Commercial Water Damage
Honolulu, Hawaii
If you have experienced a water intrusion in your property, the best thing to do is to call professionals. If there has been any structural damage, it will be necessary for them to come out and assess the situation before making decisions on what needs to be done next. The longer you wait, the worse things can get – so don’t hesitate! Read on for more information about commercial water damage and how we can help.
Causes of Water Damage
There are different scenarios that will lead to water damage in your business. These include:
- Broken pipes and faucets
- Leaking ceilings
- Floods
- Leaking toilets and other machinery such as dishwashers
Commercial water damage restoration will depend on what has caused the damage in the first place.
How To Prevent Commercial Water Damage
How to begin preventing your business from commercial water damage. Commercial water damage can include a leaky pipe, roof leak, or another potential hazard that you should be aware of. How to prevent it?
– First, it’s best to keep an eye on the interior and exterior of your office building for any signs of leaks. How often should you check? It depends on how serious the problem is; if there are small problems with several pipes in the bathroom, then perhaps once a week would be fine. How many times per year should you check? At least twice a year to make sure there are no leaks. How do you perform these checks? Check by using various methods including:
A) How is it best to check for leaks on the outside of your building? Check by using various methods including:
How is it best to check for roof leaks in your office building?
A water leak detector pen – this is a special kind of agent injected into the piping system that reacts if exposed to water; can be used on copper, steel, and plastic pipes.
How do you know where a leak may be located? Look at areas such as walls, ceilings, etc., and pay attention to any wet spots or dampness near those areas (possible signs of leaking).
How is it best to check for leaks on the inside of your building?
How do you check for leaks in plumbing pipes, such as water heaters and sinks? (Be sure to turn off all water sources before making any checks so that you can find out whether there is a problem or not.) How? Use an agent that reacts with water and use it on all ends of the pipe system; pay close attention to areas where there are wet spots.
b.How do you know where a leak may be located when dealing with heating systems?
How do you know whether a vent pipe needs repair or replacement? You will want to check for loose joints and corroded piping connections; also, if it looks rusty between pipe joints, there’s a good chance that the entire venting system needs replacement. How? Use a non-contact infrared thermometer to find out whether heat is leaking from any of the pipes in your building (the temperature should be around 80 degrees). How? If you notice abnormal temperatures in certain areas or if the vents sound strange when blowing air, then it may need to be replaced; also check for floating gauges. How do you replace a vent pipe on an electric water heater? First shut off power by turning off circuit breakers before removal and installation; then unscrew all fasteners with pliers and slide old pipe into place.
Safety Measures
Steps For Cleanup And Restoration After A Flood Or Leak
As a first step, call your insurance company or contact an adjuster. Next, assess the damage done by: physically looking at the area of leakage or flooding; removing any unsafe items that could cause harm in areas affected by water (such as unused electrical appliances); and considering hiring professionals for assistance with cleanup efforts if it is deemed necessary.
After you have assessed the damage, follow these steps to undertake cleanup and restore your property:
- Inspect your property for mold or mildew; if it is found, hire a professional to assess and get rid of the mold or mildew.
- Remove water from your property as soon as possible with fans, dehumidifiers, or industrial pumps (follow installation instructions); follow local zoning laws when using industrial pumps. Drain water materials to prevent pollutants from contaminating the environment further.
- If sewage backup has occurred, cleanse sewage out of any drains in affected area(s) by running boiling hot tap water down drain(s), for at least 15 minutes; repeat this step until clean stream runs out of drain(s). Note: You must pay attention to blockages that could develop if sewage backup occurs.
- Clean all household items (including furniture and appliances); record model number to aid in the replacement process, if needed; keep a log of individual item damage (to file with your insurance company). Do not use any type of bleach-based cleaner on wood surfaces; you could remove protective treatments that are meant to last for years.
- Contact your local building department’s planning director about excess water removal or foundation repair requirements before proceeding with either actions.
- If electrical system suffered any damage, shut power off right away at main fuse box; contact an electrician after water has been removed from property (keep a clear path for electricity crew to safely enter house).
- Call plumber to make sure your plumbing system is safe.
- Leave area that has been flooded or had a leak unoccupied; call local health unit if you are not able to clean up the property on your own. Throw out any food items exposed to flood water, including canned goods and dry foods (even after they have been moved from their original packaging).
- If your home was burglarized during flooding or leak, replace all locks and security systems right away before re-entering the home (anyone who entered the home could still have keys, even if door(s) were locked).
- Determine if there’s potential for mold growth in affected area of residence; this will help guide cleanup efforts. If you think mold growth is not an issue, proceed to Steps 11 and 12.
- Contact a licensed contractor if there is strong possibility for mold growth (i.e., in cases of flooding/leaks caused by burst water pipes or sewage backup). Learn how to tell the difference between normal household mold and harmful spores from flood waters; insurance company may pay for a cleaning service depending on damages involved.
- Call your health unit if skin irritation or respiratory issues develop while cleaning up after a flood or leak; wear protective clothing and use appropriate detergents when performing cleanup efforts (follow label instructions). Note: If serious illness occurs, contact your physician as soon as possible; it’s important that you take the full dosage of any medication prescribed by your doctor.
Experienced Experts
When it comes to commercial water damage restoration, we are the experts. We have been restoring water damaged businesses for a long time. Every member of our team is highly trained before certification. We are therefore well equipped to deal with all types of damage. In addition to this, our company is licensed and insured.
Emergency Response
Whenever you are looking for commercial water damage restoration services, you first need to find experts with an impressive response time. We are always available on call and start damage restoration immediately you reach out to us.
The reason we are keen on emergency water damage service is because a prompt response prevents further damage. For example, proper water damage restoration will be instrumental in preventing formation of mold. Additionally, you want your business to be up and running immediately. The faster we respond, the sooner this can happen.
Common Causes Of Commercial Flooding
Flooding may be a bigger problem for businesses than for any other part of the community. The Insurance Council of Australia says commercial buildings are flooded in more than 75 per cent of major flood events, and that commercial premises account for nearly 50 per cent of all flood claims paid. Common problems that arise from flooding include:
The water-damaged building needs to be dried before the damage can be investigated and repairs started. This process is essential if mould and rot are to be prevented. Much depends on local arrangements between tenants and owners or managers about who will pay for this drying process as well as any necessary restorative work following it (see also ‘Managing residential tenancy’).
If an insurance claim is made, there will be delay while the building is assessed and dried out. If the problem is caused by a blocked drain, then attention has to be paid to possible future blockages – which can be very difficult and expensive (see ‘Solving drainage problems’), as well as time-consuming, because in urban areas there are multiple drains under roads or streets. Sometimes businesses have no option but to stop trading until repairs can be done. And if extensive damage has occurred and the owner’s building insurance claims for it, business interruption insurance may cover some of the loss of trade while these repairs are made (see ‘Insurance’).
A range of causes contribute to flooding from blocked drains: normal weather conditions; heavy rainstorms; blocked sewers and storm water channels; over-zealous cleaning of storm water channels; and debris in drains.
This article deals mainly with the second cause, while ‘Blocked sewers’ discusses the others.
The main causes of blockages are: Some of these are discussed below in more detail. Recent changes to building regulations mean that buildings must now be constructed so as to minimize potential flooding from blocked drains running under roads or streets. This is a major issue because many older (and some newer) commercial building sites contain underground storm water infrastructure that was built when no such considerations applied (see ‘Building control’).
The primary cause of blocked drains in older urban areas is the need to install new pipes beneath roads or streets. New developments inevitably affect existing ones, so that pre-development plans for drainage and sewerage have to be altered. This requires detailed planning before any building work commences: it is not a job for amateurs (see ‘Drainage’).
Various other causes are discussed below. Common problems include: Plumbers will remove blockages using water jets, high pressure air blows, or hand tools, depending on what type of blockage is found and how big it is. In many cases this is done at no charge because such blockages often arise from poorly installed plumbing work by members of the public who pump away too much water as a result of doing away with the sluice in their bath or shower.
Commercial Water Damage Restoration Process
- Deployment
The first step in restoration is to deploy the team. This is done in a short period of time immediately after you contact us. We value your property and know that our speedy arrival will help to mitigate further damage. Furthermore, we understand that you are running a business and would like to minimize the losses incurred by hastening the restoration process.
- Assessment
The second step is to assess the damage to your business. The first thing we do in commercial water damage restoration is to designate the water damage to a category. This is influenced by the category of water that has caused the damage. There are three main categories as stipulated by regulatory authorities. The first is clean water. This is water from faucets, broken pipes or leaking toilet tanks.
It doesn’t pose a threat to your health. However, with time and changes in temperature, it can become dangerous. The second category is grey water. This is used water such as soapy water from dishwashers or washing machines. Leaking urine water also falls under this category. Lastly, the third category is unsanitary water. This comprises of toilet water with fecal matter, sewage discharge and even flood water.
During assessment, we also designate the class of water damage. There are four classes:
- slow evaporating where the water only affects low porosity materials
- fast evaporating where water seepage into the wall is less than 24 inches
- fastest evaporating which affects insulation and ceilings and
- specialty drying conditions which deals with wet, low porosity materials
The type of class is based on the type of material and it determines the equipment that will be used to dry the affected area.
- Extraction
The next step in commercial water damage restoration is to remove the water from your premises. The category of water and class of damage will determine which tools and instruments we need to use. In this step, we get rid of extremely damaged items that cannot be recovered.
- Dehumidifying
The final step of the commercial water damage restoration process is dehumidifying. For this, we use special equipment to completely dry out the premises. Most business owners try to rush this last part by insisting on cranking the heat up. Rest assured that our settings are at optimum levels and will therefore dry out your premises at the fastest and safest rate possible.
- Professional Services
The people at Mold Removal Hawaii Pros have years of experience in restoring homes and businesses after a water disaster. We can help you get back to business as usual with cost-effective solutions that are tailored to your individual needs. If you’re looking for a company that will come out immediately, work quickly, and be respectful of your personal property while handling the situation professionally, call us today!
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