Time to Wrap Your Pipes: Winter Home Prep Tips
Southeast Texas doesn't get a real winter most years — which is exactly why an occasional hard freeze catches so many homes unprepared.
Homes in colder climates are built expecting freezing temperatures. Homes around Lake Livingston aren't — plumbing often runs through uninsulated exterior walls or crawl spaces, and a lot of us don't own a single space heater until the week we suddenly need three. A little prep before the first hard freeze goes a long way.
Wrap and protect exposed pipes
Pipes running through crawl spaces, garages, or exterior walls are the most vulnerable to freezing. Foam pipe insulation is cheap and takes an afternoon to install on the exposed runs. Outdoor spigots should get insulated covers, and hoses should be disconnected so water doesn't sit trapped in the line. On the coldest nights, letting an indoor faucet drip slightly keeps water moving through the line and reduces freeze risk.
Seal gaps and drafts
Cold air finds its way in through gaps around windows, doors, and where utility lines enter the house. Weatherstripping and caulk are inexpensive fixes that also help keep the house more efficient to heat. It's worth doing a walk-around on a windy day — you can often feel drafts you'd otherwise miss.
Check attic and water heater insulation
Attic insulation affects how much heat a house loses overall, and it's easy to forget about since nobody looks up there regularly. While you're at it, an insulation blanket on an older water heater is a cheap way to reduce heat loss and lower the amount of time the unit spends reheating.
HVAC maintenance
A clean filter and a working system matter more in a cold snap than any other time of year. Change the filter before winter, and if the system hasn't been serviced in a while, get it looked at before you're relying on it during the coldest week.
Roof and gutters
Clogged gutters cause water to back up and pool, which is a bigger problem when temperatures drop enough for that standing water to freeze. Clearing leaves and debris before winter keeps water moving off the roof and away from the foundation. We offer gutter cleaning as one of our other services if it's not something you want to tackle from a ladder.
Check the outside of the house too
While you're handling the inside, it's worth a quick look outside as well — loose siding, peeling exterior paint, and fence posts sitting in standing water all get worse with repeated freeze-thaw cycles, even mild ones. None of it is urgent on its own, but catching it in the fall is easier than dealing with it after a cold snap has made it worse.
Have a plan for a hard freeze
On the rare nights temperatures actually drop into the 20s, know where your main water shutoff is, keep a few basic supplies on hand (flashlights, blankets, a way to heat the house if power goes out), and check on any outdoor pets or livestock water sources that could freeze over.
Frequently asked questions
Do I really need to wrap my pipes if it only freezes a few nights a year here?
Those are usually the exact nights that cause the most damage, precisely because homes here aren't built with the same freeze protection as homes in colder climates. A few dollars of pipe insulation is cheap compared to a burst pipe.
What temperature should I start worrying about frozen pipes?
Pipes are generally at risk once sustained temperatures drop into the mid-20s or lower, especially overnight. Exposed or exterior-wall pipes are at risk sooner than interior ones.
Does winter weather affect fences too, or just the house?
It can — standing water at post bases and repeated freeze-thaw cycles affect fence posts the same way they affect other structures. It's worth a quick look at the fence line while you're doing other winter prep.