Take Steps To Prevent Weather Related Flooding in Your Building

10/26/2019 (Permalink)

Keep faucets running at a trickle to keep water moving and prevent freezing

Take Steps To Prevent Weather Related Flooding in Your Building

When you run a business in Franklin Park, IL, you have a lot of line items to be concerned with. Flood damage does not need to be one of them. Severe storms can cause street level flooding or may cause water to back up in sewer drains. Heavy rain or hail can take a toll on your roof and allow leaks that work their way inside. Extreme cold may cause a burst pipe that could flood anywhere in the building.

An Ounce of Prevention

Storm damage can happen when a frozen pipe develops. Take a few steps to check your building’s risk or and even prevent weather related freezing. A little preparation may spare you from serious storm cleanup.


Check insulation levels in areas where plumbing is installed, both in the walls and in the roof/ceilings. If more is needed for your climate than is present, have more installed and consider insulated pipe sleeves for extra protection
Keep the area surrounding any plumbed areas warm enough to prevent freezing, or use heat tape in areas beneath the floors or in the ceiling
Keep faucets running at a trickle to keep water moving and prevent freezing
If needed, relocate problematic pipes from outer walls to prevent freezing
Close garage and bay doors when they are not being used to keep heat in


Thawing a Frozen Pipe

If you suspect a pipe is frozen, it is very important that you don’t turn the water on too quickly. If it doesn’t run easily, keep the faucet partially open and warm the area where the pipe is located until water flows freely. Allow water to run for a bit to melt ice and open lines.

When a burst pipe leaves you with standing water, be sure to call a professional water remediation service in Franklin Park, IL  to help with proper flood cleanup and drying out. With some good prevention and skilled help, you can get back to business as usual.