When hard freezes come, get prepared with these tips
The Houston area gets several hard freezes a year, and as winter approaches, you don’t want to be caught off-guard by biting wind chill.
But it’s not as simple as dressing in more layers — you need to prepare for the impact of cold weather on your home. Even though Houston is unlikely to end up as cold as our friends in New England, it doesn’t take much to wreak havoc on Southeast Texas.
“Texans should gear up for the winter weather,” said Mark Hanna, a spokesman for the Insurance Council of Texas. “You don’t want to be caught offguard and don’t want to be out of town when a freak cold snap comes through.”
While northern transplants might snort at the idea of folks freaking out when temperatures hover around 32 degrees, Houstonians aren’t accustomed to regular bouts of temperatures in the low 30s, a forecast we’re facing this week. Get ready for the worst of the winter season by protecting your home and loved ones from cold weather.
Protect your pipes
Water turns to ice when temperatures dip below 32 degrees for a lengthy period of time, typically 24 hours — although it can happen faster if it gets much colder. Expanding liquid puts a lot of pressure on pipes, according to the American Red Cross. But you might not see the damage until the ice starts thawing and the cracks become apparent. Experts recommend insulating outdoor pipes and those that are exposed in any part to the elements, such as those in unheated attics.
A do-it-yourself approach is fine. You can wrap pipes in newspaper, foam or rags and secure them with strong tape or rope.
If it gets really cold and you expect to be out of town for a longer period of time, consider cutting off the water and draining the pipes.
Insured losses and home damages from burst pipes usually run in the tens of millions of dollars annually in Texas, Hanna said. But when there’s a long period between cold snaps, people get complacent and may not think to take precautions, putting aging pipes at risk.
“It’s been decades since we’ve had a really bad, long spell of freezing weather so it could reach $100 million,” Hanna said.
Make sure your home is staying warm
You might want to run your heater before the first cold nights come. Accumulated dust will burn off and with a smoky smell, which experts say is concerning only if it lingers or keeps returning when you turn your heater on later. That’s a sign that you need to call in technicians to inspect your heater if you don’t already do an annual check.
If your house has a chimney, make sure that the shaft isn’t
blocked and clean out the chimney annually. You don’t want to be caught off-guard by smoke and fumes filling your home.
If your home is equipped for heat but you can’t afford the payments, consult Texas’ Comprehensive Energy Assistance Program. The program aids low-income households with making energy-efficient home repairs and utility payments. To
qualify, households must be at or below 150 percent of the federal poverty line, with priority given to elderly, persons with disabilities and families with young children, or individuals with high energy cost burdens, said Kristina Tirloni, a spokesperson for the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs.
From November 2018 to February 2019, 3,223 households in Harris County used CEAP to pay utility bills or prevent utility cutoff, according to the housing agency.
Another 165 households used the program, administered by Baker Ripley, to “weatherize” their home — insulating, repairing and/or replacing fixtures in the building to make it more energy efficient in 2018, Tirloni said.
Insulation is particularly important for keeping energy costs down. Make sure your
attic insulation is effective. And think about what’s below it as well. Many area homes are built on pier and beam foundations, allowing cold air to invade the crawlspace under a house, resulting in cold floors.
Researchers at Louisiana State University found that properly sealed, rigid foam insulation installed underneath the floor joists or closed cell spray foam will keep your pierand-beam home insulated without promoting the growth of mold and fungi. (Both are DIY-able.)
Check in on people, pets and plants
Cold weather significantly impacts death rates in Texas, according to research from the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston.
In metropolitan areas along the Gulf Coast, including the Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land region, the risk of mortality increased significantly when temperatures dropped. Annually, an estimated 1,105 deaths can be attributed to excessive cold in the area, researchers found.
If you know you have a neighbor going on vacation soon and a cold front is looming, ask if they want someone to come in and drip water from some of the
faucets in their home to prevent still water from icing over, Hanna said.
And if you have friends or family who are physically impaired and/or unable to prepare their homes, check in on them as well.
Pets and plants need protection from freezing temperatures. For foliage, if the cold spell isn’t expected to last long, you can drape a drop cloth or plastic sheets over stakes and over the plant to protect ice crystals from forming, researchers said. You can also bring potted plants in during frosty weather.
While some animals are hardy, you should make sure they have warm, insulated places to sleep — especially young animals that haven’t developed their winter coats.
A 2007 law passed in the Texas Legislature makes it illegal to tether dogs outside in extreme weather conditions, including if the “actual or effective” temperature outside is below 32 degrees Fahrenheit. Owners must provide adequate shelter protecting the dog from frigid weather conditions. (Advocates said no one has been prosecuted under the law, although warnings can be issued.)