Are Houston Apartments Built for Freezing Temperatures?

Are Houston Apartments Built for Freezing Temperatures?

Sure, if there is power. Here’s why Houston-area apartments can’t sustain days without power in freezing temperatures and how you can be better prepared for future climate-induced disasters.

By MORGAN TAYLOR, HAA Staff

THE TEXAS WINTER storm happened months ago now, but we still have some questions. Houstonia published an article right after the storm titled “Houston Homes Aren’t Built for Weather This Cold: Here’s Why.” The story was posted online on February 19 at 10:18 a.m. The author of the story, Laura Furr Mericas, wanted to know how Houston homes are built compared to homes built for freezing temperatures up North, what areas of the home are most prone to pipe breaks, building code changes and how Texas homes insulate heat.

ABODE wanted to know the answers to these questions for Houston-area apartments. So, we asked Helena Finley, the senior vice president of construction operations for The Morgan Group, a few questions. Finley explains that it isn’t a matter of if apartments are built for freezing temperatures or not, but how apartments can withstand a lack of power.

We were in a similar situation almost exactly a decade ago. In February 2011, an ice storm crippled power plants and forced rolling blackouts. If the Texas power grid fiasco is to blame, what can we do to protect ourselves? Finley shares how The Morgan Group has plans to implement changes to be better prepared in the future through alternate power sources, off-grid communication platforms and more.

How are Houston-area apartments built, or not built, for long periods of freezing temperatures?

Morgan also builds in Colorado, so we have some experience with building for cold conditions. It was not so much the freeze that affected us, but rather the combination of not having power with consecutive days of below freezing temperatures. Plumbing riser closets or chases are generally built with a heat source, but without power, there is no heat, and therefore, pipes will freeze and burst. If we had electricity, far fewer pipes would have broken.

How do new construction apartments compare to older apartments?

Many of your newer properties have gas heated boiler systems. Not having to rely on electricity to heat water was a huge benefit.

We had fewer issues with fire sprinklers breaking in newer properties.

Following Hurricane Harvey, we saw changes to the building code in Houston. Do you anticipate this happening following the freeze?

The focus will likely be on how to fix the power grid infrastructure to make sure that power plants are correctly winterized. It’s unlikely that the code would change to require properties to have back up power. Although not code related, we are making changes to

Tell me more about what Morgan is making to be better prepared in the future.

Additional isolation valves are incredibly important. These need to be easy to find and accessible. This is cheap during construction and can save hundreds of thousands of dollars. Isolation valves must be accessible. They should not be in the ceiling. It takes too long to locate and position a ladder.

Most main shutoff valves are typically outside the building. So, add a valve inside the buildings. It is hard to find a main shutoff valve when it's buried in snow. They should also not be behind equipment because it’s hard to quickly move a stackable washer and dryer in an emergency.

If possible, design a labeled manifold of valves to be able to shut off isolated zones. You need these for all piping, fire sprinklers, domestic water lines and irrigation systems. Insulate all exposed pipes and risers even where not required by code. Use a central gas boiler system whenever possible. For landscaping, select planting materials that can survive extreme temperature and drought.

Build a “safety hub” or an emergency location at every property that will maintain power, water supply and communication during an emergency. With climate change these are going to become more important. Safety hub elements (at The Morgan Group properties) will likely include. 1. Fresh rainwater collection tanks with filters a. Valves to rainwater collection tanks for flushing toilets 2. Alternate power sources: solar, generator, geothermal, etc. 3. Communication: Provide off grid communications for when cables and cell towers are down.

A final note. Houston has a great reputation for getting through disaster situations and rebounding fast. This is largely due to countless individuals sacrificing to assist those in need. We so appreciate our MORGAN team for stepping up to take care of our residents and our supplier partners, American Fire Systems (an HAA-member company), Power Plumbing (also an HAA-member company) and SunTech Plumbing out of Florida, who worked around the clock to make repairs and get our properties functioning properly again.

This interview was conducted via email and was edited for punctuation and grammar.