No matter how clearly it's predicted -- or even overpredicted -- the first cold snap of the winter is always a shock. And, most likely, it's as much a shock for your house as it is for you. It's the time you find out about those little lurking problems, like a hole in the siding, or a piece of crumbled caulk, that make big misery for a homeowner in the form of frozen pipes and water leaks.
Frozen water pipes at the least are a nuisance, making a sink or tub or washing machine inoperable until they thaw. At the worst, they can cause major flooding or difficult repairs when a pipe bursts behind a wall. Drafts are a common cause of frozen pipes. Cold air blowing across it can freeze a pipe pretty quickly.
The solution is to patch or fill in cracks or holes, and to make sure insulation hasn't slipped or deteriorated. The air may not be blowing directly on the pipe, but a crack somewhere is allowing cold air into the space where the pipe is. If you're consistently getting freezing in one particular pipe, you have a problem with siding, caulk or insulation that needs to be addressed before the weather turns nippy again.
We don't recommend letting water run to keep pipes open. For one thing, the pipes can still freeze. Think of icicles; they're running water. And besides, even if it's just a drip, it's wasteful. A better solution is to wrap the pipe with insulation, or to wrap it with heating tape. The best solution is to insulate or make repairs. However, if the pipe runs through a large space, such as a crawl space, heating tapes may work best. (Remember, if a pipe does freeze, don't use any kind of open flame to thaw it. Open the faucets and valves and use a hair dryer.)
If you're doing a major rehab, building an addition, or even building a new house, that's the time to make sure pipes wil be protected. Here are some guidelines:
jTC * Avoid running water pipes through exterior walls or unheated spaces. However, most building codes require pipes in unheated spaces to be insulated. If you must run pipes in an exterior wall, make sure that insulation is placed behind the pipe, so the pipe is on the "warm" side of the insulation. If you must run a pipe through an unheated space, wrap it with heat tape.
Before installing insulation, seal all cracks and gaps with caulk, or tear off small pieces of insulation and stuff them into the gaps.
* If pipes run through an unheated area, consider providing some heat. If you have forced-air ducts running through the same space, you might install a register in the duct to provide some heat.
When the weather warms up after a cold snap, that's when the leaks appear, especially around windows and doors. Most leaks are caused by improper flashing or poor maintenance. In frame construction, metal flashing is installed over doors and windows, but under the siding. The flashing prevents water from running into the house between the siding and the exterior wall. Over time, the flashing can deteriorate, be damaged, or slip; it needs to be checked periodically to make sure there are no gaps or holes.
Leaks can also occur when caulk between doors and windows and siding breaks down. Every time you paint, you should remove all cracked and damaged caulk and replace it with a good-quality, paintable caulk. If you have a leak and you're between paint jobs, consider caulking around the windows and doors anyway; it could just solve the problem.
In brick construction, windows and doors are installed set back from the surface of the brick, so no flashing is needed. Leaks around doors and windows in brick houses are usually caused by a caulk problem, or by a cracked or broken sill. Inspect doors and windows for problem spots and make repairs. Old wood can be repaired with the new generation of epoxy wood fillers that are stronger than the original wood. The fillers can be carved, sanded and painted.
Obviously, some repairs are difficult, if not impossible, when you're in the grip of winter cold. Make yourself a note to start sometime after April checking out possible problem areas and ++ making repairs.