Each winter, we see the incredible damage burst water pipes can do inside of a home.

So today, I’m taking a trip down into the crawl space to show you a simple way to protect your pipes so you can avoid a cold, wet, expensive cleanup.

The whole process is pretty straightforward.

The first step is to identify the water pipes you want to insulate. The pipes most susceptible to freezing are usually located in the basement or crawl space, attached to the underside of the floor joists.

After you locate them, you’ll need to measure the total length of pipe to determine how much insulating material you need to buy. Since the material comes in different sizes, you’ll also need to determine the pipe diameter. These pipes are ½” in diameter, but we also have ¾” pipes in this space, so we want to get both sizes.

There are many different ways to insulate pipes, one of the easiest ways is to use tubular foam or rubber with adhesive because it’s dependable and easy to apply. These can be purchased at home depot, lowes or most plumbing supply stores.

Now, with our materials in hand, we’re ready for installation.

Begin by laying out sections underneath the pipes. Next, pick up the first piece of insulation and slowly peel back the adhesive at the end you’re going to apply first. Then, wrap the tube around the pipe and secure by pressing together material to create a seal.

Repeat the process, until all pipes are covered.

If you plan on traveling for an extended period of time this winter, we highly recommend talking with a plumber about ways to protect your home before you head out.

Just remember, a little time preparing now, can save a lot of headaches later. Stay tuned for more winter house safety tips coming soon!

There’s no question the inventory and pack-out process can be tough.That’s why in today’s video, we’re going to show you what we’re doing to make it easier for everyone.

With so many moving parts there are just too many places where things can go wrong with contents. And because of that, it’s important for contractors to pay extra attention to this phase of the job, especially when the work is being performed by a subcontractor.

But, let’s be real, you got lots of other things going on. So you might not have time or be able to send a team member to the job site when a pack-out is taking place. Either way, if you’re hiring someone to handle contents you need to know things were inventoried accurately and cared for properly. You’re going to want to know where items are stored, and why certain items were considered non-cleanable, without having to play 6 hours of phone tag.

And that’s where iCat comes in.

So what is iCat and how do we use it to help everyone’s team deliver better?

iCat is a mobile inventory management tool designed for content restoration. It was developed by restoration contractors so that teams can quickly and properly manage every stage of a content job.

We love the tool because contractors and adjusters we work with love the tool. It makes their jobs easier and helps remove any uncertainty they might have regarding the status of the content job.

Using iCat has definitely changed the way we handle content.

From a technical standpoint, iCat:

• Helps to streamline the restoration process by keeping track of all contents from pack-out to pack-back

• Allows adjusters to evaluate items we’ve deemed cleanable or non-cleanable without having to visit the property

• Offers customers access to list of cleanable items if they need to retrieve something such as holiday decorations

Ultimately, this tool has given everyone we work with…. Contractors, adjusters, and customers, peace of mind because it reassures them things are handled the right way. And that’s really important.

Thank you for sharing all of that, Steve! In future videos, we’re going to break down iCat further to show teams how we use it in the field. No one should have to deal with the headaches traditionally caused by content. And removing those mishaps starts with being organized and transparent.

Do you use iCat or a similar content management system?

Leave us a comment to let us know how it’s helped improve the way you serve your clients.