Long-Term Effects of Commercial Water Damage: Guide for Businesses

Executive Summary

• Common causes of commercial water damage include burst pipes, equipment malfunctions, and weather-related flooding.
• Long-term effects of commercial water damage can include structural damage, mold and air quality concerns, and damage to key business assets.
• Commercial water damage can have many financial impacts on a business, including costly repairs and lost revenue from slowed operations.
• Professional water damage restoration services like Alpha Environmental can protect your business against long-term damage.

Water damage can have several long-term effects on commercial buildings, which can lead to costly repairs and unfortunate business losses. Fortunately, businesses have options for addressing commercial water damage and preventing massive disruptions to their operations or bottom line.

Business owners can be proactive against water damage by preparing their property and having a plan of action in case a flood event or water-related emergency occurs. Understanding the long-term effects of commercial water damage is valuable for protecting your business against all the potential risks and minimizing financial losses.

What Is the Impact of Water Damage on Commercial Buildings?

Water damage is a sneaky force, and its impacts can spread quickly. Commercial business owners should be aware of these impacts so that they can take steps to respond appropriately.

Common sources of water damage in commercial properties include:

• Burst or leaking pipes
• Plumbing backups
• HVAC system leaks
• Leaky roofs
• Damaged sprinkler systems
• Appliance or equipment malfunctions
• Weather-related flooding from rain or snowmelt

In any of these events, the impacts can spread fast. The water can quickly start to soak into building materials like drywall and flooring, potentially compromising their integrity. Water can also find its way into hidden locations behind walls, making it crucial to know the signs of water damage.

If left to sit, water can lead to health hazards from mold and mildew, causing problems for employees and customers alike. If extensive repairs are needed, then they can disrupt business operations for days to weeks at a time.

Ultimately, prompt detection and intervention are essential for managing the spread of water damage on your property and minimizing its impacts. Because the impacts of water damage can spread behind walls and under floors, it’s important to have a trained professional assess the damage.

Long-Term Effects

It’s important to understand the risks of water damage so that you can mitigate them effectively. When not addressed quickly and properly, commercial water damage can be accompanied by several long-term effects.

Structural Integrity Issues

Water is a powerful force and can eat away at building materials, damaging the structural integrity of homes and commercial properties in the long term. Damages to structural components can be a significant financial and safety concern by affecting the stability of a building as a whole.

Long-term effects on building structures can impact:

• Foundation integrity
• Flooring and wall materials
• Roofing systems

Potential safety hazards of these issues can make a building uninhabitable, posing risks of falling building materials or unstable floors. Damage to components like the roof, walls, or around windows can also lead to future damage by compromising the integrity of the building and allowing more water into the property.

Unfortunately, structural repairs are costly and require significant work to address, likely resulting in a disruption to business continuity. On the bright side, a quick response that dries out all materials can minimize the risk of long-term effects.

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Mold and Indoor Air Quality Concerns

Mold is a potential risk in any case of water damage. It’s an even bigger risk if the damage is not quickly addressed or is overlooked and the water remains for a long period. Mold is likely to grow when water sits in one place for longer than 48 hours.

Mold and bacteria can become a health hazard to staff and customers on your property. As mold grows, it releases tiny particles called spores. These spores then spread into the air and circulate through your ducts—this can lead to allergies, a sore throat, itchy eyes, and potential respiratory issues.

The best way to prevent mold growth after a water damage event is to completely dry out the area and ensure proper ventilation throughout the building. A professional mold inspection or mold testing is also a good idea to ensure that your property is free from mold.

Electrical System Vulnerabilities

Water damage can wreak havoc on electrical systems. If water gets into the wrong place, it can cause a short circuit and make equipment or full systems inoperable, disrupting workplace efficiency or even full-scale operations. Electrical damage can also pose the risk of fires and electrocution, causing a safety concern.

Electrical system repairs are not always straightforward, so damage to electrical systems can be expensive and hard to address properly. An urgent response to a flood event and immediate water damage extraction can help mitigate the damage to electrical systems.

Effects on Equipment and Business Assets

The costs of water damage can extend even further by affecting more than just the property itself. Additional effects on equipment and business assets can disrupt businesses and their bottom lines.

Some of the effects to consider are:

• Loss of inventory
• Damage to operations equipment
• Corrosion and rust affecting machinery
• Destruction of important documents
• Loss of data through damage to computers or servers

Financial Implications for Businesses

Financial implications of long-term commercial water damages can add up quickly. Lasting damage, the time necessary for repairs, and even unsightly staining can all influence your financial situation.

Potential financial impacts for businesses include:

• Costly repairs from structural damage
• Operation disruption from closing an area of the business
• Costly repairs for replacing compromised equipment
• Costs of replacing affected inventory
• Decreased property value from visible damage or water stains
• Lost revenue from slower output or closures
• Increased property insurance premiums

Having a business continuity plan for cases of water damage can help businesses minimize disruptions and protect against significant financial losses. It may also be a good idea to consider looking into flood insurance proactively to protect against financial risk.

If a flood event does occur, relying on a professional water damage restoration service can help minimize your financial impacts.

Why You Should Consider Professional Services for Water Damage

Many people may consider trying to cut water damage restoration costs by carrying out DIY repairs, but this can often lead to only more costly repairs down the line if the problem is not addressed properly from the start. Attempting a water damage restoration on your own poses the risk of an incomplete result, so it’s best to rely on a professional service.

Professional services have the professional-grade equipment, cleaning solutions, and experience necessary to provide the careful detail that a clean-up requires. A professional service ensures that your property will be restored back to its best possible state while minimizing the risk of long-term damage. They’ll also be sure to address all aspects of the water damage restoration process, from managing hidden water damage to testing for mold.

Alpha Environmental offers professional water damage restoration services so that you can minimize disruptions to your commercial operations and avoid unnecessarily expensive repairs. We also carry out mold inspections and mold remediation to ensure your property is in its best possible state.

Trust Alpha Environmental to Help You Address Water Damage

The potential effects of water damage are wide-ranging, and they can pose threats to your building, your inventory, and your operations as a whole. A professional restoration service has the knowledge and tools to properly address commercial water damage and mitigate the effects so that your operations can continue to run smoothly.

Alpha Environmental has over 21 years of experience supporting business owners in and around the Portland area with repairing their properties from water-related damages. Our team has the expertise to safely and effectively manage commercial water damage restorations and prevent long-term repercussions.

Contact us today for support with your water damage restoration so you can keep your business running smoothly.