Preparing For Commercial Water Damage in Gainesville

12/23/2020 (Permalink)

Don't let a water disaster bring your business to its knees.

As a business owner, there’s a lot of pressure to protect your assets, along with the assets and information of your customers. Your clients need to be able to trust you and know you are taking precautions to keep them safe.

Though you might not consider water damage a major threat to your company, SERVPRO of Gainesville West-Alachua County West knows what devastation can occur when a storm, flood, or broken water pipe harm your business. Here are some ways to protect yourself and your company against the effects of commercial water damage in the Gainesville area. 

Computer Backups

Running backups regularly on your office computers is crucial. Many companies specialize in handling this for you if you are a large company. You can use an encrypted cloud account or an external hard drive, but you will likely want to use both. If technology is not your specialty, consider hiring a professional to help you figure out the best way to store information, especially if the information needs to be protected for your clients. 

Filing Cabinets

Not all information is stored on a computer. Many companies have several filing cabinets filled with scans and personal information that can be difficult to replicate. When you have hard copies in your office, the best way to protect them against flood or commercial water damage is to store them in plastic or metal filing cabinets. These can be difficult to move, so store them on a second floor if possible and keep them away from basements in case of flooding. If paperwork can be scanned into a computer, then that could be a good course of action to limit the amount of damage that could be done. 

Dehumidifier and Ventilation

Many new and large office buildings are equipped with state-of-the-art climate control, but if you are in an older or smaller commercial building, you might not have this in your business. If the air in your commercial office space is humid, then you should consider investing in a good dehumidifier. Mold can be just as big of a problem as a pipe leak, and sometimes more extensive. Lots of commercial water damage can be avoided if you have a dehumidifier and good ventilation in your building.

There are no guarantees that you can prevent commercial water damage completely, but if you are prepared when it comes, the traumatic experience won’t be as devastating. The best way to prevent serious damage is to protect both your company’s and your clients’ information with backups, protect physical copies with waterproof storage, and invest in a dehumidifier. Even with these precautions, you may suffer from some commercial water damage.

If you have questions or find water and/or mold damage, feel free to call us any time at 352-374-6589. The employees at SERVPRO of Gainesville West-Alachua County West want to make your loss “Like if never even happened.”