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LaHouse offers tips to protect your home and family during freezing temperatures

Shelly Kleinpeter

(01/06/25) BATON ROUGE, La. — With freezing temperatures arriving this week, the LSU AgCenter LaHouse Research and Education Center shares practical advice to help Louisiana residents protect their property and ensure safety during extreme cold.

Top tips for homeowners:

  • Prevent Frozen Pipes:
    Running just one faucet with a small trickle of water when temperatures drop below freezing can prevent water from freezing in your pipes. The faucets farthest from your water source will make this more effective.
  • Protect Outdoor Faucets:
    Use fiberglass or foam sleeves to wrap outdoor faucets and secure them with tape or foil to keep them insulated. If specialized materials aren’t available, household items like old newspapers, rags and towels can serve as effective alternatives.
  • Heat Safely:
    Never use a gas stove or oven to heat your home. Not only is this ineffective, but it can also create a fire and fume hazard. Instead, rely on space heaters, but keep these away from flammable fixtures like curtains.
  • Power Outages:
    If you lose power, stay in the interior parts of your home to retain heat. When using a generator for temporary power, ensure it is placed outdoors, at least 20 feet away from windows, doors or vents. Never operate a generator indoors, in a garage or under a carport due to the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning.

Additional precautions to consider:

  • Seal Drafts:
    Check for drafts around doors and windows and seal them with weatherstripping, caulk or rolled-up towels to keep cold air out and warm air in.
  • Emergency Supplies:
    Prepare an emergency kit with essentials such as blankets, batteries, flashlights, bottled water and a portable phone charger.
  • Maintain Safe Heating Practices:
    Always turn portable heaters or other similar products off when leaving the room or going to bed.

“These simple steps can help avoid costly repairs and dangerous situations,” said Carol Friedland, LaHouse director.

The LaHouse Research and Education Center is dedicated to providing science-based solutions to improve home resilience, sustainability and health. Through research, extension and education, LaHouse seeks to address the challenges of severe weather, with a particular focus on helping Louisiana residents protect their homes and communities from natural disasters.

For more information about LaHouse and its resources, visit www.LSUAgCenter.com/LaHouse.

Pipes.

The LSU AgCenter LaHouse Research and Education Center recommends using fiberglass or foam sleeves to wrap outdoor faucets and secure them with tape or foil to keep them insulated. Photo by V. Todd Miller/ LSU AgCenter

1/6/2025 5:22:21 PM
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