Are you Winter Weather Ready?

12/9/2019 (Permalink)

Frozen Pipes

Are you prepared for the upcoming cold weather? Cold weather can have a huge impact on your home or business if you are not ready for it. From rain and freezing temperatures to damaging winds, sleet, or snow, all can cause serious and costly property damage. While you cannot control the weather, you can take steps to be prepared and help take the sting out of winter weather. To help prevent costly damages due to weather, consider taking the following precautions to protect your property before the cold weather hits.

• Check your business property for downed tree limbs and branches. Wind, heavy rain, ice, and snow can cause branches to fall, which could cause damage to the property and potentially cause personal injuries.
• Roofs, water pipes, and gutters should all be inspected to help ensure they are in the proper order. Gutter downspouts should be directed away from your building. Clear gutters of debris that may have gathered during the fall. Leaves and other obstructions can cause a damming effect, which can lead to roof damage and interior wall problems.
• Inspect property, especially walkways and parking lots, for proper drainage to alleviate a potential flood hazard.
• Inspect all handrails, stairwells, and entryways to address and correct potential slippery of hazardous areas. Install mats or non-slip surfaces and post caution signs where water could be present.
• Protect water pipes from freezing by simply allowing water to drip when temperatures dip below freezing. If pipes are under a cabinet, leave the cabinet doors open, allowing warm inside air to circulate around the pipes. If the building has outdoor faucets, consider shutting water off at the main valve in the basement or crawl space. Once the valve is off, open the outdoor faucet to ensure it drains, preventing any remaining water from freezing in the pipe. 
• Ask any of the professional at SERVPRO of North Richland Hills about completing an Emergency READY Profile (ERP) for your business. The ERP is a no-cost assessment of your facility and provides you with a plan to get back in business faster following a disaster. Preparation is key to making it through any disaster, whether it is a small water leak, a large fire, or an area flood. The best time to plan for such events is not when the event happens, but well beforehand. No one ever plans on disaster, but now, you can plan and prepare for it.

When winter weather strikes, call SERVPRO of North Richland Hills to strike back and help make it "Like it never even happened."