For the last 5 days we have been experiencing cold temperatures here in Victoria, BC and it has not been nice. The snow has been pretty to look at, but the minus (Celsius degree) temperatures have not been not been.My photo doesn't show the snow very well, but the little dark spots is the snow. The sun is shining and it all looks like a regular day, but it is snowing!
Traveling in the city has been interesting for everyone, since no one has winter tires and there aren't any snow plows in Victoria. I did see a truck with a plow on the front of it today, but it belonged to a private company not the city.
The week of winter we have been having hasn't been too good for our cleaning plant. The water pipes have frozen up a few times which has prompted us to issue a press release on the topic. Here is it:Cold Snaps, Bursting Pipes & How to Save Your Precious Area Rugs
It Happens every time the weather outside plunges below zero; Poorly insulated water pipes in attics, crawl spaces and basements freeze up, thaw and then burst causing water to pour out all over a home owner's precious area rugs.
"The first thing you need to do", says Stephen Dusty Roberts of Luv-A-Rug Services, Victoria's Premier area rug cleaning company, "is shut off the main water valve in your house. That single step alone will do more to save your home than anything else."
The second thing is to wait until the pipes have thawed out then CAREFULLY and slowly turn the water back on and watch for leaks. If any leaks are observed, quickly turn the water off and call your plumber and a 24 hour restoration company like SaniTECH Services right away. Companies like SaniTECH specialize in water damage recovery and restoration. The sooner you call them the fewer problems you are going to have such as toxic mold.
When it comes to your area rugs, the best thing to do if they get soaked from a burst pipe is to roll them up and put them out in the freezing cold.
"The worst thing a rug owner can do", says Roberts, " is try to dry the rug out themselves. If it isn't decontaminated and dried very quickly an area rug will become a health hazard and be ruined."
"By rolling up the rug and putting it outside in the cold, the freezing temperatures will actually preserve your rug and keep it from getting more damaged. Then give us a call here at Luv-A-Rug and we will pick it up and restore it to a like new condition for you."
If your area rugs have experienced any kind of flooding, contamination or just needs to be cleaned, Luv-A-Rug's professional in-plant area rug cleaning facility can save your rugs. Call 250-590-6210 or visit them at location: 445 Beta St (off Alpha St.)
________________________________________________________
Hopefully this will help homeowners out in a trying time. I think I should remind everyone who is not going to be home for the holiday's that they should get someone to watch the house while they are away.
That is usually when things like this happen. A few years ago I was house sitting for my friends it saved their cat. He was in the neighbors garage and decided that it was a good idea to jump in container of car oil. He did not enjoy his many baths that day.
Plus check the fine print of your insurance. Some carriers may say that if your home is vacant for more than 5 consecutive days they don't have to honour your insurance.
It is always best to plan for the worse, but not worry about the worse
Thanks for reading RugloverMary
