General Tips to Protect Your Commercial Business Property

9/30/2022 (Permalink)

Protect your commercial business property from natural disaster damage.

If you find yourself in the tricky situation of cleaning up commercial water damage, follow these simple guidelines. By using a dehumidifier to remove moisture from the area and stop mold and bacteria growth, you’ll be able to speed up the cleanup process considerably.

The components of a commercial building envelope are as varied as its occupants and uses. Brick and glass, bitumen and composite panels, marble and stone, all can be used. And all respond differently to the forces of wind, rain, snow, and ice. Ideally, the envelope ensures that the weather stays on the outside, where it belongs, and that the people and property inside are protected. One of the best ways to minimize a building’s risk of water damage is to develop, maintain, and follow a systematic operations and maintenance inspection routine that includes all elements of the building envelope.

Make periodic inspections of your commercial property. Inspect your property and make any necessary repairs to ensure that it can resist an unexpected event. Ensure that signs, awnings, equipment on the roof, and other accessories on the exterior of your property are firmly attached to the structure. Keep drains, rain gutters, and roof areas clean. Prune any trees that might cause damage to the structure or to electric cables.

Prepare the property when an emergency is imminent. Remove antennas, signs, awnings, and any other accessory that is not firmly attached to the structure. Cover windows and doors with storm shutters or sheets of plywood. Check door and window frames to ensure that they are tight and well installed. Take objects indoors that may be picked up by the force of the wind and become projectiles. Raise elevators to the top floor and turn off the system. Be sure that the machine room is well protected from water leaks or other types of damage. Water tanks should be fully filled, and their covers should be sealed. Protect electrical equipment from water; cover equipment with plastic sheeting and raise it off the floor.

Outside your business space, you should trim trees and remove exterior debris that might become a hazard during strong winds. Have a professional logging team remove dangerous trees and anchor outdoor items such as benches to the ground. If you’re located in a flood zone, consider installing flood gates to prevent water from coming into the business space.

Protect your commercial business property from theft.

Protect your business’s documents. Keep duplicate files of your business’s and your customers’ records. Keep copies on a server, in the cloud, or in a physical location that you can access from other locations in case your property is destroyed or inaccessible. Some of the documents you should protect are financial information; employee, customer, and supplier databases; municipal, state, and federal licenses and certifications; tax receipts; and insurance policies.

Good lighting - Lighting can be an effective deterrent against crime, both inside your business and outside the building . Make sure the light fixtures are in good working order. Use light cages to prevent bulb breakage. Replace burned-out bulbs as quickly as possible.

One final area of protection are your windows. Perforated vinyl graphics – usually available from your local signage provider – can provide added privacy to your windows, preventing criminals from easily seeing the contents inside, but still allowing daylight in for the occupants. Windows can also be covered in burglar-resistant glazing for reinforced security.