Article courtesy of Greymark Construction
First, we hope that you and your family are safe and well through this disaster. It has been a scary time and it appears we are through the worst of it. Houston is experiencing an unprecedented number of burst pipes and electrical issues from this freeze.
We wanted to share some tips to help you get through this time.
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- Houston and the surrounding areas are under a boil advisory. If you are in one of those areas, do not drink tap water, if you have it.
- If a pipe has burst, you need to make sure you are able to turn the water off to your home at the street and open all faucets to relieve any remaining water pressure.
- Plumbers and contractors are inundated with calls and struggling to keep up with the volume. So, get on as many lists with as many plumbers as you can. Call anyone you can and work your way to get through to anyone who will take your call.
- If you have water in your home, make sure you dry it out. We are supposed to get warmer soon and with our humidity, it can get moldy.
- Dry your floors.
- If they are hardwoods and you can get a fan on them that will help. They will be cupping initially, but they might lay back down. If they will not lay back down, that section will have to be replaced.
- The carpet will, unfortunately, need to be ripped out most likely because it will be difficult to dry or clean if drywall and insulation came down.
- If it’s tile or other hard surfaces they should hold the water on top.
- Removing the water source will reduce the possibility of mold so if you have gotten rid of the water there is no reason to be worried.
- As our temperatures begin to climb, the pipes will be unfreezing and there may be leaks you do not see immediately. Please monitor all areas of your home to try to catch any potential issues early. If it is in an exterior wall it will drip down the side and not be as obvious as it would be in a ceiling.
- For those of us who have PEX or PVC pipes, it is less likely, but not impossible, that it could freeze. These pipes tend to handle the expansion of frozen water better without breaking compared to the galvanized or copper counterparts.
- Check your pilot lights and other areas for gas smells to make sure you don’t get a gas leak.
- If you leave your home, make sure your water to your home is turned off at the street and your electricity coming in is turned off if you have no power.
Our hearts are with you and if there is anything we can do, please let us know. — The Greymark Team