Protecting Your Home From Holiday Water Damage

The holiday season combines two water-damage risk factors: the first cold snaps of winter, and homes left empty during travel. The result is a predictable spike in serious water losses — many of them catastrophic precisely because no one was home to catch them early. This guide is how to protect your home through the holidays.

SECTION 01Why the Holidays Are High-Risk

Two patterns collide in late November and December. First, temperatures drop enough to stress plumbing, especially in homes with pipes in exterior walls, crawl spaces, or unheated areas. Second, people travel — leaving homes empty for days or weeks. A leak that would be caught in minutes when someone is home runs unchecked for days in an empty house, turning a small failure into a total-loss flood.

SECTION 02Protecting Pipes in Cold Weather

• Insulate exposed pipes — especially in crawl spaces, garages, and along exterior walls
• Let faucets drip during hard cold snaps — moving water resists freezing
• Keep heat on — even when away, never let an empty home drop below the mid-50s
• Open cabinet doors — let warm air reach pipes under sinks on exterior walls
• Disconnect garden hoses — and shut off exterior faucet supply lines

SECTION 03The Pre-Travel Checklist

1. Shut off the main water supply if no one will be home for more than a day or two — this single step prevents the worst losses
2. If you keep water on, at least shut off supply to washing machines and dishwashers
3. Set the heat to keep the home above the mid-50s
4. Ask someone to check in — a neighbor or friend stopping by catches problems early
5. Install water sensors — smart sensors can alert your phone even when you are away
6. Know your shutoff and leave the information with whoever checks the home

SECTION 04If You Come Home to a Flood

If you return to water damage, act immediately: shut off the water source, cut power to affected areas if safe, document everything for insurance, and call a professional restoration company. Even water that has been standing for days can be remediated, but every additional hour increases the damage and mold risk. Fast extraction and drying is what determines how much is recoverable.