Window Damage

5/6/2022 (Permalink)

Perhaps surprisingly, window damage claims make the list of top commercial property damage claims. This type of damage can occur due to storms, high winds, or hail and doesn't necessarily involve shattered glass. Structural or seal damage to window and fenestration systems are often overlooked since they're not readily apparent. Speak with an experienced attorney to make sure you're not omitting window damage in your claim.

Roof Damage

5/6/2022 (Permalink)

Storms are the most common cause of roof damage, as strong winds, down-pouring elements, flying debris, and falling trees can impact the structure of a building's roof. It's not uncommon for insurance providers to deny roof damage claims by arguing that the roof was old, that the damage was a result of normal wear and tear, that it was built from known risky materials, or that the business owner in some way caused the damage.

What To Do if You Experience Commercial Water Damage

5/6/2022 (Permalink)

Commercial water damage is one of the most frequent and expensive claims small businesses face. When it comes to your business and water damage, it doesn’t take much to face a costly claim. In fact, our data shows that about 75% of losses come from leaks related to:

• Plumbing
• HVAC systems
• Appliances

This is why it’s important to carry commercial property insurance. Without it, you’d have to pay out of pocket to cover water damage repairs to your business’ property. If you notice commercial water damage or an issue that can lead to property loss, it’s important to take immediate action.

4 Steps To Take for Commercial Water Damage Restoration

5/6/2022 (Permalink)

From finding the source of water and starting the restoration process to filing a claim with your insurer, there are steps to follow that are critical to mitigate the damage.

1. Identify the source of water damage. Water leaks and intrusions can happen in many places. Some common areas to check are pipes or holes in your roof or walls. You can also work with a local plumber to help identify the source.
2. If necessary, shut off the water main. If you have a leaking or burst pipe, shut off the water main to prevent more damage.
3. Immediately contact your insurance company. Notify your insurance company about the water damage as soon as possible. It’s a good idea to also document the damage with photos.
4. Find a restoration team. You can work with your insurer to find a company specializing in commercial water damage repair. If there’s extensive damage, there may be an emergency service for water extraction or mold remediation available for your business.

Fire Damage

4/27/2022 (Permalink)

The ruin that fires cause is another particularly challenging type of property damage for commercial property to sustain. If not controlled and extinguished quickly, the entire building and all the assets inside are at risk. An engulfing fire can therefore be devastating. To successfully file a fire damage claim, you should photograph damaged items and the building itself. And keeping as much of this evidence as you can without discarding it is important, however, just in case your insurance provider requests to see it in person.

Is Water Damage on the Menu at Your Restaurant?

12/12/2020 (Permalink)

How to Prepare Your Restaurant for Water Damage Recovery 

Restaurants throughout the Northern Virginia area are plentiful, so you need to work continuously to set your business apart from the competition in the area. While part of this comes from your commitment to providing your customers with top quality food and service, it is also about how quickly you can respond in the face of adversity. When situations like water damage occur, you need to work fast to prepare the property for restoration – even if it is out of your skillset to perform it. 

With how quickly emergencies like water damage in a Restaurant can get out of control, you have much more than your building to protect. In addition to structural concerns, you have the investment that you have made in the food and supplies to consider, as well as the foot traffic of your loyal customers. Even without the ability to handle widespread water loss as our SERVPRO professionals can, there are steps you can take to prepare your property for restoration work to come. 

• Start by shutting off any water that is feeding the loss incident. If there is a break in the plumbing or you have an appliance that has malfunctioned, you can often locate an independent valve to shut off just this portion of your shop to keep everything else running normally.
• Do your best to contain the spread of the water loss incident when possible. You can even begin employing specific water removal efforts, such as using a mop and bucket, to slow the progression of these damages with our SERVPRO professionals are in route.
• If the restaurant must close for a brief period, make sure you protect the investment you’ve made in the perishables, supplies and other food items by relocating them if consistent power becomes an issue in the building.

Don't Let Mold Damage Close Your Business

12/10/2020 (Permalink)

Mold Damage in Your Northern Virginia Business Is No Need to Panic 

Much hype exists in the media about the dangers of mold, leading to your need for a fast fix if an infestation manifests in your commercial space. We have the certification to offer professional mold remediation services and are happy to evaluate your scenario and discuss the process from start to finish. Our crews master the techniques during the Institute of Inspection, Cleaning and Restoration Certification (IICRC) training. We also invest in the equipment needed to abate mold growth efficiently and safely. 

Avoid Long-Term Shutdowns  

Every minute your business is on hold because of mold damage, your customers lose access to your products and services. We are sensitive to this issue as statistics bear out that nearly half of companies that shut their doors even temporarily because of a disaster might not reopen. When our project manager arrives, we discuss ways to partition off the moldy area safely and according to local ordinances. Permitting you to operate in at least a portion of your commercial building with as few limitations as possible during mold remediation is a priority. We also make every attempt to find and help arrange to eliminate the water source fueling the mold growth. 

Adherence to Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Protocols 

Containment

Our Applied Microbial Remediation Technicians (AMRT) follow the procedures developed by the EPA for commercial buildings and schools. After we locate and determine the dimensions of the mold outbreak, the SERVPRO team partitions the affected space off from the rest of your business. Heavy-duty sheeting defines the perimeter. We then use negative pressure air scrubbing technology for two purposes. First, it seals the partitioned spaced, preventing drift. Second, it pulls airborne contaminants, including spores and other moldy residues, through HEPA filters, exhausting the air to the outside.  

Removal 

Scraping and brushing remove active mold colonies from solid surfaces. SERVPRO also works hard to save porous materials with innovations like soda blasting. Through gentle abrasion to agitate and dislodge the surface mold, the soda also inhibits the rebound of mold growth. Vacuuming and wipe-downs ensure we collect all debris for appropriate disposal as hazardous waste. 

Disinfection 

To inhibit mold regrowth, SERVPRO applies EPA-registered antimicrobials to affected areas. We might consider the use of disinfectant-infused sealers to provide a barrier and a smooth, mold-free surface for refinishing.  

Some Shortcuts to Commercial Mold Damage Remediation

12/9/2020 (Permalink)

Reducing the Threat of Mold

Almost everything in your entire Park Slope café is organic, meaning that the entire assortment of items remains susceptible to mold and microbial threats. The fastest route for these colonies to start in your business is poor ventilation or a botched cleanup and drying of a water loss incident that occurred in recent weeks. Water damage does not always dry up on its own, and lingering effects can feed mold spores naturally occurring in the environment to encourage them to seat and spread on surfaces.

You might not realize that mold damage in your business has started until it has spread to the point of concern. Your customers are a primary focus here, and you need professionals that can assess the risks and determine if containment and remediation can allow you to keep your doors open. Because of how many coffee shops and cafes are in Northern Virginia alone, we understand how important it is to get back up and running at full capacity as quickly as possible.

Reaching out to our SERVPRO team is reaching out to a team of qualified and well-trained technicians accredited through the standard-setting Institute of Inspection, Cleaning and Restoration Certification (IICRC.) For remediation alone, we have certified Water Restoration Technicians (WRT), Fire and Smoke Restoration Technicians (FSRT), & Applied Microbial Remediation Technicians (AMRT). With the strict regulations and codes for mold remediation and construction work, professional services are a must.

Content management is critical to protect much of the furniture in the outer-lying areas of the damaged zone. We can move wooden furniture and other susceptible materials and items to a safer space while the mold region gets sealed off with thick, 6 mil plastic sheeting. Our remediation contractors can determine if drywall, flooring, and other fixtures must get removed before we deploy our effective colony removal strategies like media and soda blasting.

The discovery of mold requires a fast response from our SERVPRO team. We have effective containment strategies and tactics to stop the spread of the organism while we get to work on the necessary steps to remove the colony entirely.

We Get You Back In Business After A Flood

12/4/2020 (Permalink)

Common Issues with Commercial Flood Damage in Your Businesses

Commercial flood damage has the potential to shut down a business if it is not correctly cleaned up. Numerous factors affect the outcome of the restoration and how rapidly it can reopen. 

When SERVPRO technicians help local businesses experiencing commercial flood damage, the technicians work to not only get the company reopened as quickly as possible but also to save the property owners from the cost of replacement and repair through their restoration methods. 

Saving Stock From Cross-Contamination 

In almost any business, stock and equipment are significant investments. When they are on-site during flood water cleanup, SERVPRO technicians take careful measures to protect unaffected areas on the premises from cross-contamination from pollutants in the groundwater. This may include actions such as sealing off the loss area with plastic, coving HVAC vents, and in some cases, pack-out of undamaged items to a secure location until mitigation efforts complete. 

Mold is a Threat

The high humidity of a flood loss structure makes an ideal breeding ground for mold colonies, and airborne spores can germinate and begin to spread as fast as 24-hours. SERVPRO technicians have a mold remediation certification and know the early warning signs of a mold infestation as well as proactive treatments to inhibit growth. 

Common Losses Seen with Groundwater Damage

Even half-an-inch of groundwater leaves behind significant flood damage. Industrial carpet and tiles tend to be adhesive-backed and often delaminate in the presence of extended exposure to water. SERVPRO technicians remove items with too much damage for restoration and carefully note the condition along with photos. This attention to detail is part of a report created to assist property owners in filing insurance claims to expedite reimbursement. 

Sheetrock wicks water rapidly, and once it has warped or buckled, it requires removal. Technicians measure to the water-line and cleanly cut several inches above it to halt any further damage and open up the wall cavities for complete drying. 

Removing Flood Damage From Your Property

12/3/2020 (Permalink)

Removing Flooring Flood Damage in Northern Virginia

According to the NFIP, businesses comprise only 5% of flood policies as of August 2019. While it could be tempting to cut costs, losses incurred by flooding can lead to more than just long-term damaged structures. Without professional mitigation, local businesses can lose significant amounts of revenue.

If your Northern Virginia business has suffered flood damage, IICRC-certified SERVPRO technicians are available to help you 24/7. Disasters do not always occur during regular business hours, so this team strives to help small business owners restore structures and get back to business as usual. Your local SERVPRO is actively involved with beneficial organizations like CERT, the American Red Cross, and many other drives and charities that seek to improve the community.

Assembling a Small Business Disaster Supply Kit

    •    Pack battery-powered essentials such as flashlights and radios to monitor disasters and navigate more safely.  

    •    Keep a stock of non-perishable foods, including canned goods and calorie- and nutrient-dense granola and energy bars, as well as disposable utensils and a manual can opener.

    •    Make sure there is a gallon of water per person per day in your kit.

    •    Mylar blankets are another must-have in the event of the flooding-related disaster at your business.

    •    Personal hygiene items and first-aid materials are a must-have in your disaster supply kit. Be sure to have garbage bags handy to dispose of trash and maximize sanitation.

Keep emergency numbers and procedures available throughout your facilities, and go over evacuation routes and procedures with your employees to maximize safety for both your staff and customers. If you have special needs employees or clients, include special accommodations for them in your planning.

How SERVPRO Restores Businesses

If you have over 2 inches of standing water in your business, technicians can deploy submersible pumps to suck up water fast. Technicians can then use extraction wands to remove moisture in surfaces and wall cavities and prepare the space for disinfection and drying. Carpet and pad need to be removed from the facility to maximize safety.

If your business keeps porous merchandise, these items may require removal as floodwaters contain microbes and other contaminants. If you need mold remediation after a flood, this SERVPRO team is licensed to address mold with EPA registered antimicrobial cleaners .

Handling Water Damage to Your Restaurant

12/2/2020 (Permalink)

With the high volume of traffic that your franchise eatery receives every day, you need fast and reliable water restoration. 

Natural disasters and accidents that impact your Northern Virginia restaurant's productivity and operation are rarely situations that employees and property managers can handle on their own. Broken sprinkler heads, damaged sink fixtures, or broken pipes in the walls can cause substantial water damage to the building. How these conditions get addressed can often be a difference in whether your facilities can stay up and running after a loss or if the doors to your restaurant must close temporarily for professional water restoration companies to complete their recovery. 

Because water damage repair for Northern Virginian restaurants can encompass so many individual tasks, each approach for compromised businesses varies based on the circumstances and structure's layout. Certain fundamental mitigation steps are the centerpiece of our initial activity, but even these approaches get tailored to specific situations. For example, controlled demolition might not be necessary for most metal frameworks in wall systems. However, older franchise restaurants might still feature wood framing in the walls that could become overly damaged with exposure. 

What Water Mitigation Services Must Occur? 

Even with a fixation on cleaning and restoring a damaged property after a water disaster, your restaurant depends on the initial mitigation and emergency services our SERVPRO team provides. Applying some of these actions immediately can keep your facility open in some capacity, allowing you to continue serving customers while restoration, cleaning, and drying continue. Mitigation involves several quick approaches, including:

• Extraction – Removing standing water is a considerable initial concern, especially when floor drains in the building have become clogged or overwhelmed. This process involves several water removal tools, including pumps, extractor trucks, and wet vacuums. 
• Containment – Establishing physical barriers between damaged areas and unaffected portions of the restaurant can allow the establishment to operate in a limited capacity. 
• Controlled Demolition – Sagging and destroyed materials can be a hazard to employees and restorers working to recover the damage. 
• Repairs - With a team of in-house contractors on our roster, we can locate plumbing or fixture damage and repair it to prevent further property losses and restore water service.

What Materials Are Affected by Standing Water? 

No matter where the bulk of the damage exists in the restaurant, from the kitchen and food prep areas to the dining portion of the building, our contractors and restorers' response remains the same. Understanding what materials are the most likely to become damaged by the presence of water ensures that the appropriate drying and cleaning occurs promptly to reduce tear-out. 

• Drywall - Drywall is often a quickly damaged material, even if the entire wall surface does not become impacted. Establishing a dryline allows for flood cuts to get made that remove compromised portions of sheetrock.
• Subflooring – Carpets common to your restaurant's dining area either leads to concrete subflooring or OSB board. With the right length of exposure, both of these materials could become damaged. 
• Wood Framing – While newer commercial construction utilizes aluminum framing, older buildings can still be susceptible to migrating moisture and its effect on wood frames. 
• Furniture – Tables and chairs throughout the dining area can also be sensitive to water damage when exposure persists long enough to penetrate the finished wood. 

Is Mold Possible? 

If mold exists because of the water damage situations in your restaurant, it could welcome several immediate health and safety concerns for your patrons and staff. When water damages exist, our SERVPRO professionals work quickly to limit the spread and treat surfaces with antimicrobial solutions when possible. 

Dos & Don'ts of Commercial Water Damage

12/13/2019 (Permalink)

Unfortunately, water damage events are never scheduled. They typically occur at the most inconvenient time.

Because it is your business, quick response is critical in AVOIDING:

• Business interruptions
• Revenue loss
• Costly repairs
• Undue stress

 That's where SERVPRO® of McLean professionals come in to help you get back to business quickly.

DOs:

• Remove as much excess water as possible with extraction equipment.
• Wipe excess water from wood furnishings after removing any contents lying on the surface.
• Remove and prop wet upholstery and pillow cushions for even drying.
• Clearly designate wet areas with floor signs and safety tape.
• Pad or block wood furniture to prevent permanent staining or carpet.
• Turn off circuit breakers for wet areas of the building when access to the power distribution panel is safe from electrical shock.

DO NOTs:

• Attempt to vacuum up water with standard retail vacuum equipment (e.g. ShopVac or upright vacuum).
• Turn on ceiling fans or light fixtures if ceiling is wet.
• Stand beneath sagging ceilings.
• Attempt to use electrical devices exposed to moisture.
• Turn on unexposed electrical devices while standing on wet floors - especially wet concrete.

4 Safety Tips for Landlord and Property Managers

12/13/2019 (Permalink)

Here are four tips from various McLean landlord and property manager resources to get the conversation started:

• Don’t give out your home address. Instead have rent checks sent to a P.O. box, placed in an on-site drop box, or deposited electronically. Although it can be easy to get someone’s home address these days, if an irate tenant who has just received an eviction notice has to spend a couple of hours looking, it might give him or her a chance to cool off.
• Consistently follow a screening process. When selecting tenants review applications for consistency and consider checking criminal records. Require references and call present and previous landlords. Use a reverse look-up service as an applicant may give you a phone number for someone who is pretending to be an ex-landlord. Also, check identification carefully, as some applicants may pretend to be someone they’re not.
• Program emergency numbers on your phone. If you need emergency assistance, the ability to press a single button on your list of “favorites” will save you time and prevent you from making dialing errors, which can happen if you’re in a panic.
• Know who you’re showing rental property to. Before you show your rental home have a formal meeting in a public place or your business office with the potential renter. Have him or her show at least two forms of ID and fill out a contact information form or rental agreement. Criminals tend to look for easy victims, and if you make the process more formal and require them to work a little, they may look elsewhere for trouble.

Commercial Building Management Winter Checklist

12/13/2019 (Permalink)

Freezing or Bursting Pipes

One of the most common causes of damage to commercial buildings during the colder months is freezing and bursting pipes. As a building owner, there are measures you can take to prevent pipes from freezing; however, sometimes the worst happens anyway. If it does, the result can be thousands of dollars of damage to your building, furniture, electronics, and other business property.

Following are a few tips on protecting the pipes in your building from winter’s worst:

• Locate the turnoff valve and drain the lines, also known as winterizing.
• Protect spigots with Styrofoam attachments. These can be purchased at most home improvements stores and they offer much better insulation than wrapping the spigot with a towel.
• Search for pipes that are not insulated. These pipes may pass through unheated areas, such as crawlspaces, basements or garages. Pre-molded foam rubber sleeves can be fitted to the pipe and offer essential insulation to keep them from freezing. Fiberglass insulation is also an option. You may also consider wrapping the pipe with heating tape.

Winter Runoff

As winter begins to recede, the risk of damage from freezing pipes fades with it. However, melting snow and ice bring a new concern for building owners—flood damage to property resulting from the runoff of the melt. In many areas of the country, snowmelt is a greater threat for flooding than any other source. The bad news is that flood resulting from melting snow and ice is still considered a flood and, therefore, may not be covered by standard commercial property insurance.

Damage from Ice, Sleet or Snow

Ice, sleet and snow can be incredibly destructive to your property. They can be the source of damage or amplify existing damage—for example, ice getting into a crack in a wall. Unfortunately, damage caused by ice, snow and sleet are not covered by most standard commercial property insurance policies. While some policies will cover damage resulting from the abrupt collapse of a building’s roof under the weight of ice, snow or sleet, others will not.

Protecting your building from harsh winter conditions takes a great deal of preparation.

McLean Businesses and Fire Safety

12/13/2019 (Permalink)

When a fire breaks out at your business, you won’t have time to sit down and research what to do. You’ll be busy trying to get everyone out and grabbing important documents amidst all the chaos.

That, along with many other reasons, is why your business in Plant City, Lakeland, Winter Haven, and nearby central Florida areas needs to have a fire safety plan in place before a fire starts.

Why a Fire Safety Plan Should be a Top Priority

Running a business takes time and money, so it’s tempting to put administrative items on the back burner until you have time to get to them. However, you need to address a fire safety plan sooner rather than later.

Without a plan in place, you could be setting yourself up for even more of a disaster, including employee lawsuits and other liability issues. You also need to be cognizant of what could cause a fire in your business. A restaurant obviously has fire dangers in the kitchen, whereas a tech company could have equipment that overheats, and a retail store could have other issues arise.

Employee Safety is Key During a Fire

It’s vital to ensure that your employees will be safe in case of a fire. During storm season, it’s possible that a fire could break out due to a lightning strike. Fires start with no warning and most people will react with a flight response, running out of the room.

Without a plan in place, they may run to the wrong area of the building and there is no way to keep track of which employees went where or if they got out safely. In other words, during a disaster is not the time for employees to learn proper procedure. Instead, create a plan and make sure each employee has knowledge of what to do in case of a fire.

HOST QUARTERLY FIRE DRILLS AND MAKE SURE FIRE SAFETY TRAINING IS PART OF NEW EMPLOYEE ONBOARDING.

What Your Fire Safety Plans Should Include

Any business, small or large, should have a fire safety plan in place. There are many elements that go into ensuring a successful fire safety plan, which include:

• Building plans and layout that depicts planned evacuation routes, emergency phones, fire alarms, and fire exits for each floor
• Outline where each evacuation route should meet outside the building
• Explicit step-by-step instructions on what employees should do in the event of a fire
• How to train managers on proper steps during a fire or fire safety drill
• How often and when fire safety drills should be conducted
• Address evacuation of anyone who may require special assistance to get out
• A map for firefighters that outlines access points
• Create an accountability system for managers to keep track of all their direct reports so that it is easy to quickly identify who is safely out of the building
• Include an up-to-date list of staff, as well as any vendors or visitors who may be on site

What to Do After Fire Strikes Your Business

After you begin to pick up the pieces when a fire strikes your business, it’s important to quickly address the fire damage that has happened. Restoring fire damage is vital to ensuring the building structure and items inside can be salvaged. Contacting a company such as True Builders to assist with the fire damage restoration process should be one of your first steps.

9 Tips on How to Prepare Your Commercial Building for a Snow Storm

12/14/2018 (Permalink)

Is your commercial building and HVAC system ready for a snow storm?

Prevent Costly Facility Issues with these Facility Maintenance Winter Tips

Snow, ice, and freezing rain can wreak havoc on a commercial building, especially if you are not prepared. Here is a checklist of tasks to help any building owner or property manager prepare for a snow storm.

Checklist to Prepare Your Office Building for a Snow Storm:

• Have a Plan: As a property manager, it is important to have a written emergency and disaster plan in place, including preventive measures and procedures. Also, list critical shut-off locations for water, electrical mains, emergency generators, and fire protection systems.
• Preventative Maintenance: Have your water heater and HVAC system inspected and serviced regularly. These systems work especially hard during the winter.
• Identify and Address Potential Issues: Before the storm hits, it is important to identify and address potential issues, such as pavement deficiencies that may become covered by snow, or roof drainage issues that can cause water to drain onto walkways.
• Snow Removal: The flat roofs on most commercial buildings are prone to freezing, thawing, and refreezing, which can plug roof drains and add excess weight, which could cause the roof to collapse. This is why it is so important to remove snow as necessary, ensuring areas around vents and exhaust pipes are clear.
• Pipes: Wrap vulnerable pipes with insulation sleeves to keep them from freezing. If a pipe does freeze and burst, turn off the main water supply to the pipe immediately and leave the faucet open until repairs can be made.
• Clear Walkways: Keep walkways clear of snow and ice. Use salt, chemical pellets, and sand as appropriate. It is also a good idea to display caution signs where appropriate.
• Emergency Generators: Check the fuel oil supply for Emergency Generators in case there is a power outage.
• HVAC System: Be sure your cooling tower heaters and piping heat traces are functioning to protect them from freezing. Also, heat pumps and condensing units can fail when snow builds up around them and restricts airflow, so be sure to keep them clear of snow & ice buildup.  Make sure your economizer is not calling for outside air. Check that outside dampers function properly as in some instances they may need to be closed manually.
• Temperatures:  Check your set-back temperatures after hours and determine if hard-to-heat areas need to be adjusted to higher temperatures to protect critical building equipment and systems.

Cleanup at Local Business

12/14/2018 (Permalink)

A business in Alexandria, VA experienced structural damage as a result of a serious workplace accident. SERVPRO has the expertise and equipment to provide remediation for damage resulting from an accident such as this one. In this particular situation, an employee of the business was attempting to retrieve fluorescent light bulbs from there storage location on top of a drop ceiling. The employee lost his footing and caused a panel from the ceiling to fall out and approximately 15 fluorescent light bulbs to fall through and shatter. Luckily there was no one underneath the area and the employee was able to catch himself before falling on top of the resulting broken bulbs.

SERVPRO was able to HEPA vacuum to ensure no tiny shards of glass created any safety concerns.  We also created a temporary cover for the ceiling. The business owner and office manager were very grateful to be able to use the space again within a matter of hours!

Plumbing Tips for Commercial Properties

12/14/2018 (Permalink)

Simple Maintenance May be the Responsibility of Tenants

Commercial property owners who rent space to tenants should be aware that in some cases, the tenant is responsible for well-functioning plumbing. What should tenants do?

Never Put Up with Leaking Faucets or Pipes

Not only do leaking faucets or pipes waste water (in fact, approximately 900 million gallons in the U.S. each year), leaks also contribute to the growth of mold, wood rot, and other structural issues.

While not all leaks are noticeable, if the water pressure drops you should have a plumbing contractor investigate the situation at once, as it could indicate a leak in the plumbing network. It is not always possible to prevent a leak, however investing in a thorough plumbing inspection once or twice each year is the best way to manage your system and avoid leaks.

3 Tips for Commercial Property Owners' HVAC Systems

12/14/2018 (Permalink)

If you run a commercial property, you probably have HVAC units to maintain. You care about keeping your tenants comfortable and it wouldn’t hurt to cut down on energy costs. Well working HVAC systems not only keep people comfortable but also foster a lower upkeep. With that in mind, here are 3 tips for commercial property owners to make their HVAC systems work for them.

1. Develop a System

You should always make sure to schedule regular HVAC maintenance for your residents. That means, at the bare minimum, you should clean air ducts on a regular basis for all of your tenants. In addition, make sure you are consistently getting rid of standing water. Water collecting in drain pans, humidity managing equipment, and cooling towers can harbor harmful bacteria and other microbial horrors if left unattended to.

2. Constantly Clean and Disinfect

Especially for managing large amounts of HVAC systems, whether for business property or living spaces, you need to make sure everything’s perfectly clean. Otherwise you’re putting your tenants in danger. Use brushes and other equipment to loosen debris from all components, and extract contaminants with a vacuum or a power washer. This is a great time to inspect any worn or damaged equipment and you can replace as necessary.

3. Dispose of Contaminants Safely

If not only for the environment, you should dispose of all contaminants in a safe green way for the heath of all your employees and tenants. After you clean everything thoroughly, make sure to follow the EPA guidelines for disposing of any excess.