Cold Weather - Another Cause of Flooding in Buildings

3/27/2018 (Permalink)

When you think of flooding in commercial buildings, your mind may turn to heavy rains.

Downpours are a common cause of water damage in buildings. However, rain flooding isn't the only cause of indoor floods in Vancouver, WA. Cold weather can lead to standing water on your property due to a burst pipe.

Why Pipes Freeze

Pipes often freeze when the weather gets extremely cold. Not all plumbing that transports water has the same risk of freezing. Some piping may freeze more often:

• Uninsulated plumbing in exterior walls
• Outdoor sprinkler lines
• Pipes in unheated spaces, like garages, attics or basements
• Exterior hose bibs

These particular pipes often aren't heated, so when the cold weather strikes, the water within freezes. The freezing action causes the water within to expand, which is why some plumbing may burst open.

What to Do If Pipes Freeze

A frozen pipe does not necessarily have to turn into a burst pipe. If you catch the problem early enough, you may be able to thaw the water before it becomes a problem.

First, open a faucet to give the thawed water somewhere to go. Next, locate the frozen stretch by looking at the suspects listed above. Finally, apply warmth to the pipe using a hair dryer, towel soaked in warm water or another soothing form of heat. If a pipe does burst, you may need to call in a water restoration expert for help taking care of the water damage.

How to Avoid Frozen Pipes

Because no one wants to deal with flooding in his or her business, you may want to take some precautionary steps. You can keep a trickle of water running through faucets or spigots because running water can help stave off freezing. Keep the heat on in the building even if no one will be using it for a while.

You can't always stop storm damages from taking place in your commercial building. If you're unable to stop a burst pipe from happening to you, you at least know who to call for help.