The Flood Co. Blog

Posts Tagged ‘freeze damage’

Flood cleanup repair and insurance companies get on their toes as calls start to swamp them about burst and frozen water pipes with the coming of the cold months of winter. This is not a minor issue localised to particular areas, but instead an ordeal faced head on by many property owners and businesses, as about a quarter of a million household and commercial properties across the nation have water damage due to frozen and burst pipes annually. To put water damage from frozen pipes in perception, the number of insurance claims arising from burst pipes is around 5 times greater than those from fire damage. Remember that homeowners’ insurance coverage usually cover water damages attributable to unexpected or sudden plumbing disasters, but not ones that are because of insufficient reasonable maintenance. As a result, homeowners are expected to adopt proper and diligent maintenance actions. Flood Cleanup can be very steep so it is advisable to get helpful advice.

Numerous homes and businesses in the Northern Utah cope with water damage attributable to frozen, burst pipes in the wintertime. As a pipe freezes after which it cracks or breaks, the resulting water damage can impact not only personal belongings but also the structural integrity of the property, causing the deterioration of walls, floors, foundations, basements and crawlspace. Mold is yet another concern of water damage, especially if not dealt with in due time. It is prudent for homeowners to keep track of the forecasts for upcoming extreme cold weather; time and money, both are taken into account while determining water damages costs.

What causes water damage and how could a water pipe burst? Water, which is liquid at room temperature, freezes and turns to ice when temperatures drop below zero. As liquid water becomes solid ice, it expands. During extreme cold temperatures, the frozen water in the pipes in our homes expands and cracks or breaks the pipe. In essence, the frozen water molecules don’t fit in the pipe space they are in as a result of their expansion. As temperatures rise and ice thaws and starts melting, water leaks out from the cracks in the pipes. When pipes burst, repairs become mandatory. Repairing burst pipes can be expensive. However, not repairing the pipes and allowing them to leak will eventually cause much greater water damage and will increase the cost of repairs dramatically because of the prospects for mold, structural damage and the potential impact to content water damage.

Are pipes in attics, cellars and crawlspace more apt to freeze? Any pipe in your Northern Utah home has a possibility of freezing and bursting, however some pipes have a higher possibility of breaking than the others. Pipes placed outdoors, such as the main pipe that carries water to your home, can easily burst and develop cracks. Exterior wall pipes as well as attic pipes, basement or crawlspace pipes and garage pipes tend to be more liable to freeze and burst. You must check your water supply system and insulate pipes to reduce the possibilities of water damages in the house.

Whenever frozen pipe burst, make sure you turn your main water supply off when a pipe freezes and bursts. You may also call up a plumber to do so; but, if leaking water has already caused damages, its advisable to go ahead and take services of a water damage refurbishment company in Northern Utah. Expert water damage repair professionals in Northern Utah are experienced with insurance billing and therefore are qualified to file a claim with your insurance company directly. Flood cleanup arising out from burst pipes are usually covered in household insurance policies.

February has been a crazy month, with lots of freeze damage. The really cold tempetures and driving winds at the first of the month created alot of damage. The freeze damage is sometimes predictable, and sometimes very random and no one is immune. We had a pipe freeze in the ceiling of our own warehouse during this latest cold snap. The water damage that comes from freezing is often times large and severe. When the water starts flowing the flow rates can be high and it often may not be discovered for a while. As with any water damage, the key is to act quickly to remove water and dry all materials as quickly as possible. Freeze damage is a little more friendly with one respect though. The damage is almost always covered by insurance, and not only does insurance cover the water damage mitigation and repairs, insurance will also usually pay for the plumbing repair from the freeze damage as well. This is pretty unique, because for any other source the plumbing repair is not covered by the insurance company.