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Keep Business Going When You Are Prepared for Commercial Water Damage | SERVPRO® of Harlingen/San Benito
10/20/2022 (Permalink)
Water damage can bring absolute chaos to your commercial building. When water intrudes, it doesn’t really matter where it comes from, the disaster could knock your business off track.
Internal sources of flooding are a common source of water damage in buildings and may involve a burst pipe, sprinkler system failure or a leak in the roof. Water intrusion can equal losses to your inventory, soaked floors and shuttered parts of your building.
External sources of flooding are also a severe risk that can damage your property. In this part of Texas, everyone is in a flood zone. Flooding rains and levee failures are some of our top risks, but wildfire burn scars also pose a threat for flash flooding.
Due to our high risk, it is crucial to prepare our businesses before a disaster can strike. Where the water comes from doesn’t matter when you have put mitigation efforts into place.
One of the best preparation steps you can take is getting to know your building well. Become familiar with the layout of your business and locate water shutoff valves so that you can take quick action if a pipe failure or leak happens. You should know how to turn off the main water valve as well as the fire sprinkler system valve.
Inform your employees on where these valves are and how to shut them off, and designate several people to take responsibility for this task in your emergency plans. Stopping the source of a leak can prevent extensive damages and make a big difference in your repair bill.
When your business has a flooding emergency, it is essential to know what kind of water has caused the flood in order to respond appropriately and safely.
White water. Plumbing failures result in flooding that is not considered contaminated or dangerous. These kinds of floods are safe to manage by yourself when they are not large events.
Gray water. Gray water flooding happens when a sink drain or toilet overflows. This kind of water is contaminated, but is not considered hazardous.
Black water. When a sewer backs up into your building or flooding is created during a storm, it is considered black water. This kind of flooding is dangerous and potentially toxic and cleanup should be handled by a professional.
If your building does take on floodwaters of any kind, the quicker you respond, the more losses you can mitigate. Find the source of the water intrusion and shut off any water valves that may be involved.
Open windows and doors surrounding the affected area to increase air flow and promote drying, and alert everyone in the building.
Once you are able, document the damage. Take pictures and make notes that can help with your insurance claim. You may also use these to consider ways that you could add additional reinforcements to your building and prevent another event from occurring.
Water damage that is visible is probably just a partial view of the total damage. Start checking your building for signs of hidden damage by looking for walls that have mold and floors that have buckled. These are red flags of deeper issues that should be handled fast.
If your building is damaged by water damage, call SERVPRO of Harlingen/San Benito as soon as you are able. Our experienced professional staff is available 24⁄7 with the training and equipment to get your restoration started quickly.
The drying process can be lengthy depending on how big the flood was, so remember to use some patience as your space is cleaned and sanitized. Our team will be with you through each step of the process so that your business is up and running again quickly.
When disaster strikes your commercial property, we’ll be there to help clean up and get you back in business quickly. Reach out 24⁄7 to get started!