Covid 19 Tips for Commercial Property Owners

MPIC Tips for Commercial Property Owners

During Spring and Summer months when temperatures are up, dealing with burst pipes is uncommon. However, give the number of commercial properties now vacant due to COVID 19, there is an increase in water pressure in many areas. This increase in water pressure is causing some older fittings to fail and is leading to burst pipes, causing considerable water damage.

Water damage accounts for 20% of all insurance claims.  Burst pipes are one of the biggest risks of property damage, now that many buildings are unoccupied due to Covid 19. A crack of just 1/8 inch in a standard water pipe can lead to more than 200 gallons of water escaping daily. If this happens undetected, the damage to floors, carpets, walls and furnishing can be devastating and costly to rectify.

How can you prevent water damage?

Daily check-ups to any unoccupied spaces are important, keep a diary of checks completed. This is good evidence of due diligence in the event of an incident. We would recommend turning off your water supply into the building and drain down any tanks during the unoccupied period if possible. That helps eliminate the risk of water damage completely. This is even more important as some insurers are restricting cover to fire only during periods of inoccupancy.

7 steps to follow if you suffer water damage to your Property

1. Turn water off at the main water supply. If this is not possible, call a plumber immediately and tell them it is an emergency.
2. If water is seeping from the ceiling or walls, shut down the power supply and call an electrician.
3. Turn off any immersion heater and central heating system to prevent heating the system while it is empty, which could cause damage.
4. Protect any documents, computer systems and possessions by moving them to a safe location.
5. Check property for water damage. If there is water pooling or bulging in ceilings, steer clear in case they collapse. If it’s safe, you could make a small hole that will allow the water to slowly escape to a container placed below.
6. Open the doors and windows to the water-damaged rooms in order to allow drying and hopefully preventing mould and mildew, which can be very costly to remove.
7. Call Seán on 086 6655155 for a free consultation and to discuss your property loss.