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What are consequential damages?
Putting off roof repairs or leak repairs can quickly turn for the worse. These are known as consequential damages and can be costly or result in injury.
When you enter your home or business, you may notice a wet ceiling tile, a puddle on the floor, or just a wet spot on the roof. Pay attention to these issues and do not shrug them off. Water that enters your building does far more than just show where your roof materials are deteriorating in an external capacity. The water can quickly wreak havoc on the interior, which can be costly or even loss of inventory or assets.
Damage or loss from a roof leak that is not fixed is known as consequential damage. There are four ways that your business can be affected by these damages.
Inventory and Asset Damage
When water enters your building, it naturally travels downward, which can damage walls, ceiling, floors, and more. Depending on where the leak is, it can have heavy damage costs. Water can ruin inventory, electrical systems, and can damage equipment. Be sure to act quickly to find the source of the leak and to use temporary measures to stop the water from entering. Call the contractor right away and get your roof into the schedule ASAP. Always be sure to check common leak points first. You will find these in cuts, tears, open seams, holes, missing flashing, and more. Catch water in a bucket and frequently mop to avoid slips and falls. Which leads to the second consequential damage.
Slips and Falls
With any leak, water is entering the building and going to the lowest point possible, which is the floor. Moisture on the floor from a leak causes a slipping and falling hazard. Not only is a fall bad for the employee, but also bad for the company for workers’ compensation claims, or even a lawsuit. Buckets work well to catch water, but also mop the area frequently and mark the area with a wet floor sign, and even block it off.
Wet Insulation
Not treating a roof leak can lead to bigger and worse problems. Insulation is important to keep your heating and cooling costs low, as well as your energy bills. Insulation is very hard to dry out when water enters; it acts as a sponge. The insulation then becomes heavy, wet, and no longer does its job. The U.S. The Department of Energy roughly estimates that energy losses caused by thermal resistance from untreated roof leaks can be up to 70%. A good contractor will be able to thermally scan your building and figure out exactly where your building is losing heat, oftentimes from wet insulation that is caused storm damage. Replace wet insulation as needed.
Insects and Mold
With any moisture comes bacterial growth, such as mold, and this attracts roaches, bugs, and other insects. The costs for mitigating mold and exterminating insects add up quickly if not taken care of in a timely manner. Depending on the business, mold and insects can lead to health code violations, building violations, human resources issues with employees, and altogether a nasty work environment. Fix the roof leak now to avoid the headache later.
Final Thoughts
Roof leaks are important to get taken care of as soon as possible once discovered. Large businesses rely on an inspection and maintenance program in order to catch faulty spots before they become worse, oftentimes before they even leak.
Consequential damages are damages to the building from an untreated roof leak. To avoid these damages, take care of leaks, call your contractor, and set up a plan to ensure that these damages do not happen.
If you need help with setting up a plan and implementing it into your business, please get in touch with Schoenherr Roofing. We provide roof repair services across Southeast and Southwest Michigan, from Comstock Park to Sterling Heights and everywhere in between.
Do not settle for an inferior contractor; it’s not worth the hassle.
