Damaging Deep Freeze

Karin Cowan • 28 December 2022

Like most of America, Colorado endured a record-breaking deep freeze just before Christmas 2022.

At the time when this blog post was written, late December 2022, the Midwest (and most of the country) were at the back end of a legendary deep freeze. Here in Colorado, we had a few consecutive days in which the temperature did not reach above 0℉. We did not get the worst of it. Some states were genuinely in a State of Emergency.

A dramatic drop in temperatures always slows down the phones. Which is timely, as we are preparing for the warm-up, and the many panicked, overnight calls we will receive. As our community went from -14℉ to 56℉ on Christmas Eve, frozen, cracked pipes began to thaw, causing floods throughout the city. To compound matters, this happened over the holidays, which adds an untold number of complications to an already difficult situation.

We had a customer who left town just before the deep freeze for a few days to visit family over the holidays. She returned home the day after Christmas, having been gone for about 5 days, to find her home flooded, and was still actively flooding for an unknown amount of days. Every inch of sheetrock in her beautiful 3-story home had been affected by the water.

It is our pleasure to help our clients. Without a doubt, it is both difficult and rewarding to be there with someone in the middle of their crisis. Being the voice of calm and to contribute to the very first steps of getting a client back to normal is what we are in business for.

(Here is a quick video of one of those events).

However, it is still our responsibility to make steps to not only assist during a crisis, but to help our customers take additional steps before, during, and after a water event to help mitigate their damages.

Below you will find a quick chart to help!

You can not always prevent a flood. Honestly, cold simply causes damage. That's a fact. But you can do something. Here's how!

The Next Time You See 0℉ On The Forecast

It Starts Now

Leave faucets dripping. You have heard it a million times but it's true and important.
Unattended homes suffer the most damage. If you're leaving town for a bit, have a neighbor swing by. A security system can help too!
Keep your home warm. Even if you are going away. It costs a bit more in utilities, but it is less than a flood by far.
Review your insurance coverage. This doesn't prevent a flood, but it is a good idea to have a sense of your level of protection and direct lines to the appropriate people before you run into trouble.

Oh, no! You have a flood!

As soon as you see water, turn the supply line off, if you can do so safely.
The first call you make is to a restoration company. Depending on the time of day, confirm they offer 24-hour services.
Dry, dry, dry. It may take some time for a restoration company to mobilize and come to your location. In the meantime, know that every bit of water you can remove will help mitigate water damage.
Do a thorough inspection of all affected areas and relay all suspected moisture to your restoration professional.
Take pics! Document everything.
Contact insurance company as soon as the opportunity presents itself.

Preventing Mold

Is the drying complete? Mold can develope in just 5 days after a water event. The only way to prevent that is to completely dry everything, and quickly! This is best done by a professional with the equipment to handle it.
Stay in touch with insurance company and service provider. The first week after a flood are the most important. Report any signs of continued moisture to service provider.
For the next 6 months or so, note any color changes or smells in the home that will not go away. Keep a close eye out for leaks in the same area, as it seems to occur in the same area frequently.
If you are concerned about mold at any point, whether you can see it or not, schedule an air quality test.

Click here to review another post about after care for flooding.

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