10 Oct Essential Water Damage Prevention Tips For Commercial Buildings
Each building is different but all buildings are at risk of water damage. Unwanted water intrusions can have a significant impact on the commercial property’s value.
It is important to protect the roofs, windows, walls, and other components of the envelope in order to reduce the risk of water damage. To help protect your building envelope from water damage, you can use the handy checklists and operations suggestions.
Age of building components
Make sure that maintenance programs pay special attention to building envelope components that have a shorter than expected useful life. To estimate the time it will take to replace or update your roof, window sealant joints, flashings and other building elements, conduct a thorough review of your building envelope. This will allow you to prioritize capital expenditures.
Tenants should be heard
Many signs of a building envelope problem are indicated by occupant complaints. Is there a mustiness or moldy odor in the area? Human noses are very sensitive.
- You might consider establishing a Tell maintenance dropbox where residents can easily report any concerns to the building management and maintenance.
- To identify water problems, you might consider conducting an occupant survey.
Roofs
Every roof, regardless of its type, whether it is flat, pitched, asphalt, or composite, is a potential source for water damage. Many commercial roofs are covered with HVAC equipment, vent pipes and skylights. These elements are located directly overhead, making them vulnerable to water damage.
Roofs can be walked on, have test equipment and tool boxes placed on them, catch leaves behind parapets and have sand and abrasives blown constantly over them. These rooftop elements make the zone vulnerable to water intrusion.
- From the inside, check all rooftop penetrations.
- Are HVAC systems sealed?
- Are flashings around roof lights, stack vents, and other rooftop elements in good shape?
- Do you see daylight when it isn’t?
- Are you able to see water stains?
Flat roofs should be inspected frequently
It is vital to ensure that the roof drainage system of a flat roof works properly. Every month, inspect all roof drains. Sound excessive? You should not if you consider the fact that even one blocked drain could cause thousands of dollars worth of damage during a rainstorm.
One windblown plastic bag could cause an instant clog. Make sure that the drains are clear of vegetation and rooftop debris. This will help increase the life expectancy of an expensive and essential building element.
Wall systems
Water leakage can often be an issue in buildings’ exterior walls. It is easy to forget the number of openings required in commercial building walls — plumbing, irrigation connections, lighting, HVAC system elements and exhaust vents, as well as air intakes, joints around doors and windows, fire alarms and other components.
There are also the unplanned holes: the old brick joints that require repointing, sealants long gone, acid rain damage, or settling cracks.
All wall penetrations allow for water, bugs and field mice to enter the building. Specialists may be required to restore the wall system to its original performance levels. Regular inspections can help to identify problems early and minimize the cost of repairs.
Quarterly:
- For proper flashing and sealant integrity, make sure you inspect all wall penetrations.
- Make sure to inspect all wall joints, including those at doors, windows, and electrical penetrations.
Windows
Window systems should be treated as any other component of the building envelope. Your maintenance plan should include periodic inspection.
Are the operable units securely shut? Are weather-stripping components in place? Are exterior joints and flashing systems in great shape? Is there any broken glass in the exterior joints or flashing systems that went unnoticed and could pose a safety and water risk? Is there any “fogged” units that could indicate a seal failure?
- For continuous seal integrity, inspect the flashings and joints of exterior windows. Check that the flashing openings and weep holes of windows that are part of drainable walls are clear.
- Check the glass and air seal integrity of windows from the inside.
- All locks, cranks, or other mechanical components should be manually tested
- For water damage, check the interior walls surrounding windows.
Maintain a routine of inspections
Commercial building envelope components can be as diverse as the occupants or uses. You can use brick, glass, bitumen, composite panels, stone, and marble. All of them respond to wind, rain and snow differently. The envelope protects people and property and ensures that weather does not move to the inside.
A routine of operations and inspections that covers all aspects of the building envelope is one of the best ways of minimizing the risk of water damage in a building.
At grade plumbing, drains, irrigation
The area where the wall meets ground is notoriously high-risk for water intrusion. Roof drains, hose bibs, and landscape irrigation systems are all components of buildings that can allow water to get in the wrong places at the wrong times. Even a tiny leak can cause major problems such as flooding in a basement or garage. Regular inspections are recommended.
Monthly:
- All at-grade plumbing systems should be inspected.
- All at-grade drainage systems should be inspected.
- Check out basement sump and flood control systems.
- Even if they are small, it is important to immediately replace any leaky fittings or drains.
- Is the irrigation system able to spray water on the foundation wall?
- Are the roof drain outlets free of debris?
- Is there any water element at-risk of vandalism?
- Are downspouts supposed to direct water away form the foundation?
- Examine the source of standing water.
Envelopes below grade requirements
Be aware that below-grade building elements make up a large part of the building envelope. Basement walls and floors are critical in protecting the building against water intrusion and can alert you to potential problems.
Effervescence is a condition in which moisture rises through concrete’s surface. This can be seen as flaking mortar or concrete. Mold may appear on basement walls as a sign of a landscape irrigation line leak.
Quarterly:
- Make sure to inspect the basement floor drains.
- Inspect basement walls for water damage or staining. Find the source of water staining or damage and fix it immediately.
Rapid response to water damage emergencies
Even the best-maintained commercial buildings will experience water damage at some point in their lives. A well-researched emergency response plan should be available to all building staff. These plans are similar to childhood school fire drills.
They can also help speed up the recovery of a major roof leak or a flooded basement. The speed at which you respond to water damage is critical to quickly returning to normal daily operations.
The following are the essential elements of a water emergency response plan:
- Rapid shut-off of water supply lines
- As needed, safe shutting down electric and gas supply lines
- Access to the right tools is easy.
- Numbers for emergency telephones for firefighters, police, and emergency personnel, water extraction firms, and HVAC and plumbing professionals.