How to Deal With Commercial Water Damage to Your Business | SERVPRO® of Jefferson City

8/11/2023 (Permalink)

SERVPRO of Jefferson City is your local commercial water restoration company. We will always be here to help clean up and get you back in business.

When commercial water damage affects your building, the impact on business can be severe.

Many sources of flooding come from internal sources. Burst pipes or a badly leaking roof can shut you down or ruin interiors and destroy inventory. Damage might also come from a bathroom flooded with sewage backup. Or it could even be an entire floor of offices soaked by a broken sprinkler system.

However, water damage can also affect businesses through natural causes. In Jefferson City, we see a higher annual rainfall than most other places in the United States. 

Knowing what to do before disaster strikes make recovering quickly and returning to business easier. Regardless of what source left the water behind, these helpful tips can guide you through handling the problem quickly and as stress-free as possible.

Know Your Building’s Layout

Familiarize yourself with different water cutoff points throughout your property, and ensure you know how to turn off the fire sprinkler system. Locate the main water cutoff valve, and be ready to shut off the entire building’s supply when necessary.

Several people should know this information, including members of the leadership team. This can help you reduce the amount of water that gets inside your business by cutting it off at the source.

Know the Types of Water Involved

When water damage happens, the type of water involved will determine how dangerous the situation is. Knowing what you’re dealing with makes a big difference in the safety of everyone in the building:

White water: This type of water most commonly results from plumbing problems. It’s not considered contaminated and is safe to handle yourself in small amounts.

Gray water: Sink drains and toilet tank overflows produce this type of flooding. The water is contaminated but not considered dangerous.

Black water: Sewage backups and storm flooding are common sources of highly contaminated black water. Always call in a professional to deal with this type of toxic water damage.

Take Action Quickly

Always attempt to identify and shut down the water source as soon as possible. Try to get fresh air circulating by opening windows and doors to expedite the drying and evaporation process. Then alert everyone in the building and outline the affected areas so that no one comes into contact with the water.

After taking these steps, be sure to thoroughly document any visible damage. This will help you speed through the insurance claim process and will be useful when deciding what parts of your building need the most reinforcement.

Remember to Be Patient

The visible water damage in your building is only part of the overall problem. Soaked wall studs, moldy framing and buckled flooring materials are only a few signs of hidden water damage. Any of these indicators should be red flags of potential damage.

If your business experiences water damage, call SERVPRO of Jefferson City for a quick response and a shoulder to lean on. Our restoration professionals have extensive training and will work with industry-leading equipment that can dry your building out and get you back into action fast.

The cleanup and drying process can take up to a week, depending on the extent of the moisture, so be patient as our restoration team works through the cleanup and sanitation before beginning repairs. We’ll have your business back to preloss condition before you know it.

When disaster strikes your commercial property, we’ll be there to help clean up and get you back in business quickly. Call SERVPRO of Jefferson City today at (573) 635-5883.  We make fire and water cleanup and restoration, "Like it never even happened." 

How to Deal With Flood Damage | SERVPRO of Jefferson City

6/28/2023 (Permalink)

SERVPRO of Jefferson City is here to help with flood damage

Floods can be devastating natural disasters, wreaking havoc on homes and properties. Recovering from flood damage requires a well-structured and organized approach to minimize further loss and restore your property to its pre-flood condition. In this article, we will provide you with a comprehensive guide on how to handle flood damage effectively. By following these steps, you can navigate the restoration process more efficiently and ensure the safety and well-being of your home and family.

Step 1: Ensure Safety

Before entering your home or property after a flood, prioritize safety. Ensure that the floodwaters have fully receded, and it is safe to return. Be cautious of structural damage and potential electrical hazards. Wear appropriate protective gear such as rubber gloves, boots, and face masks to avoid exposure to contaminants in the water.

Step 2: Document the Damage

Once it is safe to enter your property, thoroughly document the flood damage. Take photographs or videos of all affected areas, including structural damage, personal belongings, and appliances. This documentation will be invaluable for insurance claims and aid in the restoration process.

Step 3: Contact Your Insurance Company

Notify your insurance company about the flood damage as soon as possible. Provide them with all necessary details, including the extent of the damage, photographs, and videos. Understand your insurance policy and coverage to ensure you are aware of what is eligible for compensation.

Step 4: Disconnect Utilities

For safety reasons, turn off the main power supply to your property. Additionally, shut off the gas and water supplies to prevent further damage and potential hazards. Contact the appropriate utility companies if you require assistance with these procedures.

Step 5: Remove Standing Water

Begin by removing any standing water from your property. Use pumps, wet/dry vacuums, or hire professional water extraction services if necessary. Properly dispose of the water to prevent contamination and further damage.

Step 6: Dry and Ventilate the Property

After removing the standing water, it is crucial to dry out your home or property thoroughly. Open windows and doors to promote air circulation, and use dehumidifiers, fans, and heaters to expedite the drying process. Remove wet carpets, furniture, and other items that can harbor moisture.

Step 7: Clean and Disinfect

Floodwaters can introduce harmful contaminants and pathogens to your home. Clean and disinfect all affected surfaces, including walls, floors, and furniture. Use appropriate cleaning agents, wear protective gear, and follow manufacturer instructions for effective disinfection.

Step 8: Remove Damaged Materials

Inspect your property for damaged materials that need to be removed. This may include drywall, insulation, flooring, and furniture. Discard damaged items properly, following local regulations, and keep a detailed inventory of all disposed of belongings for insurance purposes.

Step 9: Repair and Restore

With the damaged materials removed, assess the structural integrity of your property. Repair any structural damage, including walls, floors, and roofs, with the help of professionals if necessary. Ensure that repairs comply with building codes and regulations.

Step 10: Seek Professional Assistance

Depending on the severity of the flood damage, you may need to engage professional restoration services. Experienced flood damage restoration companies, like SERVPRO of Jefferson City, can provide expertise and specialized equipment to expedite the restoration process and mitigate further damage. 

Step 11: Evaluate and Enhance Future Protection

As you restore your property, take the opportunity to evaluate your flood protection measures. Consider implementing strategies such as installing flood barriers, elevating electrical systems, sealing foundation cracks, and landscaping changes to divert water away from your property. Consult with SERVPRO of Jefferson City for additional guidance on flood mitigation.

SERVPRO of Jefferson City is Ready if Fire Strikes

4/25/2023 (Permalink)

SERVPRO of Jefferson City is here to help with your fire restoration needs.

While cases where fire consumes an entire home in Jefferson City, MO happen, there are many times in which the fire damage is minor. However, soot and smoke can damage the entire home, making even a small fire a disaster. You may feel hopeless and without options, but that’s not the case.

Involving a professional is the best way to reduce costs and prevent secondary damage.  Depending on the type of fire, and the way it is fueled, may require different techniques. SERVPRO of Jefferson City is IICRC certified and has the experience to tackle difficult problems. The level and type of damage will likely require a unique response.  

Minor damages typically involve mostly smoke residue damage. The deposits are light to moderate, and restoration mostly involves a deep cleaning of the affected surfaces and fabrics. There are different techniques that are technicians use to remove the smoke odor and residue from your home. In this type, almost all the cleaning would be done onsite.

In more moderate damage situations, there will be smoke and heat damage on different surfaces. Your cabinets, drywall, and contents may have heat damage. Odors will likely be stronger at this damage degree as well. Our technicians will use varying techniques to remove items that are heavily damaged and determine what can be cleaned or will need to be replaced.

In majorly fire damaged homes, there is more severe heat damage throughout the home. Usually this is close to where the fire started, but this can leave parts of the structures framing charred. This often involves making structural repairs and gutting the heavily damaged parts of the home. Smoke damage is often heavy throughout. This requires extensive cleanup and removal of debris from the structure. Content cleaning for majorly damaged homes will need to be completed offsite.

Each fire damage situation is unique, and the process may vary depending on our customers' needs. We will explain the restoration process that is unique to your home upon onsite inspection. We are happy to answer any questions and make the process as stress free as possible.  

We also provide board up services to help protect your home from additional damage during extended repair.

As soon as the fire trucks leave, give SERVPRO of Jefferson City a call. We will arrive onsite and help determine what your next step will be to reduce damage and work with your insurance company.

Our team is trained to address small and large fire damage projects. Our team is ready to serve businesses and families in the greater Jefferson City area.

We make fire and water cleanup and restoration, "Like it never even happened." 

Call us and let us help you,(573) 635-5883

Hoarding Cleanup in Jefferson City

2/1/2023 (Permalink)

SERVPRO of Jefferson City is here for hoarding cleanup solutions.

When faced with a hoarding cleanup in Jefferson City, effective communication with the hoarder is crucial for progress. Saying or doing the wrong thing may shut down communication and halt progress. Hoarding is a serious issue, and it should be handled with care and patience. It's important to understand the condition before addressing it to help with communication and the cleanup process.

The following "Do's and Don'ts" guide can serve as a general reference, but if you need further guidance, don't hesitate to reach out for more specific advice.

Do's:

1. Connect with the hoarder: Empathize with the hoarder and let them know you'll be there for them throughout the entire cleanup process.

2. Seek professional help: Therapists who specialize in hoarding can provide more specific guidance.

3. Continuously communicate with the hoarder: Follow up on the situation to keep the hoarder motivated.

4. Discuss safety first: Reorganizing can create a safer living environment, so bring this up before discussing the removal of items.

5. Acknowledge the importance of items: Items have an emotional connection to hoarders, so approach them as important.

6.Keep the situation confidential: Promise not to discuss anything related to the hoarder's situation without their permission.

7. Ask questions respectfully: Understand the hoarder's reasons for keeping items, as they may have had a traumatic experience.

8. Promote donation: Let the hoarder know that their items will be put to better use by someone who needs them.

9. Be patient: The process should be taken one step at a time.

10. Hire a professional cleaning service: This can help the relationship with the hoarder and ensure items of value are preserved.

Don'ts:

1. Don't judge the hoarder or make assumptions about their situation.

2. Don't discard any items without the owner's permission.

3. Don't force the hoarder to get rid of items they are attached to.

4. Don't ignore any health or safety hazards, such as mold, pests, or fire hazards. Call professionals immediately. 

5. Don't ignore any legal requirements, such as obtaining proper permits or disposing of hazardous materials.

6. Don't pressure the hoarder to clean up all at once, as this can be overwhelming and lead to a relapse.

7. Don't try to clean it all by yourself, especially if the clutter is overwhelming.

If you are in need of a hoarding cleanup, call the professionals at SERVPRO of Jefferson City. We make fire and water cleanup and restoration, "Like it never even happened." (573) 635-5883. 

How to Prevent Your Jefferson City Home From Water Damage

1/31/2023 (Permalink)

Prevent water damage in your Jefferson City home.

There are many ways to help protect your Jefferson City home from water damages. Water losses occur when water finds its way outside of the appliances you rely on to run your household’s daily needs. When we think about the causes of severe water damage to our homes, we usually think about extreme weather like a hurricane or torrential rains. But the unfortunate reality is that extensive damage is often the result of ordinary household plumbing systems and appliances that fail – and these can be just as destructive to your home as an extreme weather event.

Preventative Measures

Fortunately, there are steps that you can take to help prevent water damage from plumbing problem in your Jefferson City home. It is helpful to understand some of the common causes of water damage.

These may include:

• Heating and air-conditioning systems

• Water heaters

• Valves

• Appliances

• Pipes and plumbing fixtures

How to Detect Water Damages

Water damage can often go undetected, even if the telltale signs are there. Plumbing that is housed inside the walls of your home, in less-trafficked areas like a basement or attic, or behind a cabinet or appliance, can easily go unnoticed. That’s why it’s important to check your appliances and plumbing from time to time.

• Know where the main water supply enters your home, locate the main shut-off valve and make sure it’s functioning properly.
• If you will be away from home for an extended period, consider shutting off the water supply, but consult with a heating professional first to understand if doing so will compromise any other systems in your home. Maintain a temperature of at least 55 degrees in your home. Also, if your home is protected by a fire sprinkler system, do not turn off the water to this system, and maintain sufficient heat to prevent a freeze-up.
• Consider having your air-conditioning system inspected regularly by a professional. Check around the unit for indications of leaks. Check the drain lines annually and clean them if they are clogged. Change the air filter annually at a minimum.
• Inspect water heaters, showers, tubs, toilets, sinks, dishwashers, refrigerators and washing machines annually, and have them repaired if there are signs of leaks or corrosion. Be sure to include supply lines, hoses, connections and fittings in the inspection.
• Check caulking around showers, bathtubs, sinks and toilet bases, and make repairs as needed.
• If your refrigerator has an ice machine or water dispenser, check the hose between the wall and the refrigerator to determine if it is pinched or stressed. Also look for signs of leaking or wear and tear.
• Check exposed plumbing (pipes, valves, etc.) for signs of leaking or corrosion. Have any pipe damage fixed immediately to prevent more costly repairs in the future.

For any questions or concerns about water damage in your home, call SERVPRO of Jefferson City at (573) 635-5883  We make fire and water cleanup and restoration, "Like it never even happened." 

How to Know If You Have Plumbing Issues in you Jefferson City home

1/31/2023 (Permalink)

Plumber works on pipe in Jefferson City, Missouri.

Water damage due to a plumbing issue in your home can be life changing. But there are some common signs that homeowners can look for, and steps they can take, to help avoid a major water damage issues at home.

Consider this example:

A homeowner and his family head off for a three-week vacation. While they’re away, a minor toilet leak grows, until it reaches a pace of three gallons of water per minute. By the time the homeowners returned from their three-week vacation, the unaddressed leak had poured more than 30,000 gallons of water into their home. The water ruined furniture, fixtures and irreplaceable family valuables, and rendered the property virtually uninhabitable for an extended period of time.

But this is just a cautionary tale. The following guidance is meant to help you learn about the potential water issues from common plumbing problems and how you can take steps to help prevent disaster.

Causes For Plumbing Problems

Plumbing issues can occur anywhere in your home. Frequently, lack of maintenance is the root cause of these problems. However, other causes can include:

• Manufacturing and design defects.
• Installation errors.
• Exposure to cleaning products (for example, by storing chemicals under the sink or by cleaning surfaces of plumbing components).

If caught early, many plumbing problems can be addressed before serious damage occurs. Issues can range from severe water damage to major mold damage.  For this reason, regular inspection of your home’s visible plumbing parts can be critical. Knowing the lifespan of parts and appliances is also important, as is properly maintaining the other parts of your home and its features and systems.

Signs to Look For

Want to help prevent plumbing complications from damaging your home and potentially resulting in expensive property damage or loss? Start by visually inspecting your plumbing on a regular basis. Look for drips and slow leaks. Be sure to check the areas surrounding your pipes as well. If you see water damage on cabinetry or other nearby materials, there may be an active leak that you’ll want to locate.

Your entire home plumbing system may not be visible, but there are certain places in your home where you can readily inspect plumbing components:

• Under sinks and washtubs.
• Inside access panels near showers, sinks or appliances.
• Attachments to toilets, water heaters and appliances.
• Basements and crawl spaces.

You will want to look at any piping, valves and fittings in the areas listed above. Leaks are most common at connection points, so pay close attention to the plumbing connections on faucets, washing machines, refrigerators, dishwashers, water heaters, water filtration systems, shut-off valves and toilets. Your home’s piping system may also have multiple connections between various sections of pipe. Appliances and fixtures themselves can cause problems, so be sure to inspect those as well, and keep up with any regular maintenance recommended by the manufacturer.

The signs of a problem will vary by component. For example, problems in copper piping may look very different from problems in PEX, a common type of plastic piping. In general, you want to look for signs of corrosion, cracking, hazing, discoloration and mineral deposits from a water leak.

Biohazard Cleanups in Jefferson City

1/31/2023 (Permalink)

A SERVPRO of Jefferson City technician works on a biohazard job.

When people hear the term “biohazard”, they may ask themselves what this means. SERVPRO of Jefferson City can save you from doing extra work researching this term. Let's help you learn about the basics of biohazards, give you some examples, and explain the importance of a proper clean up. 

The Importance of Biohazard Cleanup

First of all, it’s important to recognize that biohazards need to be eliminated as soon as possible. If not eliminated, human feces and other biological waste can present an unsafe environment for people. Biohazards are transmissible in a number of ways, including the obvious form: touch. When you touch a dirty surface, like a sink that has not been cleaned thoroughly or often enough, you can contact biohazards. Certain biohazards can be ingested (eaten or drank in liquid form), inhaled, or shared in blood-to-blood contact (if biohazards enter an exposed wound, for example). The latter is possibly the most dangerous. 

What Is a Biohazard?

Essentially, a biohazard is a disease or pathogen spread from a living organism (i.e. animals and humans) that is dangerous when ingested. To present a scenario, imagine a bathroom in an office space. This room in an office is in use every day of the week. People expose themselves to the toilets and sinks when utilizing bathrooms. Let’s say the bathroom is never cleaned thoroughly, and an employee uses an unsanitary bathroom. In this case, an employee is at a major risk of developing a disease from a biohazard.

However, biohazards are nearly always dangerous. Here are some common examples of biohazards, including materials you may not realize fall into this category.

Bloodborne Pathogens

While blood is essential to maintain the life of a person or animal, it produces the opposite effect when it escapes the body. To present another scenario, a crime could occur inside a home, leaving unsafe bloodborne pathogens and other bodily fluids in the building. After a crime scene investigation is finished, let’s say that the building is never cleaned afterward. If this were to happen, people would not be able to use the building and it would be called biohazardous. The reason is that blood contains what is known as bloodborne pathogens.

Examples of these pathogens include HIV, HBV, and many other types of harmful diseases. In this same scenario, if a homeowner tries to remove blood and other bodily fluids themselves, they are at a high risk to develop this disease. They can ingest these pathogens from these pathogens entering their body. How could this happen? Let’s say a homeowner has a cut or broken skin still healing; their chances of exposure are very high if bloodborne pathogens are exposed to their skin.

Animal Feces

Finally, human fluids and blood are not the only type of biological hazard that could pose a risk of someone developing a disease in their body. If a person owns a pet in their home, the dog or cat may remain inside for many hours of the day. What can happen, especially when domesticated pets, is that they leave feces or other animal fluids on the floor at any time of the day. It is important to monitor your pets throughout the day to spot an occurrence like this.

This is because animal feces, as mentioned before, presents a biohazard to a home if left unattended. Over time, if not cleaned, the odor and feces begin to accumulate in the home. If left unattended, the home can be uninhabitable for a homeowner or anyone else interacting with the house. That is why a biohazard cleanup is essential to combat the chances of this occurring. 

When your home or office space is exposed to biohazards, you can rely on our professional bio-cleaning services at SERVPRO of Jefferson City. To learn more about what we do, you can send us an inquiry or call us at (573) 635-5883  We make fire and water cleanup and restoration, "Like it never even happened." 

SERVPRO of Jefferson City Commercial Restoration Services

1/31/2023 (Permalink)

SERVPRO of Jefferson City helps with all your commercial restoration service needs.

SERVPRO of Jefferson City offers many different services that we offer for commercial properties. We understand that it is difficult at times to schedule services during business hours, so we can work with you to find a time that best fits you and your company's needs.

If needed we can work in one section at a time in order to keep your business open while we work, or we can attempt to schedule it before or after business hours. 

In addition to our emergency water, fire, and storm clean up services we also offer many other cleaning services. These include, but are not limited to:  

• Air Ducts and HVAC 
• Biohazard 
• Carpet and Upholstery 
• Ceilings, Floors, and Walls 
• Drapes and Blinds 
• Odor Removal 
• Sewage 
• Trauma and Crime Scene 
• Vandalism 

FIRE DAMAGE 

The faster SERVPRO of Jefferson City arrives on-site to perform fire, smoke, and soot cleanup and restoration, the better the results— including lower claim costs.

Within four hours of a loss notification (and usually much earlier), SERVPRO of Jefferson City will be on-site to help ensure a fire damage is handled properly by utilizing the following services:

Structural Cleaning

After a smoke or fire damage, ceilings, walls, woodwork, carpeting, and floors will often need a thorough cleaning. SERVPRO® will pretest to determine the extent of damage, then use the specific equipment and cleaning products required to clean and protect the different types of surfaces found within the structure.

Contents Cleaning

All the restorable contents in the affected areas will be professionally cleaned and deodorized. This includes area rugs, furniture, draperies, and upholstery. SERVPRO can provide wet or dry-cleaning services. Additionally, all other restorable contents will be cleaned and deodorized to preloss condition. This includes electronics, art, wood furniture, kitchen items, clothing, bedding, and much more. Finally, SERVPRO of Jefferson City can provide an inventory list of all “to be claimed” items.

Deodorization

SERVPRO of Jefferson City provides specialized services that rid your insured’s home or place of business of offensive odors left behind by fire or smoke damage. We do not merely cover up lingering odors with a fragrance; we seek out the sources of the odor and remove them.  

WATER DAMAGE

If you have recently become a victim of commercial water damage, you may be wondering what you can do to mitigate your damages. There is a critical period in which certain actions must be taken to preserve as much of your property as possible and to decrease any health risks when water damage has occurred in a commercial space.

Preparing a Space for Water Damage Restoration
Before you enter your commercial space or any flooded building, you will need to make sure the electrical power to the structure is shut off. You should also be aware that during a flooding event, small animals or reptiles tend to seek shelter inside of buildings. Be prepared to deal with the discovery of wild animals in your space.

Protect yourself from entering any flooded building by wearing an organic vapor respirator. You can purchase these at any local paint and building supply stores. You also want to have rubber gloves, protective clothing, and eye protection. The first thing you should do is ventilate the affected areas by opening the windows and placing fans where possible.

Unfortunately, there likely will be items that you need to throw away. Any items that are porous and have absorbed contaminated floodwater cannot be restored. If your commercial space has drywall, mattresses, pillows, box springs, particle board, carpets or carpet pads, these will need to be discarded if they have become saturated. However, there is good news: If you have clothing or household fabrics that can be machine-washed, you may be able to salvage them. Use your washing machine to clean these items with a 10-minute soak at the minimum in hot water with detergent. The soap and normal wash should remove most of the contamination and any staining that is present.

Be aware that your commercial space will need a thorough professional inspection, cleaning and possibly restructuring. Water damaged walls and installations must be removed and repaired, and pockets of saturation should be exposed for drying and sanitizing. Always remember that mold growth could take a few days to appear as it thrives in a moist environment with organic-type materials such as paper or particle board and in temperatures that range between 60 and 86 degrees Fahrenheit. Keep good airflow throughout the interior environment, and maintain moderate temperatures to decrease the risk of any mold growth. It is also important that you let your space dry out before any rebuilding occurs.

If you would like more information on any of the services listed above, please call SERVPRO of Jefferson City at 573-635-5883.

How SERVPRO Spells Help

1/23/2023 (Permalink)

SERVPRO of Jefferson City is here to help.

You forgot about the chicken dinner on the stove, filling the house with smoke. The water pipe breaks flooding the entire basement. A roof leak has caused mold in your attic space. The fire sprinkler bursts, saturating the floors of your warehouse. 

We all need help at some point in time. Help to clean the smoke off the walls and remove the odor. Help to extract the water and dry the structure. Help to safely remove the mold in your attic. Help to dry out your warehouse and get you back to work.

This is how we spell help:

S is for the Service that we provide. 24 hours a day, seven days a week. We are always here to help.

E is for the Expert advice that we offer. We are your expert Fire & Water Clean Up and Restoration company.

R is for the Resources that we can bring to every job. Air movers, dehumidifiers, air scrubbers, drying mats, duct cleaning machines, carpet cleaning machines. Residential and commercial. Whatever your job demands.

V is for Value. We value our customers and it is truly an honor to serve you.

P is for the Professionalism that we bring to every job. We are always prepared. Our highly trained staff is here to “Make it like it never even happened”.

R is for being Ready for any sized disaster. Our crews are on call and always ready to answer the call when needed. 

O is for the Outstanding work that we provide. Our work is certified, warrantied and performed by IICRC trained technicians.  

SERVPRO of Jefferson City is always here to help!

Winter Weather Hazards

1/23/2023 (Permalink)

Keep your Jefferson City home safe this winter.

Winter weather leads to issues for thousands of people and their homes each year. Since cold weather can cause issues that don’t occur the rest of the year, it’s important to be vigilant about any problem that could arise. 

Here are some potential problems that should be on your radar this winter for your Jefferson City home.

1. Heating System Fire

While most winter fires take place in the kitchen, heating systems can also be a culprit. Thousands of residential fires occur each year due to failure of home heating systems. Fireplaces, chimneys and chimney connectors are responsible for half of the fires. That’s why it’s important to have your heating system checked regularly, especially if you have a gas or electric furnace or heat pump.

Space heaters also cause many fires in the winter, and in total cause 25,000 per year. Space heaters should never be left on unattended, especially after going to sleep. 

Being aware of the potential hazards of your heating system can keep you fire-free this winter. 

2. Frozen Pipes

Pipes freezing and bursting can be a nightmare for your home. 

Frozen pipes cause an estimated $400-$500 million in damage annually. To avoid adding to that number, it’s crucial to take preventive measures. Drain water from pipes that are likely to freeze and disconnect any outside hoses. 

If you are still worried that your pipes might freeze, you can also place a 60-watt bulb in areas you’re concerned with. Just make sure none of the materials near the bulb are combustible. 

To keep pipes from freezing, your thermostat should be kept around the same temperature at all times, and your house temperature should never fall below 55 degrees. 

3. Ice Dams

While ice dams can be pretty to look at, they can be a nuisance to deal with. Since ice dams are caused by a lack of uniform roof surface temperatures, this problem must be addressed if you are experiencing ice dams. Making your ceiling and attic air-tight, adding insulation and installing heating cables to the roof are all steps that can create uniform temperatures. 

If you are already dealing with ice dams, you can take a long-handled aluminum roof rake to scrape off snow from the roof. And if you’re experiencing leaking, you can set up a box fan in the attic and aim it at the bottom of the roof where water is leaking in. This will freeze the water and stop the leak.

4. Carbon Monoxide

Cold temperatures can often lead to problems with carbon monoxide in the home. Sadly, 430 people die annually from carbon monoxide poisoning, while approximately 50,000 are hospitalized. 

Carbon monoxide poisoning occurs due to faulty heating systems. Whether it’s unvented space heaters, malfunctioning furnaces, clogged chimneys or other heating system issues, it’s important to make sure your system is functioning properly.

That’s why you should have your furnace and fireplace inspected before each winter. In addition, carbon monoxide detectors should be installed in your home (if you don’t already have them), and the batteries should be checked and replaced regularly. 

Also, make sure that if you’re going to use space heaters they are properly ventilated.