Burst pipe water damage in Milaca, MN, handled while the water is still moving

Why pipes fail

Pipes burst or split for a handful of reasons. Water that freezes expands and can crack a pipe, with the failure often appearing once the ice thaws. Corrosion thins older galvanized steel and can pinhole copper. Polybutylene piping, installed in many homes from the late 1970s into the 1990s, has a well known history of failures. Fittings loosen, flexible supply lines wear out, and high water pressure stresses the whole system. Many plumbing codes call for a pressure reducing valve when incoming pressure exceeds 80 psi.

Whatever the cause, the plumbing repair belongs with a licensed plumber. Our job in Milaca, MN is everything the water touched.

It also helps to know what kind of piping your home has. Copper, PEX, CPVC, galvanized steel and polybutylene each fail in different ways and at different points, such as fittings, joints or long runs. Telling the dispatcher what you see at the water heater or under a sink helps the plumber and our crew arrive prepared.

The first minutes

Shutting off the water is the single most important step. Every household member should know where the main shutoff valve is; common locations include where the line enters the house, near the water heater, in a basement or crawl space, or at the meter. If water is near outlets, appliances or the electrical panel, do not walk through it. Turn off power at the breaker only if you can reach the panel from a dry location.

Once the water is off, open cabinet doors below the leak, move rugs and furniture out of standing water and photograph the damage. Our dispatcher will walk you through what to do until the crew arrives.

Drying inside the walls

Burst pipes are usually inside walls, ceilings or floors, which means water runs down wall cavities and soaks insulation and bottom plates before it ever reaches the floor. After extraction, our technicians measure how far moisture spread and decide how to dry the cavity. Sometimes removing baseboards and drilling small holes behind them lets injection drying equipment push air into the wall. When insulation is saturated or the water was contaminated, a section of drywall is removed so the cavity can dry.

The plumber usually needs an opening to reach the pipe anyway. We coordinate so that one opening serves both purposes whenever possible, which saves repair work later.

Putting the room back together

Drying is monitored with daily readings until framing and subfloor return to normal. Cabinets are checked for swelling, and hardwood floors are assessed for cupping. Then our crew replaces insulation and drywall, matches texture and paints, as described on our Drywall Repair page. If water reached the ceiling below, the Ceiling Water Damage page explains that repair.