Home Winterization Tips from a Seasoned Houston Realtor

With that soft freeze now in our rearview mirrors, it feels like a great time to share some best practices for preparing your Houston home for a hard freeze. We all know that while winter in Texas can be mild, Mother Nature likes to throw us curveballs every now and then. Remember that infamous freeze a few years back? Water damage caused by busted, frozen pipes is very costly to remediate. Here are some simple home winterization tips to protect your home and keep those pipes warm!

Protect Your Pipes

• First, insulate exposed pipes. Head to your local hardware store and grab some insulation. Wrap it around any exposed pipes in your attic, garage, or crawl space. There are four primary types of pipes used in homes: PEX, PVC, copper, and galvanized. They all have their pros and cons. Galvanized is usually old and already has stress points—any frozen water in these pipes could lead to a busted pipe. Copper is the least susceptible to freezing, but it’s also the most expensive. Sadly, not many homes have copper pipes. PVC is very common and the most likely to crack under the pressure of frozen water. Lastly, PEX expands nicely and can tolerate freezing water, but since it’s so new, you won’t find it in many homes. Regardless of the type of pipes in your home, it’s important to make sure they’re insulated. 
• After exposed pipes are insulated, open the cabinets under your sinks. During a freeze, open cabinet doors allow warmer air to circulate around the pipes there.
• Finally, keep those faucets dripping! A slow drip of water in sinks, showers, and bathtubs can help prevent pipes from freezing by keeping the water inside them moving.

Don’t Forget the Outdoors

The outdoors are going to freeze a lot faster than anything inside. Freezing water outside can damage outdoor plumbing, sprinkler systems, water features, and plants.

• Drain outdoor hoses: Disconnect hoses and turn off the water supply to outdoor faucets.
• Turn off the sprinkler system: Failing to turn off the sprinkler system will result in busted heads. 
• Protect sensitive plants: Bring potted plants indoors or cover them with mulch and plastic. Even sheets from a thrift store can help.

Maintain Emergency Kit Essentials

Freezing conditions can lead to power outages if there are other weather events such as rain, sleet, or snow. All those above-ground power lines in Houston can snap or fall from the weight of frozen water.

• Stock up on supplies: Have plenty of bottled water, non-perishable food, and any necessary medications on hand.
• Keep a flashlight and batteries handy: Power outages are common during severe weather events.
• Have a backup heat source: Consider a portable heater as a backup if your primary heating system fails. However, do not bring gas heat or power sources inside your home or garage! 
• Fill your gas tank: Your car will become an excellent source of heat if you lose power. It will also allow you to evacuate to a location with power. 

Stay Informed

When a weather crisis unfolds, staying informed can help keep you and your home safe and secure. Keep your smartphone charged and keep a battery-powered radio handy to listen to broadcasts on stations like KUHF 88.7 FM.

• Monitor weather forecasts: Keep a close eye on weather alerts and advisories from local news and weather apps. Local Houston services and Centerpoint are easiest to follow on X and Meta. Follow their profiles to get up-to-date information. 
• Sign up for emergency alerts: Houston and Harris County offer emergency notification systems that will send alerts directly to your phone.

Keep Winterization Tips In Mind All Year

Remember, a little preparation with these home winterization tips can go a long way in keeping your home safe and comfortable during a freeze. Let’s hope for a mild winter, but it’s always better to be prepared for the unexpected.

Stay warm and safe, Houston!