Winter freeze-ups
Frozen Pipe Burst Cleanup in Greenbelt, MD
A frozen pipe often gives no warning. It splits in the cold and starts leaking when it thaws, sometimes in a room no one uses or a unit that is empty. We connect you with local crews who deal with the water, the wet structure and the cold-weather complications that come with it.
Pipe thawed and now it’s leaking? Call any hour of the night.
Frozen Pipe Leaking? Call NowReviewed
- Available 24/7
- Emergency response
- Crews familiar with Prince George’s County properties
- Straight answers on the phone
The problem
What happens when a pipe freezes
Water expands as it freezes. In a pipe, that expansion builds pressure between the ice plug and the closed tap, and the pipe splits, often at a fitting or along a seam. While the pipe stays frozen, little or nothing leaks. When the temperature rises, the ice melts and water under full supply pressure pours out of the split.
That delay is what makes frozen pipes different. The break happens in the cold, in a crawl space, exterior wall or garage ceiling, and the water appears later, sometimes hours or days afterward, often while people are asleep, at work or away.
The cleanup follows the same order as any burst pipe, with a few winter additions: cold framing dries more slowly, heating may be needed to make drying work, and neighbouring pipes in the same cold spot may be frozen too.
Warning signs
Some clues show up before the thaw; others only after.
- No water, or a thin trickle, from one tap on a very cold morning
- Frost on an exposed pipe in a crawl space or garage
- Water dripping from a ceiling below a bathroom on an exterior wall
- A wet patch spreading under a kitchen sink on an outside wall
- Water on the floor of a vacant or seldom-used unit
- Hissing or running water inside a wall after temperatures rise
In this corridor
Where pipes freeze in this corridor
Mid-Atlantic winters bring runs of sharp cold, and the buildings here weren’t all designed for them. Pipes in crawl spaces under older houses, in unheated garages, in exterior walls behind kitchen sinks and in bathrooms on outside corners are the usual casualties. Townhouses with supply lines running along an end wall are particularly exposed.
Older construction adds its own weak points. Original 1930s and mid-century buildings often have little insulation in exterior walls, gaps around sill plates and penetrations where cold air reaches pipes directly, and supply runs that were rerouted during remodels into spaces that were never heated.
Vacancy is a major factor. Empty rentals between tenants, units on the market and homes left while owners travel can have the heat turned down too far or fail entirely, and a split pipe in an unoccupied unit may run for a long time before a neighbour notices water coming through the ceiling or wall.
The first hour
What to do right now
The first steps are about stopping the water and not making the break worse.
Shut off the supply
Close the main, or the fixture valve if the break is clearly after it. If you suspect a frozen pipe that hasn’t burst yet, shut the supply before it thaws.
Keep clear of wet electrics
Thawing pipes in ceilings often drip near light fixtures. If water is near outlets or panels, do not enter and call your utility and emergency services.
Don’t apply open flame
Leave thawing to a plumber. Torches and improvised heaters near framing and insulation cause more problems than they solve.
Check nearby pipes
Pipes that share the same cold wall or crawl space may be frozen too. Tell the plumber and the crew where else might be at risk.
Alert neighbours and the office
In attached and stacked buildings, a split pipe in one unit quickly becomes water in the next. Tell those around you, and the management office.
Record the scene
Photograph the split, the water and the affected rooms, and note the temperature and time if you can.
We can help you find the shut-off and decide what to protect first.
Walk Me Through It NowShared walls, shared floors
Frozen pipes in shared and empty buildings
Winter leaks in multifamily housing often start where no one is looking.
Empty unit or a pipe in a shared chase? We’ll help work out access and who to alert.
Vacant Unit Leak? Call UsHow the work is done
How frozen pipe damage is cleaned up
Isolate and repair
The crew confirms the supply is off and works around the plumber’s repair of the split and any other frozen sections.
Extract the water
Standing water is removed from floors, carpet and pad, including in crawl spaces and garages.
Map the spread
Meters and thermal imaging follow the water through cold walls and ceilings, where it can travel far before showing.
Dry with heat and dehumidification
Cold structures dry slowly. The crew balances heating, dehumidifiers and air movers so drying actually happens rather than just chilling wet materials.
Verify and rebuild
Readings confirm dryness before insulation, drywall and finishes are replaced.
Winter drying is its own problem
Cold air holds less moisture, which sounds helpful, but cold, wet framing gives up water very slowly. Crews often need the space kept warm for drying to work, and may use specific dehumidifiers suited to low temperatures.
Time and cost
What shapes the length and price of frozen pipe cleanup
Winter losses tend to be larger than people expect because of the delay between split and discovery.
- How long the pipe leaked after thawing
- Whether the unit was occupied or vacant
- Crawl space, garage, wall or ceiling location
- Number of floors or units the water reached
- Heating needed to make drying work
- Insulation and drywall replacement in exterior walls
The crew explains what they found before work begins.
Straight answers, even on the coldest night.
Get Straight Answers NowAfterward
Preventing the next freeze
Once the structure is dry and repaired, use the open walls to reduce the risk. A plumber or insulation contractor can advise on insulating exposed runs, sealing air leaks near sill plates and penetrations, and rerouting lines away from exterior walls where possible.
For vacant units and homes left empty in winter, keep the heat at a steady, moderate setting, know where the main shut-off is and consider shutting and draining the supply for longer absences. Landlords and managers often arrange regular checks of empty units in cold weather.
Keep the crew’s documentation of the work performed and your photographs together.
Related services
Areas we serve
Questions
Frozen pipe questions
Shut off the water supply to that line or the whole home, open the tap it feeds so pressure can escape, and call a plumber to thaw it. If it has already split, shutting the supply before it thaws limits the water released.
While the water is frozen, the ice plugs the split. The leak begins when the ice melts, which is often hours after the coldest point, once the sun or the heating warms the space.
Lines in crawl spaces, unheated garages, exterior walls behind kitchen and bathroom sinks, and anywhere near a draughty sill or penetration. End-of-row townhouses and corner units are often more exposed.
Thawing and repairing pipes is plumbing work. The restoration crew deals with the water damage and can work alongside the plumber.
Call the management office, landlord or owner right away; they control access. If water is near outlets or panels in your unit, do not enter and call your utility and emergency services. Photograph what is happening on your side.
Cold, wet framing and drywall give up water very slowly. Raising the temperature helps materials release moisture so the dehumidifiers can remove it.
Usually. Batts that got soaked compress and hold water against the framing, and they lose much of their insulating value. They are removed so the cavity can dry, then replaced.
We can’t say, because it depends on your individual policy. Contact your own insurer and read your own policy. Keeping photographs, times and the crew’s documentation of the work performed is generally useful.
Thawed and leaking? One call starts the cleanup
Tell us where the pipe split and how far the water has gone. We will connect you with a crew that handles winter leaks.
Local crews who know where pipes freeze in this area’s older buildings.
Call Someone Who Knows Winter Leaks