Georgia Magazine - December 2011 - (Page 34C)

Web exclusive WTake precautions to avoid frozen pipe disasters Spring is a good time for a house safety check Fundamentals hen the last traces of winter fade away, many homeowners can’t wait to begin tinkering around the house. Georgia’s electric cooperatives urge all ambitious home improvers to heed these guidelines: • One of the first places to look for trouble is the roof. Watch for loose or missing shingles and leaks around flashings. Don’t begin repair work unless you’re confident of your do-it-yourself abilities. Think about calling a professional. • Be sure to inspect your gutters before April showers begin. If they are clogged, rainwater will overflow onto the siding of your house and could cause moisture problems. Downspouts should carry rainwater safely away from the foundation of the house. If they pour water out on the ground, it could seep into the basement. • If your exterior paint job appears healthy, but it’s just a little dirty, don’t apply a fresh coat. If all your home needs is a cleaning, wash it. • A special reminder to parents: Never leave a container of liquid unattended near a small child. This includes wading pools, scrub buckets, toilets and bathtubs. The curious youngster can lean over to play in the water or drop something in a bucket and fall in head first. • Be sure patios, porches and driveways are free from cracks and holes. • Check for damage as you take down storm windows and put up screen doors and windows. • Trim broken tree limbs and prune shrubs. Remove dry leaves and debris from under porches, wooden stairs and window wells. Pick up all junk, cans and other litter. Inventory the inside • Clean off stairways and steps. Check treads, risers and carpeting and replace worn coverings. N March 2011 othing drains your wallet and makes your holidays soggy like coming home to a house full of water. According to insurance industry experts, the average homeowner insurance claim for water damage and freezing is nearly $6,000, making frozen pipes one of the most costly problems facing homeowners every winter. Come wintertime, homeowners can take simple precautions to keep the pipes intact and avoid pouring thousands of dollars into home repairs. “Homeowners will plan every detail of a weekend trip when they’re headed out of town, but they often don’t think to prepare to prevent their pipes from freezing,” says Jeff Dudan, CEO and founder of AdvantaClean, a national water damage restoration company. “Even in warm-weather climates, there are measures you should take to protect your home from water damage when a cold snap hits.” Consider this: • Second only to hurricanes, frozen and broken water pipes cause more losses—in terms of the number of homes damaged and the total amount of claims paid by insurance companies nationwide—than any other cause. • Inspect your air-conditioning system and have repairs made now, before summer begins. Give the fireplace a thorough cleaning and close the damper. Consider calling a chimney sweep. Sprinkler systems can save lives M ost fire departments urge homeowners to install sprinkler systems in new homes, or when they remodel their existing homes. Fire spreads so quickly that you could have as little as two minutes to escape before it’s too late. A fire sprinkler system can buy you a few more minutes. When it senses a fire, the sprinkler system auto- matically sprays water on the flames. Only the sprinkler closest to the fire will spray. The National Fire Protection Association estimates that 90 percent of deaths in residential fires can be prevented by sprinklers. If you’re buying a new home, is installed behind your walls, similar to plumbing, and is connected to your home’s water supply. A plumber should do the installation. • According to the Insurance Journal, every year, approximately a quarter-million homes and offices in the United States have at least one room damaged by a frozen pipe, and a decade of these insurance claims has cost more than $4 billion. What can homeowners do to protect their property? • Ensure water tanks and pipes are insulated. Pipes in attics, crawl spaces and outside walls are more vulnerable to freezing. • Let the water run! Letting both hot and cold lines of a faucet drip in the extreme cold can prevent a pipe from bursting. A running faucet relieves December 2011 December 2011 pressure between the faucet and the ice. No pressure means no bursting. • Keep bathroom and kitchen cabinet doors open during a cold spell to let warm air circulate around the pipes. choose one that has a sprinkler system. If you’re remodeling your home, add a system. The sprinkler system • Seal any leaks in your home, attic, basement or crawl space that might allow cold air inside where pipes are located. “If you turn on a faucet and only a trickle comes out, suspect a frozen pipe,” Dudan says. “Keep the faucet running and apply heat to the frozen section of pipe until full water pressure is restored. If you’re unable to locate or access the frozen area, call a licensed plumber. You’ll also want to check all of the other faucets in your home. If one pipe freezes, others may too.” While traveling out of town during the winter months, when the temperature is expected to drop, take these precautions to reduce the risk of coming back to burst pipes and a soggy home. • Always keep your thermostat set at 55 degrees or higher. Lowering your heat might save you some pennies on the heating bill, but you could end up paying a much bigger price when you return home. • Drain your water system before you leave town. To drain the system, shut off the main valve and turn on all water fixtures (cold and hot) until the water stops running. When you get home, turn on the main valve and let each fixture run until water comes out and pressure returns. “One of the most important things every member of your household should know is how to shut off the water main,” Dudan says. “If a pipe bursts, quick action will minimize the damage and prevent wet and flooded crawl spaces and basements from becoming a breeding ground for mold.” More online at www.georgiamagazine.org 34C http://www.georgiamagazine.org

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Georgia Magazine - December 2011

Georgia Magazine - December 2011
Contents
Viewpoint
Mailbox
Georgia News
Picture This?
Calendar of Events
Currents
Magical Nights, Holiday Lights
Between the Covers
Around Georgia
My Georgia
Georgia Cooks
Snapshot

Georgia Magazine - December 2011