Springtime brings bright flowers, warm sunshine, and beautiful blooming trees. But it also brings rain, which can damage the structure of your condos, HOA buildings, and apartment complexes if your gutters aren’t working properly. Before the rainy season hits, it’s important to make sure to conduct some spring maintenance on your building lest you end up with hidden water damage.
Wondering where to start your “spring cleaning?” Here’s what you need to know about the importance of these inspections.
The Problem with Water Damage
Also known as water intrusion, water damage can quickly become extensive, leading to higher insurance claims, which in turn, causes higher premiums. In a multi-unit property, harmful water can leach into the other buildings, leading to a more widespread problem.
Not only does the water itself cause problems, but it can lead to larger issues, like structural damage, harmful mold, and even electrical breakdowns. If the property isn’t correctly inspected on a regular basis, complete with paperwork and forms, your insurance company may not cover the cost of repairs, suspecting that they were caused by negligence.
Inspecting Your Roof
The roof plays a very important role in the overall stability of your structure. It protects the walls, as well as the entire interior of the building. As a result, any damaged or missing shingles need to be replaced as soon as possible. While inspecting the roof, look beyond the shingles to see if there are any flat spots that might hold water, as well as the flashing around any chimneys, vents, or HVAC units that are on the roof. Also, look for ice dam damage.
Check Your Gutters and Drainage Systems
The gutters and overall attached drainage systems that are on your building serve an important purpose: making sure that water flows down from the roof into the yard or parking lot where it can’t cause any damage. Things to look for are clogs in the gutters, commonly from outdoor debris like leaves and branches, gutters that are sagging or look like they’re detaching from the roof, and downspouts that don’t drain properly.
Keeping Water from Getting In
Some of the most common ways that water seeps into a building are through cracks in the foundation, the foundation walls of the building, and around any basement windows. Other things to check include door seals, window seals, the places where decks and balconies meet the main structure, and the tops of the exterior walls where the siding meets the roof.
On top of examining these spaces as part of your spring maintenance checklist, you need to warn residents about these potential problems, so they know how to look for leaks or find the source of any water that ends up indoors. Having a system in place where they can easily contact your maintenance team to report any leaks can help prevent excessive damage from occurring.
Have Questions? Contact Charlotte Insurance
Want to learn more about the importance of spring maintenance and keeping a “squeaky clean” record for your condo unit, HOA, or apartment complex? Contact Charlotte Insurance. Our agents can explore and explain all available options and put together the insurance coverage plan your building needs.