BEAUMONT, Texas — Experts are giving tips on how to best prepare your pipes as freezing temps make their way to Texas.
This means means wrapping your pipes and even letting your water drip out so it can't freeze.
Henry LaRocca has over 50 years experience as a plumber and has seen it all.
To avoid potential catastrophic damage to your home, like busted pipes and collapsing ceilings, the professionals say it pays to not skip these steps.
"Go ahead and get your insulation and go around wrapping your pipes, get everything ready before jack frost makes his arrival. If you do that you have a good chance about not letting your pipes burst. Plus, let your faucets drip a little," LaRocca said.
Whether your house is lifted, or flat on the ground, you are going to need to protect your pipes.
"Let's say it's on piers, blocks, or beams well the pipes are under the house so you can put a siding along the side or a skirting to prevent wind from going under there and freezing the pipes," he said.
And with less than a week to prep your home, it's a possibility the necessary products can be sold out.
So, you might have to get creative.
"You can use plastic or garbage bags lying around. If you have some old flannels you can wrap those around the faucets and pipes as well," LaRocca said.
LaRocca says prepping your home in advanced, helps him and other plumbers in the area.
"Although we have a lot of great plumbers in the area, we have more homes and more pipes in the area that break than we do plumbers. So, prep your homes to help us," he said.
If you hire a professional to protect your home, make sure they're licensed.
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