Tips to Prevent Winter Water Damage in Your Apartment Complex

12/11/2018 (Permalink)

The steady rains of winter or snow and ice can present problems in the form of water damage. Take a good look around your apartment complex; is the weather-stripping on doors and windows in good repair for damp conditions? Do exterior doors fit tightly and close as they should? The roofs of your complex need to be completely watertight, as well, to protect your tenants and their personal property from winter water damages.

The parking lots of your property need to have a well-planned drainage system so that tenants and visitors can get to and from their vehicles safely. If people have to wade into their homes, the floors will suffer, and a slip-and-fall accident due to wet floors can be a disaster for everyone, as well as increasing the risk for mold indoors from water damage. Make sure you keep an eye on potholes, as well; ice and water can dig pretty deep in a very short period of time!

Rain gutters and spouts need to be checked periodically; if a rain gutter becomes clogged with debris such as dead leaves or small branches, they aren’t going to be able to drain away rainwater. As water backs up, it will leak back into the walls of your building, sometimes without anyone knowing it, and you can find yourself with a damaged apartment unit and a mold problem.

Large trees on your property can become unstable if a large amount of water lands in the area. Do you need to take them out or cut them back so that they are not a risk factor? It’s something to consider.

Power lines and telephone poles on or near your apartment complex can be a possible issue. Contact your utility companies and have them come to take a look prior to wet weather to make sure you, your business, and your tenants will be safe.

For your records, take pictures of your property premises so that in case of damage you have proof of their prior condition for insurance purposes. Save these types of photos to a CD and/or the cloud for future access.

The paper records for your complex will be lost if exposed to water; make sure that your hard copies are kept in a manner that will preserve them in case of any water damage. Scanning them and saving to your computer system is always a good idea, and backing up those computer records will keep your business in working order, no matter what comes!

Here at SERVPRO of Belle Meade / West Nashville,  we are experts when it comes to water damage, fire damage, mold remediation, and all of your emergency service needs! Contact us right away if your business has received water damage of any kind.