Floods can arise when you least expect them to, especially in commercial spaces. When a flood occurs, it’s important to get timely assistance to keep your business strong. But sometimes, floods can fall through the cracks, resulting in a delayed response time and potentially more issues. There are still many things business owners can do to get the help they need to restore their business to the way it was. Paul Davis Restoration of North Dallas specializes in commercial and residential restoration services for flood damage repair, fire damage restoration, and other circumstances. Here, we talk about the importance of repairing commercial flood damage and what you can do to minimize damages.
The Importance of Dealing with Commercial Flood Damage ASAP
Dealing with commercial flood damage can be devastating. But leaving it to sit for an extended time can be even more detrimental. For starters, standing water can ruin appliances, electronics, supplies, furniture, and other elements of your business. The longer water sits, the more likely it is to penetrate electrical systems in appliances and electronics, causing them to become inoperable. Sitting water can also seep into furniture, leading to mold and mildew growth.
Ignoring commercial flood damage can also impact the integrity of your building’s structure. As water pools inside of a business, this gives it time to soak into essential structures, like floors, walls, and ceilings. Once this occurs, these structures can become compromised and potentially collapse due to weakening from mold, mildew, and rot production. This means your business may need to be completely reconstructed to ensure the safety of employees and clients.
Calling a professional as soon as possible can lessen the impact of a flood, meaning you can decrease the commercial flood damage cost and get back to running your business even faster. Receiving quick assistance can also increase the chances that you’ll be able to save important appliances and electronics as well as furniture pieces. In turn, you won’t have to spend as much replacing costly items.
So I Waited Too Long – What Do I Do?
Business owners can easily miss floods and other instances in their business, especially if they live out of state or do not visit their business often. But if you arrive and realize your business has been impacted by a flood, there are a few things you can do to get the restoration process started:
Call Your Insurance Company
The first step after discovering a flood is to call your insurance company. This way, you can notify them that there’s been a flood and you need to make a claim. Here, insurance agents can notify you if you are covered under flood insurance, as well as give you an estimate for reimbursement on restorations, new equipment and inventory, and loss of income during the renovation period. Your insurance agent typically walks you through the next steps. The quicker a business fulfills the flood insurance requirements for commercial property, the sooner it can receive the funds needed to start restorations.
Shut Off Electricity
After calling your insurance company, business owners should turn off all electrical and gas systems. This is because electrical equipment in a flood zone can make it incredibly dangerous to enter your business. Electrical systems that sit in flooding water can electrocute anything or anyone that enters. In other words, business owners can experience electrical shock if they try entering their business before turning off electrical equipment. Once electrical and gas systems are shut off, business owners should still consider wearing rubber boots when walking around. This keeps them fully protected from electrical dangers and others.
Document Damages
Before receiving a claim and hiring restoration services, business owners must document the current state of their space through photos or videos. Not only is this required for most insurance companies when filing a claim, but it may also be required by restoration companies.
For insurance purposes, documenting your business gives you physical evidence of the damages created by a flood. For restoration companies, providing photos of the space can allow professionals to see the extent of the damage and what needs to be fixed. This can work to provide more accurate restoration quotes, allowing business owners and restoration professionals to plan their next steps.
Business owners should make sure to document every detail of their space, including cabinets and their contents as well as supplies, inventory, and appliances. It can be beneficial to move slowly, room by room to ensure you are documenting every detail. You should also consider writing a document that lists and describes all damages, giving further evidence and proof. The sooner a business owner completes the documentation process, the more details they’ll be able to remember and record.
Invest in Our Restoration Services
Using the most advanced technology and professional, transparent communication, Paul Davis Restoration of North Dallas can assist both residents and business owners with their restoration services. Located in Carrollton, we serve those in North Dallas and the surrounding areas. To learn more about commercial flood damage restoration and other services we offer, contact us today.
