Sudden rainstorms, melting snow, plumbing issues, appliance malfunctions, roof damage, and fire sprinklers are just a few of the sources of water damage that impact northern Illinois retail stores. Whether you are a store owner, manager, or have commercial property with retail tenants, you need to understand and be ready to deal with water damage in this complex environment. In this article, we will discuss the impact and dangers that come from water damage, and how you can get help.

How Water Damage Can Impact Chicagoland Retail Stores

The effect that a leak or a flood will have on your retail store will vary, depending on how much water hit your property, what type of water it was, the type of products you sell, and the finishes and features of your fixtures, equipment, and property. These incidents are common, with water damage from inside the building accounting for about 30 percent of business property insurance claims. Here are the major ways that water damage can impact retail businesses. 

Water damage to your merchandise: Particularly if contaminated water enters your property, many products, finishes, fixtures, and equipment may need to be discarded.

Structural issues: Large amounts of water damage, or even small, mold-growing amounts that have been ignored for too long, can cause damage to your building itself. 

Short term financial impacts: If your business is closed for repairs, you will have no daily income. This is why it’s critical to get things restored and reopened as soon as possible. 

Long term financial impacts: Staying closed for too long may cause you to permanently lose customers and employees. Commercial property owners can lose renters, face litigation, and get a bad reputation that impacts future property values.

Preventing Safety Issues After Water Damage Occurs

Beyond the issues listed above, store owners need to consider the health and safety of their team when water damage occurs. Don’t rush into tackling things alone – this may cause bigger, and more serious issues. Here are four critical steps to take when you are faced with a water damaged retail facility.

• Take the time to assess the building carefully before re-entering. 
• Have a professional or your maintenance team check the electrical wiring and service before turning the power back on.
• If you enter, watch out for uneven flooring, falling objects, and unsteady fixtures or equipment. 
• If any windows or doors have been damaged, get emergency board up services right away to protect your property from further damage. 

How a Trusted, Local, Water Damage Restoration Contractor Can Help

Thankfully, you don’t have to face all of these decisions and actions on your own. By partnering with a water damage restoration professional, you can get your retail store or commercial property restored and reopened quickly and efficiently. Not only will this partnership save you time, but a water damage professional help will save you money by restoring surfaces, fixtures, and more that you initially thought you had to replace. 

Professional water damage clean-up protects your customers and staff, because the restoration was done right the first time. From humidity control to carpet cleaning, our expertise ensures that all laws and regulations are followed and the clean-up is complete. When it comes time to make a claim, we are experienced in working with business insurance adjusters and we can help with getting the right amount of coverage from your insurance. 

Don’t let water damage wash out your store’s success, or the success of your retail tenants: Call us and find out how we can help. We offer FREE damage inspections and FREE estimates to commercial customers in our Chicago, Arlington Heights, Berwyn, Des Plaines, Evanston, Mount Prospect, Grayslake, Mundelein, Libertyville, Oak Park, Palatine, Wheaton, Naperville, Waukegan, Schaumburg, Skokie, and surrounding IL service areas.