Cold weather can damage your property in many ways. Times of Polar Vortex’s tend to be our busiest. Cold temperatures and bitter cold can combine to create frozen pipes and ice dams.

Pipes will freeze when they are exposed to temperatures below 32 degrees. A relatively small amount of plumbing in your home may be in unheated or under heated areas such as crawl spaces, garages and hose bibs and they are most at risk. Most plumbing is to the interior of the home and protected from the cold but with very cold temperatures or inadequate insulation, it may not be enough. It is important to remember the biggest problem isn’t when the pipe freezes but when it thaws. Once a pipe is found to be frozen it is important to shut the water off to that line. If not, once the pipe thaws, a split in the pipe caused by the expanding ice could allow for one big water leak. If this happens, you should call National Fire & Water Repair immediately. We can identify the problem, quantify the damages and quickly contain the loss and dry it out.

Ice dams are created when warm air escapes through the roof causing the snow to melt and flow into a cold gutter where it refreezes. Over time, the dam will bill up and push water into the interior of your home or business. It is typically noticed as a wet spot on the ceiling or dripping coming from the tops of door or window jambs. If you experience this, please contact us so we can quickly come out to access your situation. Althought every situation is different, often steps can be taken to minimize the damage and possibly remove the ice. Ice dams can also rip off the edge of shingles and bring down gutters due to the immense weight. Only an inspection of the situation will determine if this is possible. Left unchecked, the damage could spread to the interiors of the wall with potential for mold growth.