Winter Storms can Cause Flood Damage too

12/21/2019 (Permalink)

When you think of a flooded basement or storeroom, you may think of the type of mess that comes from storm damage. Your commercial building in Thornton, CO can be in just as much danger of flood damage from internal sources such as a burst pipe. Flooding can be caused by winder storms as well. Sub-zero temperatures can cause your pipes to burst with a great amount of pressure from the expanding ice inside.

How To Prevent Frozen Pipes

Low temperatures can cause just as much water damage as a flood from outside if the situation is not quickly dealt with. A burst pipe can produce gallons of water spilling out into the room or filling up the space inside of walls. A frozen pipe can be prevented by doing the following.

Keep the ambient temperature in rooms with plumbing inside the walls warm
Open cabinets below sinks to allow room air to warm the pipes
Run a slow trickle through faucets to keep pipes open
Disconnect outside hoses from the faucets
Insulate around water pipes that go through crawl spaces or attics

Thawing Frozen Pipes
If the pipes do freeze, they need to be thawed slowly to prevent problems and leaks. Open all of the faucets and leave them open. Slowly warm the area with a space heater or by holding a blow dryer on the pipe. Do not apply heat from more severe sources such as a blowtorch or propane heater. Allow it to take it’s time to thaw until the water flows freely. Do an intermediate check on all of the pipes to see if there are other leaks.

Clean Up
If you end up with standing water, get some help with the flood cleanup. Even clean water can become contaminated if it sits long enough and would be more complicated to clean, just like storm cleanup. A qualified water and flood cleanup and restoration company in Thornton, CO, can help with the water extraction and drying things out.
Don’t let a winter storm get the better of you. Take steps to prevent a burst pipe and to thaw frozen pipes carefully. You can avoid flood damage to your building and enjoy greater peace of mind.