Here’s How to Avoid Water Damage During Construction

1/28/2021 (Permalink)

Managing a construction business in Orlando, FL, is like juggling fireballs; your priorities rapidly change, and you always feel like you’re being burned. Regardless of the heat, water is not your friend here – in fact, water damage is something all new construction must deal with.

Preventing this damage is critical since at least part of the costs will be absorbed by the contractor, even on insured properties. Water pipe repair, replaced materials and added labor costs quickly add up, so anything you can do to stop damage before it occurs is to your advantage.

Pre-Construction Is the Best Chance to Prevent Water Intrusion 

Before construction begins, you should create a quality assurance and quality control (QA/QC) program. A major part of that should include

• Identifying areas susceptible to water infiltration
• Building proper drainage to avoid areas being flooded.
• Sending a request for information (RFI) to the engineer about any areas of concern.
• Your Construction Company Should Have a Dedicated Quality Control Director 

Any large or mid-size construction company requires needs a specific person who is responsible for developing documentation, auditing, and improvement of all ongoing projects. They’re responsible for inspections and continually revise the plan as needed for changing conditions. They designate who will pay for damage and any necessary water pipe repair.

During construction, subcontractors should be fully aware of your QA/QC program. The director and your contract should clearly state a “no defects” policy, requiring all subcontractors to be responsible for broken pipes or creating a situation that interferes with your pre-construction planning.

Testing Your QA/QC Program 

Once the roof is in place, it needs to be tested by an expert. When the plumbing has been installed, run an air pressurization test of all piping systems. When the lines are filled with water at its nominal pressure, closely monitor them for at least the first 24 hours, with one person ready for immediate water pipe repair.

If you have questions about how to protect your construction site from water damage – or have suffered storm, flood, or burst pipe water intrusion – call a top restoration company for immediate service. SERVPRO is Faster to any size disaster.