The Importance of Water Leakage Repair in Office Buildings

6 min read

Water leakage in offices and corporate buildings often starts inconspicuously. They are also easily overlooked because a leaky faucet doesn’t seem like a problem that needs urgent attention. These minor leaks are ignored while they slowly destroy walls, ceilings, and floors.

The damage from water leakages can be costly, and extensive repairs will inevitably interrupt your daily operations. There’s also the danger of leaks suddenly worsening overnight, damaging equipment, furniture, office records, and other on-site assets. In worst-case scenarios, the office would have to close to make way for necessary repairs temporarily.

To avoid the costly consequences of water leakages in office buildings, office owners and administrators must be vigilant and watch out for signs of water leaks. Early detection, immediate water leakage repair, and preventative measures are crucial for avoiding unnecessary expenses and disruptions.

Common Causes of Leaks

Before you can find out how to stop water leakage, you need to find them first. These are the common causes of water leakages in offices and the first places you need to check if you get reports of leaks in your office building:

1. Busted Pipes: Old and damaged pipes are the primary culprits of leaks in office buildings. A tiny crack is all it takes for deterioration to accelerate in a pipe. The moisture escaping from hairline cracks can cause corrosion in surrounding metal fixtures, i.e., steel pipe clamps that secure, support, or restrain piping, tubing, and cables inside the walls.

What causes pipes to crack? There are several possibilities:

• Freeze and Thaw Cycles: When the water inside a pipe freezes during winter, the water molecules expand as they solidify. This increases pressure against the pipes’ inner walls, causing the weak or thin sections to crack. Once the temperature rises and the ice thaws, the melting water will penetrate the cracks, leaking through the walls, ceilings, or floors.
• Spiking Water Pressure: Indoor pipes can endure pressure up a certain threshold. If the water pressure exceeds this window, cracks can form, and the fittings connecting two or more pipes can get dislodged.
• Corrosion: An acidic environment can cause the metal components of indoor plumbing systems to corrode. Iron pipes are also vulnerable to corrosion. They are more common in large buildings that require strong materials to withstand high water pressure and carry large volumes of water.
• Accidental Damage: Suppose a tenant is renovating their rented space, and one of the workers accidentally drilled too deep into the concrete. They can hit a water pipe and cause it to crack or burst.

2. Clogged Gutters: The gutter systems that most office buildings use are attached to the perimeter of the roof and connected to downspouts leading to rainwater drains. Commercial gutters control the flow of rainwater. If they are clogged, rainwater can pool on the flat areas of the roof, adding weight to the structure and leaking through the ceiling.

3. Damaged Roofing: Building roofs can cave in, develop cracks, or collect large amounts of rainwater without proper maintenance. All of these can result in leaks that affect tenants below.

4. Faulty Toilets and Faucets: Clogged or backed-up toilets and sinks are also common causes of office building leaks because they have high usage by office workers, guests, and customers. Leaks can emerge when wear and tear take their toll.

Water Leakage Repair – The Process

Suppose you decided to call the professionals to locate and fix the leak in your building. Here’s what you can expect:

1. On-site Inspection: Professional plumbers will ask for information about the leak and schedule an inspection to determine the general location of the leak and the extent of the damage to your property. Expect them to request access to your rooftop, basement, and utility upkeep and maintenance areas.
2. Proposal: Your plumbing and restoration team will propose repairs to fix the leaks and address related issues they find in the building. You must know the problems and what must be done to fix them so that you and your employees can make the necessary preparations.
3. Cost Estimate: After discussing the repairs you consent to, the company will provide a ballpark estimate of the total cost and a breakdown of expenses if you wish.
4. Site Prep: Assuming the repairs have been approved and the company has gained permission to work on the premises, the latter will start prepping the sites needing repairs. Office management and employees must cooperate at this stage because they may have to vacate certain rooms and move people’s workstations around while repairs are ongoing.
5. Plumbing and Structural Repairs: Many business owners prefer to do plumbing repairs and restoration work after business hours. However, if the damage is extensive, business owners may have to allow workers inside the building all day. These details should be ironed out before the repairs begin to avoid delays that will inconvenience all involved parties.
6. Cleanup: After completing the repairs, the crew will clean up their work sites and restore sections of the wall, flooring, or ceiling that had to be removed to give workers access to the leak’s source.

Note that if you hire two companies to handle the plumbing and structural repairs separately, you must coordinate with each and track two sets of workers on the premises.

How to Stop Water Leakage – Precautionary Tips for Office Employees

Keep these tips in mind to avoid the expense and stress that comes with water leakages in the workplace:

• Regularly inspect your building’s plumbing fixtures, sprinkler systems, water pipes, and gutter systems.
• Be mindful of signs of leaks like visible mold, wet spots, discoloration, warping wood, and crumbling paint on the walls, floors, and ceilings.
• Instruct building custodians to note and report leaks and potential plumbing issues immediately.
• Implement housekeeping rules for tenants or employees, like prohibiting the disposal of leftover food in sinks or flushing trash down the toilet.
• Consider installing moisture sensors in areas prone to leaks, like in the basement, near the water heaters, or next to the pipework.

Trust Professional Plumbers and Technicians for Water Leakage Repair

Water leakages in office buildings are potentially costly. Moreover, businesses can suffer losses due to interruptions and delays in their operations. You can avoid all that and reduce the impact of leakages and water damage by hiring a reliable restoration company to take care of all repairs.

Restoration 1 of Morris County is the perfect candidate for this type of work. We are a restoration company specializing in water damage. We also work with licensed plumbers with years of experience servicing commercial clients. Equipped with the best equipment and headed by veterans in the restoration business, Restoration 1 of Morris County can fix any leaks, including cosmetic and structural damage due to water exposure.

Contact Restoration 1 of Morris County, your trusted water leakage repair and restoration company, today.