Short answer: clear your gutters, insulate attic plumbing, locate your water shutoff, and get any deferred roof repairs done before the first hard freeze. During the event, stay off the roof. After it, get an inspection even if nothing looks wrong.
Texas homes are built for heat. A hard winter event finds every place that assumption shows.
The week before
- Clear gutters and downspouts completely. Highest value hour you will spend. Water needs a path out, otherwise it pools, freezes and dams.
- Confirm downspouts discharge away from the foundation and are not blocked at grade.
- Insulate attic plumbing with foam sleeves, especially runs near eaves and exterior walls.
- Locate and test the water main shutoff. Do it in daylight, not during the event.
- Check attic insulation depth and make sure soffit vents are not blocked.
- Fix deferred roof repairs. A marginal roof at 70 degrees is a leaking roof at 25.
- Trim limbs. Ice brings down branches that handle wind without trouble.
- Disconnect hoses and cover spigots.
The day before
- Open the attic hatch slightly to let some house heat into the attic
- Open cabinet doors under sinks on exterior walls
- Set faucets on the coldest runs to a slow drip
- Charge devices and set out flashlights in case power goes
- Keep the heat on even if you are leaving town, set no lower than 50
- Fill containers with water in case service is interrupted
During
- Stay off the roof. No exceptions. An iced roof is lethal and nothing up there needs doing.
- Do not chip at ice on the roof or in gutters. You will destroy shingles and gutters both.
- Watch ceilings for staining or bulging, especially near exterior walls and the chimney.
- If a ceiling bulges with water, put a container underneath and make a small relief hole. A controlled drain beats an uncontrolled collapse.
- If a pipe bursts, shut off the main first and kill power to affected circuits.
- Photograph damage as it happens. Dated photos matter later.
The week after
- Get a roof inspection, even with no visible damage. Freeze damage often shows up as cracked shingles and broken seals that do not leak until the next heavy rain.
- Check the attic for wet insulation, staining and any new daylight.
- Document everything with dates before cleaning up, since a claim attaches to a date of loss.
- Call your carrier if there is damage, and understand your deductible before you do. See our deductible guide.
- Be wary of door knockers. Freeze events draw the same out of area operators that hail does. Our Storm Center covers how to spot them.
What usually breaks here
Based on what we see after Hill Country freeze events, in rough order: burst attic plumbing, ice damming at the eaves on under insulated homes, cracked brittle shingles on roofs already past fifteen years, gutters torn loose by ice weight, and limb damage.
Four of those five are substantially reduced by insulation, clear gutters and current repairs. That is the whole prevention list.
We inspect after events
Free, documented with photos, and honest about whether you have a claim worth filing. Request an inspection or call (210) 245-4125.
