If you have a commercial building, it’s important to prepare for potential property issues well before they occur. Only then can you minimize their damage when they eventually come about. An effective way to prepare for this disaster is by investing in preventive maintenance.
Storms and natural disasters are becoming more intense as the environment changes rapidly. Therefore, it is only natural that you would want to protect your buildings from harsh weather conditions. Many builders use new methods to mitigate natural disasters, and some of these tips could reduce repair costs.
Below are some of the most common building problems and ways to prevent them from destroying your property.
Rainstorms
In the event of an intense storm, the best way to protect a building from water damage is by installing a proper rain screen that allows for quick drainage and aids in water evaporation. If you live in an area that experiences frequent storms, you need to ensure your building is constructed with plenty of water-proof features.
You should also add an extra roof coating to protect the roof against rain, water, and leaks. The coating keeps water from seeping under the shingles.
Earthquakes
In some areas of the country, buildings need to be resistant to earthquakes, so you need to pay attention to certain aspects of a building when you construct or buy a commercial building:
- Building Strength: The building should be up to earthquake codes and have enough strength to resist movement. Older facilities should be inspected more frequently to ensure they remain sound and add reinforcement if needed.
- Foundation Stability: The foundation is an essential part of a structure. The foundation determines its stability, durability, and long-term survival against storms and natural disasters. When a foundation becomes unstable, it is essential to call in experts to reinforce and restabilize it.
Floods
Floods often occur during rainy seasons, especially in areas that have suffered deforestation. When the water rises above the base level elevation, there are a few things you can do to protect your building.
- Wet Floodproofing: This method lets the water enter certain areas of the building and flow out. It protects the more critical areas of the building.
- Dry Floodproofing: This process involves sealing the building doors and entrances to prevent water from coming in.
- Floodwalls: In flood-prone areas, you would want to invest in floodwalls that can block water from the sides of the building and keep it from suffering water damage.
Fires
Although fires are not usually caused by the weather, sometimes office fires can be caused by something beyond your control. However, preparing your property can help minimize the chances of a fire causing serious damage.
For example, a sprinkler system can help extinguish fires before they have the chance to spread to other parts of your building. You can tell how effective a fire sprinkler system is without even using it by assessing its sprinkler coverage. This is the amount of space each sprinkler’s head can cover with water in the event of a fire. This spec will vary from system to system, so you need to assess it before purchasing.
You should be able to find head coverage figures in the fire sprinkler system’s product description. Or, you can ask the supplier or manufacturer that you buy from. The greater the sprinkler coverage, the more prepared your building will be for potential fires.
Another attribute that you need to carefully examine is the reliability of the fire sprinkler system. The system always needs to come on when a fire is detected and stays on until the fire is suppressed. The best way to assess this attribute is by going through consumer reviews.
There will be other business owners like yourself who have experience using various fire sprinkler systems. Go through these reviews for different systems, getting an idea of how each of them works. You should be able to find a particular system that has rave reviews in the reliability department. That will inspire confidence should you move forward with the installation.
Tornadoes
Intense thunderstorms can create tornadoes and cause damage to your building. There is little you can do if there is a tornado in your area as they are unpredictable. However, you can prepare your building using wind-resistant products to protect it against strong winds.
Clear the building and keep it free of objects that could fall onto it during a tornado. It would be best to put an emergency plan in place to protect the building and staff.
Professional Installation
Even if you purchase quality supplies to protect your building, they will do you no good if they are set up incorrectly. For this reason, you need to spend time finding an expert installation company to handle vital installation projects for your commercial building.
Start your search online by seeing what installation companies are in your area based on what you need to protect your building. You want the company to employ licensed technicians because they’ll have received ample training to complete installation projects correctly and safely. You should also work with a company that has ample experience in this industry and offers guarantees. Then, you can feel much better about your new fire sprinkler system working optimally.
Natural disasters can happen at any moment and without warning. Still, the only way to protect the building is to protect it from damage and mitigate any risks because of the natural disaster.
Keep in mind it is better to invest in some protection than to pay for damages after the building faces a disaster.