What should a business do in the first hour?
Stop the source if it is safe, move stock and records off the floor, photograph the damage, tell the building owner or manager and call. Note whether the business can operate. Restoration cannot begin until the source is controlled, and the plan depends on how critical the space is.
If you lease, check your lease and who is responsible for the building and contents. Notify your insurer and the landlord's contact.
Keep a record of lost sales and extra costs if you plan to claim business interruption. We do not decide what is covered.
- Close the source if safe
- Move stock, records and electronics
- Photograph everything
- Notify landlord, manager and insurer
How are older masonry buildings dried?
Brick, stone and concrete hold water and release it slowly, so drying takes longer and relies on dehumidification and monitoring rather than speed. Plaster and timber behave differently from modern drywall. The technician chooses equipment and sets readings suited to each material.
Portland's older downtown and inner-eastside buildings include masonry construction. Walls can be thick, and basements and sub-basements are common.
Salts and efflorescence can show on masonry as it dries. That is normal and is cleaned later.
What about apartment buildings?
In a multifamily building, one failure can reach several units. Fast shutoff, clear communication with tenants and a vertical map of the water path are the priorities. Responsibility between owner, association and tenants depends on leases and policies, so records matter more than usual.
Access to units is a practical challenge. A manager or association can arrange notices and entry so drying is not delayed.
We coordinate phases so that tenants can return as areas dry, wherever the building allows it.
What records does a commercial claim need?
A claim usually needs dated photographs, a list of damaged contents and materials, the moisture readings and the scope of work, plus any records of lost sales and extra expenses. Keep invoices from every trade. Whether the loss is paid, and how much, is decided by your insurer under your own policy.
Ask for the log of readings and photographs at each visit. These show how the water moved and how drying progressed, and they make a long loss easier to explain.
If the building has several tenants, each will want its own record. A written map of which areas were wet and when helps.
How does phasing keep a business open?
Phasing means drying one area while another keeps trading: closing a back room while the sales floor stays open, or working on one floor of an apartment building at a time. It depends on where the water went and on safety. The technician plans phases with you before equipment is placed.
Not every loss can be phased. A flooded retail floor or a restaurant kitchen may need to close for extraction and the first days of drying.
The more you tell the dispatcher about opening hours and critical areas, the better the plan.
What about flat roofs and roof drains?
Flat and low-slope roofs rely on drains, and a clogged drain pools water that finds seams and penetrations. The first heavy rain of the season often exposes it. Clear drains before October, and after the leak, expect the roofer and the restoration crew to work in tandem.
Standing water adds weight to a roof. Water that sits for days can also push through membrane seams and into ceilings below.
A building manager's seasonal checklist should include drains, scuppers and roof penetrations.
