Can a shop keep trading while the back is dried?
Often, in part. The front can reopen once it is dry and safe, while the storeroom and the wall are dried behind it. The scope says which areas stay open.
Staging lets the business keep part of its income. The crew sets equipment in the back, away from the customer areas, and logs each stage so the owner knows when each area is ready.
Ask the crew to show which areas are open and which are closed on each day, so the owner can plan stock and staff.
What happens to stock on the floor?
Stock that was in the water is logged and assessed item by item. Packaged food, chemicals and items with regulatory labels have their own rules, and the crew says which apply.
A product that is still sealed and dry may be kept after cleaning, while an open or wet item is usually discarded. Photographs and a count are taken before anything leaves the floor.
Keep the invoices for the stock, because the insurer will ask for the value of each line that is lost.
Who pays for the shared wall?
That depends on the lease, the cause and the policy. The crew records the wall and the water path, and the owner, the tenant and the insurer decide who pays under those terms.
Read the lease for the clause on repairs and flooding. Ask the owner in writing which repairs are theirs, and keep the reply with the claim file.
The record of the shared wall is what the parties will argue from, so it should be photographed and measured on the first visit.
How are fixtures checked?
Fixtures are checked for water in their bases, along the backs and under the shelving, with readings taken at each point. A fixture that has taken water is removed carefully so it can be reused or salvaged.
Counters, display units and built-in shelves can hold water in their backs long after the floor looks dry. Each one is checked where it is fixed to the wall.
Ask for the fixtures list before work begins, so a shelf that was already worn is not blamed on the water later.
Getting into a flooded shop safely
The front and the back room are checked for power and structure before anyone goes in.
A flooded storefront can have its power cut, its doors jammed and its floor soft. The crew checks the power at the panel, looks at the structure at the door and does not enter a room with standing water near live equipment. The front and the back room are assessed separately, because water often enters one before the other.
The owner's part is to keep out of the water and to show the crew where the panel and the main shut-off are.
- Confirm the power is off at the panel before entry
- Check the floor and the door frame before walking in
- Assess the front and back rooms separately
- Show the crew the panel and the main shut-off
- Keep the owner out of standing water
Protecting stock and fixtures
Stock and fixtures on the floor are lifted, logged and moved to a dry place.
Stock and fixtures in a shop are often at the lowest level, where the water reaches first. The crew lifts what can be lifted safely and moves it to a dry place. Each item is logged, and fixtures that are wet are measured and drained where possible.
The log is given to the owner on the same day. It is the list the owner will use for the insurer and for re-stocking.
- Lift stock off the floor where it can be done safely
- Log each item and its condition
- Measure and drain wet fixtures where possible
- Move logged stock to a dry place
- Give the owner the log on the same day
