Steps To Take When You Have Water Damage

10/7/2021 (Permalink)

Repair the burst pipe on time to avoid severe water damage in your Roanoke Rapids, NC commercial.

You invest a lot of time and money into your commercial property in Roanoke Rapids, NC. A regular maintenance schedule helps you ensure that everything stays running smoothly, and it reveals any problems so that you can fix them before they get out of hand. There are some things you can't always prevent, though. A busted pipe can cause a lot of water damage in a short amount of time. What you do next can significantly lower the cost of repairs.

Call the Water Damage Professionals

The first step of solving any problem is reporting it to the right people. As soon as you know you have broken pipes, you need to make three calls:

Plumber - Getting the pipe fixed as soon as possible is essential for stopping the problem in its tracks and preventing further damage.

Water mitigation experts - The sooner the mitigation team can get into your building to assess and fix the damage caused by the pipe break, the faster everything can get back to normal.

Insurance provider - It's important to file a claim for any covered damage to your building as soon as you know about it so that an adjuster can arrive in time to complete a walkthrough and confirm the accuracy of your claim.

Turn Off Water

One of the first questions the plumber and mitigation technicians are likely to ask when they show up to do repairs is whether the water main is off. Cutting off the leak at its source is the best way to prevent more water from spewing out at the point where the pipe is broken. Ultimately, this can significantly reduce the amount of potential water damage to your building and make the cleanup process much easier.

Of course, if your building doesn't have water flow, you are likely going to shut down operations or relocate them until the problem is fixed. Communicate that the water for the building is off and keep everyone informed about the timeline for completion of the repairs.

Learn Prevention Measures

While some pipe breaks may be unavoidable, especially if your area experiences power outages during the winter, there are certain measures you can take to reduce the chance of needing water cleanup services due to such a mishap.

Keep your pipes as warm as possible when outside temperatures are below freezing. You can apply adhesive insulation to the pipes themselves or add more insulation to your building in general. Set the thermostat at a temperature of at least 55 degrees Fahrenheit, even when no one is in the building. Open cabinet doors overnight to increase warm airflow to the pipes underneath sinks. The smarter precautions you take, the less likely your pipes are to break.

Water damage from a broken pipe is not something you want to ignore. The longer water keeps flowing into the area, the more problems it's going to cause. By taking quick action to address the issue and repair the damage, you can protect the structural integrity of your building and get everything back in working order as soon as possible.