January 3rd, 2014 8:30 PM by Dan Howard
If you have frozen pipes, do not leave the home unattended with the main water valve left on. Turn of the main valve for the house. Damaged frozen pipes do not leak until the ice that is plugging the pipe melts. When the ice melts, thousands of dollars of water damage can occur in minutes.
If water is leaking through a ceiling or wall, drill a couple of holes through the plaster so that the water can run out without damaging the entire area. You would much rather empty a couple of buckets of water than to be filling a garbage can with wet plaster.
Seek professional help if you are over your head. Having the right equipment and knowledge could be a bargain as compared to the cost of losing precious belongings and having additional damage to the home. Hire a professional that will also tell you how to prevent the problem in the future.