Heavy rains can cause significant damages to your building and create hazardous conditions for both tenants and employees. As a property manager, it is crucial to adequately monitor the conditions of your building to prevent such situations from occurring, but how do you know when certain areas of your building are in need of repair? Here are some items to watch out for before you should call a paving contractor.
Flooding
Heavy rains can cause flooding/standing water in areas without proper slope and drainage. Water that enters through leakage can further damage the internal structure of the building. Similar damage can occur on the roof or basement of the building, where flooding water can seep through existing cracks. Whether it’s a few inches or an extensive amount of water, flooding can last days or weeks and cause substantial damage to your building.
Catch basins
When heavy rains are present, catch basins can break down and eventually flood/collapse, posing a hazard for tenants/customers and their vehicles. How do you know when a catch basin has collapsed or is about to? Watch for signs of cracking and sinkholes, which are evidence that water seepage has caused erosion and cracking has weakened the stone base. It is crucial that you call a paving contractor to have these repaired, or in some cases, have a new installation of the catch basin completed right away.
Further damages to your property
Existing weaknesses, such as potholes and divots, can be further exploited by heavy rains. Potholes occur when the asphalt and roadbed deteriorates, and pools of water weaken the roadbed and pavement structure. Constant traffic and vehicles also further cause these pools of water to seep through cracks into the roadbed underneath. It is particularly important during the spring season to have a proper assessment performed and identify all potholes (as well as cracks that are becoming potholes), as the constant freezing and melting of ice into water leaves potholes vulnerable to further damages.
Now that you’re aware of certain items to watch out for before you call a paving contractor, keep Fort York Paving in mind as your crisis management team to make any necessary repairs if you identify any these items in your building. Our team can be reached at 905-851-1160 and provide more information on pothole repairs, catch basin repairs, and 24/7 emergency services in the Toronto area.