ASHEVILLE, N.C. (828newsNOW) — As Asheville prepares for colder weather this fall, it is in the best interest for your home to take steps to prevent frozen pipes. Secure Restoration, a local housing mitigation and restoration company, has advice for doing just that.

Preparing your pipes

“We are heading into a season where we’re gonna get frozen pipes,” said Rob Franks, owner of Secure Restoration. “There’s things we see that homeowners could do to prevent having a frozen pipe that turns into a busted open pipe, which creates water damage.”

According to the restoration company, frozen pipe season typically runs from December to April, the months most likely to have numerous days in a row with sub-freezing temperatures.

Insulation

One way to prevent frozen pipes is to ensure pipes are insulated with pipe wraps. These can come in insulated fiberglass or polyiso insulation variants and can be purchased at most major hardware stores.

“Another method would be using heat tape. It’s electrified tape that you wrap around the pipe,” said Michael Mestas, mitigation manager at Secure Restoration. “It’s plugged into an outlet, or hard-wired, and when the temperature gets to a certain degree that you have set on your thermostat, the heat tape kicks on and starts heating the pipe.”

“These are applications that the homeowners can install themselves,” Franks added.

Draining

Another preventative measure for pipes freezing is to drain the water out of them before a forecasted cold day.

“One of the processes of winterizing your house is to drain the pipes. Just completely drain your pipe system so there’s no water in it,” said Mestas. “Because expansion of the water when it freezes, it causes them to burst.”

Heating

One easy method for protecting pipes is to monitor your home thermostat.

“We recommend keeping the thermostat in a house at least at 55 degrees. That gives you a buffer zone between 32 and 55,” Mestas suggested. “We would recommend also opening up your cabinet doors underneath your sink and stuff, which offers air movement. So, if you have warm air in the house, it’ll also help circulate that warm air through the cabinets where the pipes start.”

What to do if a freeze does occur

If pipes do freeze, do not panic. There are several things you can do to mitigate the damage.

“If you know you have a frozen pipe in your house, go and shut the water off to your house completely until that pipe defrosts so you can evaluate and see if it has ruptured or burst due to the expansion of the water freezing,” Mestas said. “You’re gonna want to open up faucets that’ll relieve the pressure and that allows water to exit as it melts.”

The next step is to apply a heat source.

“Preferably not an electric heat source, such as a personal heater in your house. You don’t want to risk shock,” Mestas warned. “But, there is the electric tape. You can use hot towels. In part of these areas, you can use a space heater, but you do want to keep it away from any standing water or any combustible items.”

Avoid any open flames, such as a blowtorch or propane and kerosene heaters, or electrical items like a hairdryer. These can cause more damage if used improperly.

After the pipes have been warmed and the water has melted, evaluate the pipes to check for damage.

“You wait for the water flow. Evaluate your pipes, and then open the pipe valve and those spickets,” Mestas said. “Turn the water back on and open the spickets in your house to melt any remaining ice that might be in the pipes.”

Secure Restoration is here to help

In the event of a major pipe burst or other effects of freezing, Secure Restoration has the expertise to assist.

“We offer an emergency response to the catastrophes of this nature,” Mestas said. “We will provide immediate assistance to help stop the water flow and begin the cleanup process. We offer water extraction that would be removing any standing water in the affected areas. We offer various methodologies of drying and dehumidification, which would utilize special equipment to dry the property, preventing mold growth and further structural damage.”

After the environment is restored, Secure Restoration will do a damage assessment to determine necessary repairs.

“Once the emergency service and the mitigation is completed, we offer the restoration and reconstruction, which would be repairing or rebuilding any damage structural evidence elements of the property to restore you to pre-loss conditions,” Mestas finished.

Secure Restoration have seen it all and have the technical know-how to help.

“We’re efficient in the manner that we’re prepared for these catastrophes,” Frank said. “We typically respond quickly to these situations and implement a plan to dry out a property and then also restore the property. Oftentimes, more than not, that we can do that faster than any homeowner can, too. We’re geared up with the staff, equipment and expertise to do that.”

If you find yourself in need of help after a freeze, contact Secure Restoration by phone at (828) 490-7800 or email at rob@securerestoration.com.

For more information, visit www.securerestoration.com.