5 Causes of Water Damage in your Commercial Business

11/30/2021 (Permalink)

How To Identify and Prevent Water Damage 

Water damage is an unexpected threat that can put a lot of stress on a business owner. It will cause you to potentially lose days or even weeks of productivity, and you could find yourself having to replace inventory and valuable equipment. 

Fun fact: The states with the highest incidents of water damage are California, Florida, Texas,New York,and Georgiatrailingvery closely behind.

If your facility has equipment that utilizes water, leakage is a danger you very potentially might face. Water heaters, air conditioners or anything that uses piping, gaskets or filters has the potential to leak. The easiest way to prevent water damage is to regularly maintain your equipment. If you notice issues that can be concerning (i.e. Rust, cracks or bulges), take preventive measures. Replace your water lines regularly and re-caulk and re-seal as issues present themselves.

Roofing, Pipes and Drains & LeakDetectionSystems 

Make sure you are checking your roof regularly. If you have a large mass of water storage on your roof, it’s only a matter of time before you have a huge water damage issue on your hands. Every inch of water equals around 5 pounds of weight. Over time the strain upon your roof will cause leakage or corruption of your roof entirely.

Fun Fact: On average, water damage will cost around $3,500.

Plumbing systems are extremely susceptible to clogs and damage. If a crack develops, even a small one, it could dump up to 250 gallons of water a day into your facility. Pay attention to outward signs of any moisture, rusting, cracking, or bulging. If you’re having plumbing work done go ahead and check for scale buildup. In addition, if your facility is exposed to low temperatures, keep your pipes always insulated to prevent freezing. Leak detection systems are very valuable as well. They can be relatively inexpensive and will sound an alarm if a leak is detected. Active leak systems will sound off an alarm and can stop a leak itself. If you have a sprinkler system, make sure to check for signs of damage or rust. Regularly replace sprinkler heads as issues surface.  

Fun Fact: Leaking roofs are the most common reason for water damage, especially in geographic areas that have a lot of freezing water, strong winds or hail.

Taking preventative measures may help decrease the risk of water damage to your facility, but of course will not eliminate them entirely. In case of water damage call SERVPRO of Augusta South / Burke & Wilkes Counties at 706-843-1990 and we’ll make it "Like it never even happened."