Plumbing supply shortage improving in Houston
HOUSTON - The plumbing repairs continue nearly a month after the deep freeze that broke thousands--if not millions--of pipes across Texas.
Plumbing suppliers have been working frantically to keep up with the demand for pipes, valves and other supplies needed to repair what broke in the deep freeze.
"Last week we were in a little tougher situation here," said Laquam McMorris, a plumbing department manager at The Woodlands Home Depot. "We had nothing on the ground for our customers."
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Some pipe sizes are still completely sold out at The Woodlands Home Depot. The hardware store has spent weeks selling out of plumbing repair supplies almost as quickly as they get shipments. Now nearly a month since the February deep freeze, they’re starting to make headway on inventory.
"District teams have done a really good job of getting us emergency shipments," said McMorris.
On Thursday shoppers were seen returning to look for items that were sold out the first time they tried.
"I was at this exact store the fourth day of the freeze," said Tom, who stopped by Home Depot in an attempt to repair a sprinkler system that’s been broken for three-and-a-half weeks.
"I couldn’t find the small parts and pieces in the small section of the plumbing department, because all the contractors were cleaning out all the small parts and plastic pieces," said Tom.
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He picked up some plastic pipe elbows, but the valve he needed was still sold out.
On Vernal Glen Circle in Spring, the Samson family has been in limbo for weeks, waiting on contractors, many of whom are backlogged with demand for pipe repairs.
"This is where the initial pipe burst was," said Alexis Samson, pointing to a gaping hole in the ceiling of the master bedroom.
She rents the home with her husband and two small children. Her husband did quick patchwork on the pipes the day after they broke, but the wait for full repairs has now been nearly a month.
"It’s molded all on the walls in here," said Samson, pointing out the mold spots on the lower walls of the master closet.
They never thought they’d wait for repairs long enough for mold to grow. They have been sleeping in the living room while they wait.
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"I was told that we were going to be helped," said Samson, showing texts from her landlord’s leasing agent.
The texts show that the landlord is demanding rent even though a repair crew hasn’t showed up to fix the water damage.
"I feel like I’m taken advantage of as a young mom, and I feel like my children are being neglected," said Samson.