Water and freezing damage affects all claims for property damage and liability insurance for small businesses. Water damage to plumbing, HVAC systems, and appliances account for 75 percent of all losses from water damage.
You would be better off avoiding water damage problems in the first place, even though commercial property insurance offers financial protection for various water damage claims. You can lose your inventory and equipment if you suffer water damage to your carpets, drywall, and inventory. As a result, mold can grow and structural damage can occur. Even the relocation of your business or the closure of your business might be forced on you.
It is nevertheless possible for small business owners to prevent these complications through a variety of methods. Mitigating water damage in your business is as easy as following these nine steps.
1. Seal cracks and gaps
In order to keep cold air from entering your building, seal cracks, holes, and other gaps in its exterior and foundation. If your pipes are exposed to freezing temperatures through these gaps, you should pay particular attention to this. You can reduce the risk of pipes bursting during the winter by installing caulk, weather stripping, spray foam insulation, and other sealants.
2. Insulate exposed pipes
Pipes that are exposed to the elements are more vulnerable to freezing in the winter, especially at night, when the temperature drops. Poorly insulated pipes can burst due to freezing water, which creates pressure. In some cases, flooding could cause structural and costly damage. Most hardware stores sell insulation that you can wrap around pipes to reduce this heat.
3. Keep heat at sufficient levels
To prevent pipes from freezing, you should monitor your business’s thermostat. Regardless of the season or if the building is vacant, the thermostat should never be set below 50 degrees. Keep your pipes from freezing by avoiding significant temperature changes between nighttime and daytime. Ensure the batteries in thermostats are functioning properly by replacing them regularly.
4. Inspect gutters and drainage
Fallen leaves and other debris can damage rainwater on the exterior and interior walls of a building in gutters and downspouts. Ensure that a regular inspection is conducted on the gutters, downspouts, and drainage system of your business in order to ensure that nothing is blocking them or building up. Is it necessary to have gutters cleaned regularly so that water drains away from the building and doesn’t damage it?
5. Keep your roof clear
In addition to weakening roofing materials and creating “ice dams,” snow and ice accumulations can impede the proper drainage of melted ice and snow. Keep your business’ roofs from being damaged by snow and ice by removing them regularly. Ensure that snow and ice don’t exceed your roof’s load-bearing capacity by knowing its load-bearing capacity and periodically checking it.
6. Inspect and maintain your sprinkler and HVAC systems
Even a small leak in the HVAC, plumbing, or sprinkler system of a commercial building can be a cause of building-related losses, and even a small water leak can result in significant damage to your building. It is possible to prevent property loss and costly cleanups by performing regular inspections.
7. Turn off the valve that shuts off the water
It’s important to act quickly if a pipe breaks. In other words, you should know where the main water supply shut-off valve is located in your building. Water will temporarily stop flowing into the building by closing the main valve, preventing flooding until the problem is resolved.
8. Make sure valuable items are kept safe
If your building is damaged by water, you can replace items with their value if you know their value. If you’re concerned, there may be flooding in your business. You should move important items from the floor of your building, as long as you don’t put yourself in any danger by doing this. When flooding occurs in a building, you must ensure that all employees and customers who live or work within the building are evacuated safely and quickly.
9. Protect your business with the right insurance
Your risk management plan should include appropriate coverage for commercial water damage. It’s important to pay attention to your property coverage details when buying small business insurance.
Some commercial property insurance policies cover the cost of pipe breakage but not damage from external flooding, groundwater, or backed-up sewer lines. In addition, mold-related damage is often excluded from many insurance policies.
Commercial Water Damage Reno
Water damage to your industrial or commercial property is one of the most devastating problems you can face. Aside from the damage itself, there’s also the fact that there’s the disruption of service to your customers and your employees, as well as the negative impact on your revenue, which need to be addressed immediately.
We are prepared to provide you with an assessment of your water-damaged property by our Commercial Water Damage Reno professionals. To be able to decide how best to proceed with the restoration process of your commercial property, we would like to assist you in understanding the severity of the water damage to your property so that you can make informed decisions. No matter what type of water damage you are dealing with on your commercial property, whether it is minor water damage or a large loss event, we can help develop a restoration plan that can help restore your property to its pre-damaged condition and return it to an optimum level of health.
The experienced professionals at our company are dedicated to providing you with the highest level of customer service. Once we’ve assessed the damage to your business, we’ll help you determine the best course of action for restoring your business so that you can make informed decisions about what to do. We only use the latest technology and employ the most qualified personnel to detect hidden moisture and remove standing water.
You can rely on us to get your business back to its pre-damaged condition by developing a water damage restoration plan with the help of our more than a decade of experience.