How to protect your home and pipes as Texas prepares for freeze

    NORTH TEXAS (KTVT) -- Like many North Texans, Allison Cassias is preparing early for the wintry weather expected to hit the region this coming week.

"You gotta plan ahead because if you wait, you never know what happens to the inside," said Cassias.

She's buying a couple of faucet covers for her home and her neighbors' homes before the stores sell out.

The team at Park Row Ace Hardware stocked up on extra faucet covers and pipe covers ahead of this weekend.

"We've been selling a lot of them today, and like I said, it's best to prep before the cold actually hits," said Michael Tatum, an employee at Park Row Ace Hardware.

That $4 faucet cover could save you a lot of money in the long run.

"Hundreds, thousands because you've got water damage," said Clayton Robinson, the co-owner of CR Plumbing, a woman-owned plumbing business that's been serving the DFW Metroplex for five years now.

"Calls start coming in as soon as the freeze starts coming in," said Robinson.

He walked us through the main things you need to know to protect your pipes. First up, the outside faucets:

"You're gonna always make sure this is taken off. Even if you don't have the covers, take off the hose, make sure nothing's dripping on there. Little hook in here, you're gonna wrap it around in there, make sure it stays close, keep it tight. Little clip here, push in, everything should be good from there," said Robinson, walking us through the process of securing the faucet covers.

And when it drops below 32 degrees or freezing point:

"That's when you need to turn the hot and cold water on a slow trickle on any of the outside faucets," said Robinson.

But what happens if your pipes do freeze?

"Pay attention to it. If you start seeing any signs of water on the outside or on the inside, that's when you need to call us immediately. We can get over there," said Robinson.