Prepare Your Commercial Property For Winter (Part 1 of 2)

When you own commercial property in New England, winter weather is a cost of doing business. Blizzards and other extreme weather can cause big problems on your worksite – problems that can lead to extensive repair costs, extended business interruptions, revenue loss, and even lawsuits if a someone is injured on your premises.

The good news is that with a little winter preparation – starting now – you can prevent many of these potentially costly problems. In this first of a two-blog post, we’ll talk about some basic preparatory steps you can take now; in Part 2, we’ll talk more specifically about winterizing your landscape.

Business Property: Six Steps To Take Right Now

According to the Small Business Association, the first step in preparing your business for winter is to identify potential threats that are common in your region. In Connecticut, the usual severe weather suspects – extreme low temperatures, high winds, heavy snow fall, and damaging rain and flooding – are on the winter menu.

With those conditions in mind, here are six tasks to tackle in the coming weeks as we transition from fall to winter:

1. Check your insurance. Check your business insurance and understand what kind of coverage you have. Wind and hail damage are usually covered as perils under basic policies; broad form coverage typically covers falling objects and weight of ice and snow. Other coverage can be secured through riders. Know what is covered and what you need to do if you have to file a claim. 
2. Prevent slip-and-fall accidents. These seemingly minor accidents can easily lead to lawsuits. Clear sidewalks and parking lots of ice and snow regularly. Use a floor mat inside your front door, and immediately clean up water and snow that gets brought inside. 
3. Check for weak, low-hanging branches. Branches can damage your building’s exterior if they become covered with heavy ice and snow. 
4. Clear gutters of debris. Keep gutters clear to allow melting snow on the roof to drain freely and avoid any roof leaks or foundation damage.
5. Repair roof damage. Strong winds, heavy snow, and ice can cause further damage to an already compromised roof. Repair existing damage to avoid additional problems over the winter months. 
6. Line up the professionals. Have commercial property maintenance professionals lined up to take care of major snow and ice removal and perform commercial landscape maintenance as needed.

In Part 2 of this post, we’ll talk about winterizing your commercial landscape for the coming Connecticut cold.

Need commercial property maintenance in Connecticut? Leave it to the pros at Diamond Landscapes and Athletic Fields. Contact us today to learn more.