4 Major Causes of Water Damage in New Jersey Offices

10/5/2020 (Permalink)

Don't ignore the signs of water damage in your office - Damages will only become worse over time!

Many offices strive to create a professional, polished atmosphere to give the best impression possible to new customers and clients. But this can quickly be ruined by water damage or water leaks in your office causing water stained ceiling tiles or musty smells. 

When it comes to your office and water damage, it is extremely important to perform regular maintenance and act fast when it comes to water leaks to prevent unsightly damages, unwanted smells, and even structural issues. Here we will review the 4 major causes of water damage in New Jersey offices to help keep your office in tip top shape. 

4 Common Types of Water Damage in Office Buildings

1 | Water damaged ceiling tiles

Ceiling stains almost always indicate some sort of water leak in your office. These are tan or brown in appearance and will darken over time. If left unaddressed, water damaged ceiling tiles can produce mold growth as the moisture in the tiles creates an environment for mold spores and other bacteria to thrive. Common causes of water damaged ceiling tiles include:

• Leaking HVAC components
• Roof leaks
• Ice dams

Have someone come out and inspect the area immediately when discoloration of ceilings tiles is noticed by an employee. This will ensure that the source of the water will be promptly fixed and prevent the issue from becoming worse. 

Restoring water damaged ceiling tiles:

For minor surface or cosmetic water damage, you can get on a ladder and spray the affected ceiling tile with a 1:1 solution of bleach and water. Wait a half hour for the tile to dry and repeat until the stain is gone. You can paint over the stains instead, but this will not do anything to ensure that there is no bacteria or mold spores left behind to cause issues down the line.

For more severely water damaged tiles, it is best to throw them away and replace them with new ones. In these cases, the affected tiles are likely to harbor mold growth and other contaminants and may produce a musty odor over time.

2 | Faulty appliances

Another major cause of water damage in offices is faulty appliances. This can be refrigerators, water heaters, or even water coolers. It's never a good feeling to get into work at 7 AM and find your office flooded. To prevent this, you should take steps to ensure regular maintenance of appliances to prevent them from failing on you and causing extensive water damage.

3 | Broken or burst pipes

In older office buildings, this type of water damage is more prevalent, especially in the winter months. When water runs through pipes they slightly expand and contract depending on temperature and over time may cause it to burst or leak - especially when pipes freeze.

If your office experiences a burst or leaking pipe, the best course of action is to turn off the water supply to stop flooding, call a plumber, and then call a water damage restoration company to handle the flood cleanup and drying process for you.

4 | Toilet overflows or backups

Perhaps the most smelly and gross type of water damage that can affect offices, toilet overflows or sewer backups can cause a large amount of damage and require extensive cleanup and disinfection. This type of water damage should always be handled by a certified biohazard specialist, as contaminated water can make you seriously ill if you don't know how to properly handle it.

Water Damage? Call SERVPRO 24/7 - 800-734-3213

SERVPRO of Morristown is a 24/7 damage restoration company specializing in fire, water, mold and COVID-19 residential and commercial services. Whatever your damage, we work hard to make it "Like it never even happened."