When it comes to your business, water damage is the last thing you want to worry about. But when leaks or flooding does occur, it is best to be prepared with a quick plan for action and a tool like an overhead sprinkler stopper. The cost of water damage will differ greatly on how well prepared you are to face potential threats.
Common Forms of Office Water Damage
Potential water threats are everywhere in the office. In order to be prepared for different types of water damage, you should be aware of the common threats your business space may face. Preparing for disaster will help mitigate the damage done if one does occur. Some of the most common water issues come from:
- Toilets
- Sinks
- Pipes
- Overhead sprinklers
- Cracked foundations
- Roofing issues
- Sewage issues
- Kitchen appliances
- Water coolers
- Some forms of equipment
Instances of leaking may not be possible to prevent completely since you often have no warning for failure. Instead, knowing how to best handle each potential water problem will help reduce the damage they are able to inflict. An overhead sprinkler stopper, for example, is the kind of tool that can prevent 60 gallons of water being dumped into your office for every minute you would have to wait on the fire department if the alarm goes off without a true fire to extinguish. Knowing where the shut-off valves for the water lines are in case of a broken pipe can help stop any leaks as soon as possible. Don’t wait for an emergency to occur before you plan for the worst-case scenarios in your office space.
Water Damage Restoration Costs
The average costs of water repair is going to vary based on:
- Where you live
- The amount of water damage
- What type of water is affecting the area (clean water, grey water or black water)
- The materials affected
Speed of action
If you work in a historical office building, for example, the costs of restoration will likely be higher as your handyman searches for matching materials. If you were able to use the sprinkler stopper tool to turn off a bad sprinkler head almost as soon as it started, you might have to only replace certain electronics and documents—not all the furniture and carpets. A sewage backup is going to be much more expensive to clean up in most cases than an overflowing sink since the sewage water (black water) is much more difficult to clean up than a clean waterflood.
Getting the cleanup process underway quickly will go a long way towards getting the space fixed and keeping the costs down. The longer you let the water sit, the more damage will be done. Water can turn into mold if it is left to sit in materials. Some materials can wick moisture, causing increased damage as the water spreads.