Before the first freeze, protect your home from burst pipes, septic stress, and costly repairs. Our Living Stone Restorations team put together a simple, practical guide to help you prevent problems before they start—and handle them quickly if they do.
Find and tag the main shut-off.
If you can’t shut water off in under 30 seconds, you don’t own your house—your house owns you. Tag it. Show your partner where it is.
Exterior spigots:
Disconnect hoses.
Close the interior shutoff (if you have one) and open the spigot to drain.
Add foam covers; consider frost-free sillcocks if you’re upgrading.
Insulate the usual suspects:
Exposed pipes in crawlspaces, garages, and exterior walls get foam sleeves or UL-listed heat tape (follow the instructions, no cowboy wiring).
Thermostat & airflow:
Keep heat ≥ 55°F if you’re away.
On freeze nights, open sink cabinet doors so warm air reaches the pipes.
Close the garage at night.
Well/irrigation/backflow:
Heat the well house (thermostat plug or safe heater).
Drain/insulate backflow preventers and irrigation manifolds.
Drip rule (selective):
On hard freeze alerts, let one cold faucet furthest from the meter drip to keep water moving.
Pump if you’re due.
Most systems need pumping every 3–5 years depending on use; if it’s been a while, do it before guests.
Protect the drain field.
No parking, no bonfire pits, no heavy anything on the field—compaction kills soil treatment.
Grease is not a condiment.
Wipe pans into the trash, then wash. Grease in the sink = clogs in the line and strain on the septic.
Flush rules (make a friendly sign):
Toilet: Only human waste + toilet paper.
Never: wipes (even “flushable”), feminine products, cotton swabs, dental floss, paper towels.
Stagger water use:
Spread showers, laundry, and dishwasher cycles throughout the day. High-efficiency showerheads help, and setting the softener to regenerate overnight reduces peak demand.
Hair & food catchers:
Strainers at showers and sinks are cheap insurance.
These categories come from the ANSI/IICRC S500 standard and drive what’s covered, how we clean, and how fast we need to move.
Category 1 — “Clean water.”
Source is sanitary: broken supply line, tub overflow with clean water, toilet tank (not bowl). If we act fast, many materials can be dried and saved. Delays can let it degrade to Cat 2.
Category 2 — “Significantly contaminated.”
Think dishwasher or washing machine discharge, aquarium water, rainwater that’s run across soils. Requires removal of some porous materials, targeted disinfection, and controlled drying.
Category 3 — “Grossly contaminated.”
Sewage, river/stream flooding, or long-stagnant water. No DIY. Requires full containment, removal of affected porous materials, disinfection, air control, and clearance testing. Health risks are the issue here.
Same software: We build line-item estimates in carrier-preferred platforms (e.g., Xactimate) and attach photo markups, moisture/soot logs, and equipment run logs so your adjuster sees exactly what they expect—no translation needed.
Same language: RCV/ACV, depreciation, supplements, scope notes tied to IICRC S500/S520—all packaged the way adjusters process claims.
Same cadence: We schedule onsite meets, do three-way calls when helpful, and submit clean, portal-ready documentation so files move instead of stall.
Same goal: Close the claim at the right scope and price the first time—less friction, faster checks, happier holidays.
Bottom line: We’re not just taking the stress off your plate—we’re taking it off your adjuster’s plate, too. That’s how you get back home sooner, without paying more than your policy allows.
If a leak, backup, or burst knocks on your holiday party, call Living Stone Restorations:
Make the memories. We’ll handle the mess and get your home feeling like home again.
