How Is Commercial Water Damage Different? Commercial Water Damage Commercial property is different when damaged because it affects numerous persons at the same time. For example, apartment buildings house hundreds of residents, and commercial water damage can affect many of them. Moreover, commercial water damage in stores can impact thousands of shoppers each day. Commercial water damage has a wide impact on many lives and impacts the community as a whole. Owners of commercial property should act quickly upon discovering damage to the building caused by water, fire, or mold. Acting quickly will make a difference for all people affected. After calling your insurance agent and filing a claim your next step is to call a certified restoration company. Document the damage with pictures and or videos. Office Buildings Office buildings are particularly affected by water damage due to numerous pieces of office equipment and wires running throughout the building. Practice safety and shut off incoming water valves and power. Not only do you need to have the structure repaired, but you should also replace the office equipment and furniture. If you cannot replace the items, make sure you have them thoroughly dried. Depending on the material your office furniture needs special attention. For example, you should have your wood furniture properly sanded and resealed. Likewise, you should have your upholstery dry cleaned if you want to prevent it from growing mold. Always handle your electronics with care and safety. To prevent the development of corrosion, get to them quickly. You can salvage your electronics with proper drying and dehumidifying. Professional equipment is stronger and can remove more water from the building. Store Fronts If you are a commercial property owner or landlord you know how important your structures are to business. Retail businesses that are clean and attractive are going to attract more clientele. When your store is damaged by water or fire it looks unattractive and you will lose customers. Restoring your property to its attractive appearance is important and so is safety. Have a professional make sure that your structure is sound, the walls are sturdy and free from mold. During reconstruction, practice safety by blocking off potentially dangerous areas and have employees wear protective clothing. Call A Professional Commercial water damage is nothing to fool around with. If you do not get things properly cleaned you are setting yourself up for potential problems with mold or structural damage. Tenants may file lawsuits and complain to authorities. Call DC Water Restoration to get professional help quickly and economically. At DC Water Restoration our employees are knowledgeable on legal and environmental issues that impact commercial properties. Finally, our response time is 30-60 minutes and we have 24/7 emergency services.
Four Reasons Business Owners Should Never Clean Water Damage Themselves Hire a Professional for Business Water Damage Business water damage can be a painful blow for a company to weather. Companies lose inventory, records, and equipment to water damage. In the heat of the moment, it’s tempting to get in there and start cleaning yourself. There are four main reasons why you shouldn’t. They have to do with safety, insurance, and your ability to do it right. 1. Water Can be Hazardous Water can be hazardous to your health. Biohazards like sewage and bacteria could contaminate the dirty water sources. Additionally, other dangerous chemicals could contaminate water sources. Tackling these cleanups yourself sets you up for harm. Even if you think the water is coming from a clean source, like tap water, if it sits too long it becomes unsafe. Don’t risk it. Trust a professional. 2. You Don’t have the Tools to Do it Right Cleaning up water damage depends on your ability to do things right! Water can penetrate deep into a floor and subfloor. If you don’t have the tools to properly dry up the moisture, you could only get the surface water. Meanwhile, the water in the subfloor is soaking through and rotting your floor out from under you. Professional water damage restoration teams can get to water that you just can’t reach. 3. Your Insurance May Want Documentation Business water damage is worse than a flood in your home. You have to do everything right to get your insurance claim to come through. Flooding and water damage insurance are often tricky parts of business insurance. You may need to present proof and show competency in your handling of the disaster. Many insurance companies won’t pay for negligence, so their first line of defense against a claim is to show that you didn’t act correctly. Having a professional water damage restoration team on your side shows that you took every effort to protect your property. Your professional team can submit their own documentation (if your insurance company requests it) to show the scope of your damages. 4. You Don’t Have Professional Judgement Even if you go out and get amazing water damage restoration tools, you’re still not going to be able to do the job as well as professionals. There’s something else that you need to have: experience. Experience helps professionals restore your property quickly. They can tell if your drapes are salvageable, or if it makes more sense financially just to replace them. Professionals save you time and money by cutting your waiting period short. Water damage of any kind is a nightmare. The damage affects more than just the building; you could lose valuable documents, inventory, and records. Water damage is also known to cause serious health issues. Cleaning up business water damage should be left to the professionals. You get better results every time. You also don’t have to put yourself and your employees at risk.