Business District Flood Recovery in Loveland, OH

How does commercial drying differ from a house?

It is staged, scheduled around the business and recorded for several parties. The moisture principles are the same, but the layout, the occupancy and the shared systems change the plan.

A house is dried with the occupants out. A commercial space may need to stay partly open, so the equipment is placed to avoid the open areas and the stages are written down for everyone involved.

The record is more complex as well. The owner, the tenant and the insurer may each need a copy, and each reads it for a different purpose. A clear scope and a dated log serve all three.

Who is responsible for repairs in a leased unit?

That depends on the lease and the cause. The lease usually sets which party maintains the structure and the shared systems, and the insurer looks at the policy held by the responsible party.

The restoration crew records the cause and the extent of the damage, but it does not decide who pays. The owner, the tenant and the insurer decide that from the lease, the policy and the evidence.

Keep a copy of the lease clause that covers repairs and flooding, and ask the owner in writing which repairs are theirs.

Can the business keep trading during the work?

Often, in part. The affected areas are closed and the unaffected parts can stay open, provided the work is staged and the building is safe.

Staging is the reason for a phased plan. Equipment can be set up after hours, and the noise and moisture can be controlled so the open areas stay usable.

Where the affected area is the main sales floor, the plan may change, and the owner should decide with the crew how much can stay open without slowing the drying.

What if a shared line caused the water?

Then repairing the line is the owner's or manager's responsibility, and the restoration work is recorded separately. A licensed plumber repairs the line, and the crew dries the affected spaces and records the cause.

A shared supply line or a drain can cause a leak across several units. The cause is recorded in the scope so the responsible party can be identified quickly.

Ask the owner or manager for the maintenance history of the system, because it shows whether the failure was predictable.

How is runoff from higher ground handled?

Where runoff from higher ground reaches a low unit, the crew records the grade, the route and the readings. The cause is a site matter, and the record helps the owner in any discussion with a neighbour or the city.

A unit on a low lot can be affected by water that did not fall on it. The crew records where the water came from as well as where it went.

A written record with photographs and readings is the best evidence in any such discussion.

Reopening a business after a flood

Reopening depends on the floor, the wiring, the stock and the drying target, and the scope sets the order.

A business that has taken flood water has a longer list than a house. The crew measures the floor, the walls, the wiring and the fixtures, and it logs the stock. Some stock can be saved after cleaning and some cannot, and the owner decides with the crew which items are kept. The scope lists each decision and the reason for it.

The reopening date is not promised on the phone. It depends on the drying target, the trade work, the inspection of the wiring and the owner's own decisions, and each of those is written in the scope.

• Measure the floor and walls and record the readings
• List stock, its condition and the decision on each item
• Inspect the wiring with a qualified trade before power returns
• Record the drying target for each room
• Write the trade list with the work each trade must do

Records a business owner needs for the claim

A business file holds the stock list, the readings, the photographs and the receipts.

A business claim needs more records than a house claim. The stock list shows what was lost and when. The readings show the drying. The photographs show the state of the premises. The receipts show the cost of equipment and any trade work.

Keep these together in one dated file. An insurer or an accountant reading the file later should be able to follow the sequence without help.

• A stock list with a photograph of each shelf
• The readings on each visit with the date
• Photographs of the premises with a time
• Receipts for equipment and trade work
• The insurer's letters, kept in order