Bursting pipes = water damage. Water damage = expensive when not properly and promptly taken care of. Follow ServiceMaster of Rochester’s 7 steps for how to store your hose, and avoid water damage from ice, cracked hoses, and pipes, oh my!

7 Steps to Correctly Store Your Hose for Winter

Winding the hose into a continuous circular shape will help prevent the hose from bending or kinking while it is stored during the winter. Make sure the hose is dry and preferably warm. It’s much easier to make a smooth coil when the hose is warm.

To coil:

• Start with one end and bend the section of the hose into a loop that is about 3 feet in diameter (across).
• While still holding the hose, reach a couple of feet down the length of the hose to form another loop identical to the first.
• Stack the second loop on top of the first one.
• Continue to make and stack loops down the length of the hose until the whole hose is coiled.
• Finish by screwing the two ends of the hose together. (This prevents unraveling of the loops and keeps critters out of the hose).

• Hose hanger: Has a large, curved surface that supports the hose without creating kinks. Avoid hanging them on nails as these disperse the weight of the hose unevenly and cause extra stress on the hose.
• Hose pot/bucket: A practical and more visually attractive way to safely coil and store a hose.
• Hose reel: Wind up the hose and you’re ready to go!

BUT WHAT IF…

Sometimes the unforeseeable happens. Inevitably, a disaster sneaks up on us and we have to be able to act quickly to resolve it. You may have followed the above steps perfectly to store your hoses for winter, only to be surprised by the bursting of a nearby water main. This is disastrous any time of year, as the water can quickly find a way into your home and cause severe water damage to your personal belongings. This is where we come in. ServiceMaster of Rochester provides complete water damage restoration, unlike any other companies in the Stewartville, MN, area. Our services include:

• Immediate response 24/7
• Water extraction
• Dehumidification and moisture monitoring
• Mold removal and remediation
• Deodorization and sanitization
• Photo Documentation
• Temporary Power and Climate Control
• Reconstruction and restoration services