt with, not leading to more problems and costlier repairs down the road. Our technicians are courteous, efficient, thorough, and understand the impact these situations have on you and your family.
Do your best to avoid these frozen pipe situations to begin with, and start by checking that all kitchen and bath pipes in your home that are in exterior walls are properly insulated. If it’s going to be an uncommonly cold night, set any faucets on an exterior wall to drip. Shut the water off to any landscape watering system you may have. Hose spigots on the outside of your home can be protected with inexpensive insulating covers from home centers and hardware stores.
Preparing and winterizing your pipes for winter is your best chance at avoiding frozen pipes and their aftermath, but should this happen to you, call American Restoration Water & Fire immediately, day or night, and we’ll be there promptly to take care of you, your family, and your property.
