Commercial Property Clean up after Flood Damage

If your business has suffered from water damage caused by a natural disaster, leaky appliance, or a backed up sewage pipe, it can be overwhelming as to what to do first. It doesn’t matter if there’s only one inch of water or ten–any amount of water can be significant enough to cause damage. In fact, water damage is the second most frequently filed insurance claim made by businesses. Even after doing your best to prevent water damage at your commercial property, it can still happen. By acting quickly, you can save yourself time, money, stress, and lessen the overall business interruption and lost profits. Follow these steps to get through the water damage repair process as easily as possible.

1. Turn off the main water shut off valve.
   If flooding is happening in your building because of a plumbing or appliance issue, doing this will stop the flow of water, preventing further flooding.
2. Turn off the power, flip the circuit breaker and unplug electrical items.
   Make sure your circuit breaker panel is switched to off or that the electricity is professionally turned off before stepping foot inside parts of your commercial property that may have exposed wiring or have plugged-in electrical appliances that may be covered in water. This is dangerous and may be life threatening. If you are unsure whether or not your power is on, or if you do not know how to turn off the power, call a professional as soon as possible.
3. Call your commercial flood insurance company and have your property inspected.
   A professional will come out to your property to assess the damage done by the water, making note of what damaged items can be saved and what should be replaced. This assessment will also be affected by what kind of water damage you have. If you have water damage from a heavy rainstorm, the water is more likely to be clean and salvageable. If the water damage is from a clogged sewage pipe, most of your items will be contaminated with fecal matter. This type of cleanup requires your contents be professionally cleaned or discarded. To be prepared, you might want to fill out a Property Loss Inventory Sheet to make note of all your valuable items, including the brand, model number, and age of the item to make the process less painful later on. Keep a copy of this inventory sheet in a safe place. It’s a good idea to keep a second copy in another place off-site as a backup. By cooperating with the assessor, answering all their questions and quickly completing the paperwork, your claim will be resolved faster.
4. Move all of your unaffected items to a dry place.
   After you know your building is safe and after the insurance assessor has documented all of your items in both picture and list form, move all of your valuables, like documents, antiques, electronics, and other valuables to a safe, dry place away from the water. Obtain an inventoried list of all the items your insurance company has taken for cleaning or thrown away.
5. Contact water damage restoration service professionals to start the clean up process.
   Act quickly and call a team of flood damage specialists to dry out your building. The longer you wait, the more opportunity there’s for mold and mildew growth or damage to the building’s structure. A water mitigation company makes sure your building gets back to pre-loss condition without hidden mold or rot issues. 

Alpha-omega Can Help You Restore Your Building after Flood Damage.

Contact Alpha-Omega Disaster Restoration for a consultation. Our team of professionals is available 24/7 to come and assess the water damage done to your commercial property. We can document the situation and damage, working directly with your insurance adjuster to provide you the fastest and best water restoration possible. Water in your building needs quick action to prevent further structural or mold damage. Alpha-Omega is a fully certified restoration company serving Billings, MT and the surrounding areas.