Frozen Pipe Burst in Hurst, TX

Speed matters with a frozen pipe burst in Hurst because a hard freeze is not a one-house problem. In February 2021, DFW stayed at or below freezing for 139 consecutive hours and hit minus 2 degrees on February 16, and burst pipes became the main cause of water damage across Texas. When a freeze like that ends, a large number of homes thaw and start leaking at the same time, and the homes that call first are first in line. Homes built for Texas heat tend to have supply lines in exterior walls, garage walls and attics, so the leak usually starts inside a wall cavity and soaks insulation and drywall before water reaches the floor.

In the first hour of a thaw, water runs down inside the wall, fills insulation and spreads across the slab under carpet and baseboards. By 24 hours drywall has wicked well above the floor and wall insulation is soaked through. At 48 hours mold can start on damp drywall paper and wall framing, especially once the heat is back on and the house warms up. After a week, sill plates and bottom plates stay wet, cabinet bases on exterior walls swell, and insulation that could have been pulled and replaced in one visit has spread moisture through the whole cavity.

Most frozen pipe bursts release clean supply water, so many materials can be dried in place if the crew starts soon after the thaw. Carpet can usually be dried with air pushed under it, and the slab dries well with dehumidifiers and focused airflow. Interior walls that got wet from the floor up can often be dried by removing baseboards and drilling small holes near the bottom to vent the cavity. Solid-wood cabinet boxes on exterior walls often dry if the toe kick is removed and air is pushed under the base.

The wall where the pipe split is a different story. That cavity is usually full of soaked insulation, which compresses and holds water, so the crew removes it and cuts the drywall back to dry the framing. Carpet pad that sat in thaw water for a day or more is usually replaced. Attic insulation under a split line in the attic is pulled and replaced, and ceiling drywall that sagged comes down. Laminate and particleboard that swelled, along with drywall that wicked high or turned soft, are removed before repairs begin.

Frozen pipe bursts in Hurst are rare, but when a hard freeze comes, they show up all over the city at once. Homes in neighborhoods such as Hurst Hills Addition on Cooper Dr and Walker Oaks Addition on Harris Ave often have water heaters and laundry lines in the garage, where cold air reaches first. Houses near Morrisdale on the southeast side and around Pipeline Rd commonly have kitchen and bathroom sinks on exterior walls, which is where splits tend to happen. Rental homes and duplexes can sit empty or cold during a freeze, so leaks there run longer before someone finds them.

The same freeze reaches Bedford, Euless and Richland Hills. Older 1950s homes in Richland Hills and 1980s houses and apartments in Bedford and Euless all have lines in exterior and garage walls. After a hard freeze, call as soon as you find a split. One call connects you with a local restoration pro who serves your area, and a crew can usually come out the same day once the water is off.