Hurricanes, floods, and snow all put your property at risk for water damage. And, while some things can be prevented, none of us controls the weather. You can’t always predict a flash flood or when a hurricane will hit, but there are steps you can take to prevent, reduce, or minimize water damage caused by storms, blizzards, and rainfall. By having a steady maintenance routine and following these simple steps, you can ensure water damage is no match for your facility or commercial property. 

1. Inspect your property for water damage.

Inspect your property for areas where you might already have flooding or where flooding could present a problem and make any necessary repairs as needed. Don’t wait until disaster strikes. By that time, it might already be too late. Be proactive and take action before you’re in too deep.

2. Leave it to the professionals

Consider hiring a professional to conduct a thorough water damage inspection of your property. An experienced professional will know what signs to look for. A professional inspector is trained to spot potential vulnerabilities so that you can fix the damage before you’re in over your head. 

3. Cover all your bases.

Cover your bases by carefully checking the following places for flooding, drainage issues, and signs of water damage.

Floor

Look for signs of water damage in your flooring. The signs to look for will vary by floor type. For tile and wood, look for cracked, buckling or warped flooring. On carpet, check for damp spots, unevenness, soft spots, and the smell of mold or dampness.

Exterior

Observe the exterior of your facility. Look for pools of standing water, which indicate poor drainage, gutter spouts that aren’t transporting water far enough away from the building, or leaky gutters. 

Check for Stains, Rust, and Mold

Some common signs of water damage to your property include water stains on the floor around the toilets or sinks, as well as stains on ceilings and walls. Less common things to look for include cracks in the drywall or areas that appear swollen and are soft to the touch. If you see paint peeling off the walls, that might mean there is loose water within your wall spaces. Check your water heater for rust on the tank or damp spots on the floor. A rusted tank could mean there is a slow leak. Corrosion around pipe connections could be caused by water seepage. Also, look for signs of mold on the walls. Aside from the visible signs, mold tends to produce a musty smell.

4. Take snow seriously. 

Remove large accumulations of snow from any areas where it could melt and possibly enter your facility. Shovel snow away from the perimeter and clear all walkways. Make sure your gutters are clean and clear. Ice and compacted snow can cause an ice dam, which will clog your gutters and prevent water from draining properly. If ice is melting and dropping off the edge of your roof, that’s a good thing as it indicates that you probably don’t have an ice dam. Additionally, when shoveling snow, think about which direction it will drain when it melts. Consider digging channels to divert water to the nearest drain.

5. Clean your roof and gutters.

Clean your roof and gutters regularly, especially before the winter season. An accumulation of water on the roof can start to leak through the ceiling. Common signs of water damage on the roof include pools of water, cracked, curled or missing shingles, and broken flashing. Rain trapped in your gutters might eventually back up into your building. Make sure to clean your gutters thoroughly of all dirt and debris to prevent clogs. 

6. Make sure your foundation is solid and well-protected. 

Consider making repairs to your foundation and basement. Fill cracks with caulk, patch foundation walls, and install a sump pump to keep your building safe and dry. 

7. Landscape to prevent flooding.

Use the proper landscaping techniques that will flood-proof your property. For example, make sure the ground is level or sloping away from your building so the rain will drain away from it. Your landscaping should allow water to run downhill and away from your facility’s foundation as much as possible. Have plenty of drains installed around the property to prevent water from seeping into your building. 

Inspecting, cleaning, and making the right adjustments might sound like a lot of work, but if you do it before a storm hits, you can save a great deal of money that would otherwise have been spent on future damage repairs. 

EMERGENCY / RESTORATION

When the unexpected happens, QFS Restoration is there

Inquire about our 24-hour Emergency Restoration Service here:

Emergency Restoration

At the time of this writing, COVID-19 is still raging and disrupting business as usual. Many facilities are open, and others are planning to reopen soon. This means we must all take the proper precautions, and at times, even implement radical safety measures. Below are 7 friendly tips your facility should implement to create a healthy work environment and minimize the spread of Coronavirus. 

1. Masks, Sanitizer, and Social Distancing

We’ve all seen and heard the reminders, but let’s start with the basics. Take care to provide hand sanitizer stations throughout the office and follow all CDC guidelines as well as local ordinances. Keep desks and workstations at least 6 feet apart and try to keep staff from interacting too closely. Encourage employees to wear a mask outside the office, and make sure that everyone remembers to wear a mask while in the office whenever they are away from their desks. Consider using this as a fun opportunity to foster a sense of camaraderie and team spirit by ordering colorful, stylish masks emblazoned with your company logo for your entire staff.    

2. Identify and Clean Hotspots

Identify the main points of contact in your facility and aim to clean them three times a day. While bacterial hotspots differ from place to place, some common ones are door handles, fridge and microwave handles, counters, and tables.   

3. Use the Right Cleaning Agents and Disinfectants

Use disposable disinfecting products, such as disinfecting wipes, paper towels, and a multi-purpose disinfectant spray. These are all preferable options to the average sponge, which tends to harbor bacteria. To achieve a more thorough cleaning in half the time, we recommend utilizing electrostatic disinfecting spray.  

4. Encourage Hand Washing 

In addition to sanitizing the office regularly, encourage people to keep their hands clean by keeping all soap dispensers filled with enough soap to last the day. To prevent the spread of viruses like COVID-19, it’s important to have enough soap next to the sink in the kitchen and in the dispensers in the bathroom.  

5. Sanitize Desks

Place hand sanitizing wipes near each deskspace or workstation and remind people to regularly wipe down their tables, which are often breeding grounds for bacteria.   

6. Disinfect Work Phones

The phone is a common ground for bacteria to spread. Because phones are placed by the face and used regularly, failing to disinfect them can spread sickness throughout the office. Routinely wipe down the phone with disinfecting wipes at the end of each day.   

7. Consider Hiring a Cleaning Crew

Minimizing the spread of germs in a commercial facility is a taxing job. The current pandemic is an especially good reason to take extra precautions. Don’t leave it to chance. Hire a reputable janitorial cleaning service who will keep your facility clean and prevent the people inside from getting sick.  We can all do our part to reduce the spread of COVID-19. By swiftly taking preventative measures and implementing the right cleaning procedures, you can ensure that the health of your employees, clients, and their families is best protected. For more information on Corona Virus Disinfecting Cleaning, visit: www.qfs.net/corona-virus-disinfecting-cleaning  ------

QFS’ steady maintenance team is fully-licensed, OSHA-certified, and trained for safety standards. We use effective, eco-friendly products in every facility to keep your property breathing easy.

For a free assessment, contact your QFS representative at:

718-935-9923  |  info@qfs.net  |  www.qfs.net

You asked, and we listened!  When our clients ask for something, our first instinct is to listen, do our research, and respond as quickly as possible.  And so it is with great pride that we announce our adoption of electrostatic spray as a vital addition to our cleaning arsenal.  Click here to request more information about our COVID-19 Deep Disinfecting Cleaning: COVID-19 Deep Disinfecting Cleaning Our clients’ safety is of the utmost importance to us. You may hear a lot of facility management companies saying similar things right now, but we have always demonstrated a commitment to our clients’ safety, health, and well-being. We make a concerted effort to be thoughtful about the cleaning agents, procedures, and methods we use, and our team is frequently finding innovative ways to better serve our clients.  With our clients’ satisfaction and safety as our guide posts, we regularly upgrade our technology, products, and solutions. By staying abreast of the latest trends, and regularly adopting state-of-the-art, cutting-edge technology, we ensure that our clients receive cleanings that are thorough and efficient as well as environmentally friendly and safe.  Of course, during this pandemic, the number one thing on all of our minds is making sure our loved ones are healthy. For those of us whose facilities are open, or are planning to reopen soon, we have an especially great responsibility to provide a safe and healthy work environment for all of our employees and customers.  That’s why we’ve adopted electrostatic spray as a valuable component of our continued efforts to prevent COVID-19 from spreading.  What is electrostatic spray and how does it work? Electrostatic spray is generated by using electrostatic technology to provide ordinary disinfectant or cleaning agents with a positive electrical charge. This electrostatically charged mist is created through a process which infuses air atomized by an electrode into a disinfectant. As the cleaning agent exits the sprayer, it’s given a positive electrical charge, which causes the droplets of spray to repel one another and become attracted in a magnetic fashion to all surfaces in the surrounding environment. The electrostatically charged disinfectant or cleaning solution then sticks to every surface area, wrapping itself around any object at which it’s aimed and evenly coating all sides. This results in a more uniform and complete cleaning. Electrostatic technology also helps avoid liquid pooling, a problem often associated with conventional trigger sprayers.  While electrostatic spray technology is not new, and in fact has been used successfully for over 60 years in the agriculture, automotive, and tanning industries, its use in surface disinfection is recent. Electrostatic spray is safe for use anywhere where you currently disinfect, including desktop computers, floors, walls, equipment, offices, restrooms, equipment rooms, and kitchens. It’s also far more effective at cleaning hard-to-reach places than other alternatives.  While under normal circumstances, electrostatic spray may seem like a particularly aggressive method of commercial cleaning, we do not currently live in “normal” times, and recognize the need to provide an extra measure of cleanliness and sanitization of your facility. Electrostatic technology is able to cover more surfaces in less time, making it a cost-effective solution as well. Electrostatic also provides the thorough level of surface disinfection needed to prevent the spread of illness-causing pathogens.  Moreover, Electrostatic technology provides the following benefits:

• Covers and disinfects all surfaces and spots that are difficult to reach in half the amount of time it takes for conventional alternatives to reach the same amount of surface area

• Effective at reducing the spread of infections and viruses, such as coronavirus, influenza, MRSA, and many more

• Applies chemicals in a controlled, efficient, and precise manner, reducing the risk of overuse

Our clients deserve the best so we’ve equipped our staff with cordless electrostatic backpack sprayers from Victory Innovations. Able to hold up to 8.5 liters (2.2 gallons) of disinfectant at a time and cover 23,000 square feet of surface area per full tank, this heavy-duty electrostatic sprayer helps our team get the job done thoroughly and efficiently. The backpack’s ergonomic design allows our staff to quickly and comfortably move through your facility and reach every surface.  We also chose this model for its ability to cover more surface area using less spray.  This makes it both a cost-efficient and eco-friendly choice as it releases 65% less chemicals per square foot than competing brands.  Interested in learning more about having us sanitize your facility using electrostatic technology? Reach out to info@qfs.net for more information today!  ------

QFS is a leading provider of commercial facility solutions and maintenance with a focus on 100% customer service, 100% of the time.

Get your facility winter-ready with a free assessment and facility consultation by reaching out to us:

718-935-9923  |  info@qfs.net  |  www.qfs.net

Area Manager, Special Services Division