Bursting Pipes Can Lead to Secondary Damage

12/31/2020 (Permalink)

Commercial water damage

Steps To Prevent Further Damage In Your Commercial Building

If you’re a commercial property owner in Oklahoma City, OK, possibly the only thing worse than walking in to find actively bursting pipes is discovering secondary damage - like mold, rot or mildew - long after everything has been cleaned up. While it’s difficult to prevent any damage from occurring if you have a flood, there are things you can do to prevent further damage later on.

Phase 1: Initial Cleanup
The most important thing you can do to minimize both primary and secondary damage is to remove the water as quickly as possible:

• As soon as you have the water source turned off, immediately get in touch with a plumber and a water damage cleanup service.
  
• If possible, remove all equipment and furniture from the area, and put everything you can out of reach from the flood water. Be mindful of how quickly water can seep into cracks or be absorbed into anything porous.
  
• Meanwhile, your plumber will address the bursting pipes. He or she can diagnose the underlying problem, find any leaks or cracks, and fix the broken pipe. The plumber should also be able to advise you about what preventative measures you can take to avoid this problem in the future.
  
  
  

Phase 2: Drying Everything Out
Perhaps equally as important as removing the water is making sure that everything in your commercial space is thoroughly dry once the water is gone. Your water damage cleanup team will make sure that all the necessary steps are taken, such as:

• using dehumidifying equipment to dry out the air
  
• using monitoring equipment to track the drying process
  extracting excess water from carpeting and fabrics
  
• using high-speed fans to increase air circulation and drying
  
• using infrared cameras to search for trapped water
  
• using high-powered air scrubbers to clean the air
  
  
  

Bursting pipes and the resulting water damage can wreak havoc with your commercial property. Acting quickly to clean up the water and dry everything out will go a long way to prevent the secondary damage that can occur later on.