Water damage is one of the most expensive issues to repair and one of the most common reasons for insurance claims in Australia. Although Australia is widely known for being hot and dry, you would be surprised to know how many properties experience damage caused by water.
When you’re managing a strata scheme, having workflows in place to counter these water-related damages is essential to providing an excellent living experience for your tenants and restoring your strata property to perfect working order as soon as possible. Another thing you need to consider is that water damages don’t only threaten the structural integrity of your property, but can also become a catalyst for various health-related ailments as well.
For instance, moisture build-up caused by water damage can lead to mould infections in walls, which if left untreated, can cause respiratory illnesses, skin irritation, cold, sneezing, and a runny nose.
So, as a strata manager, what can you do to prevent these issues in your strata property? And in unavoidable circumstances where water damage does occur, what can you do to limit its severity and reduce repair costs?
Understanding the causes of water damage and investing in high-quality building management in Sydney may be a good first step.
So, here are the main causes of water damage in Australia and how building management services can help you reduce the cost of water damage to your property.
Flooding is one of the primary causes of water damage, with annual floods being the norm. Each year, New South Wales experiences significant flooding due to heavy rainfall—and recently, the Sydney region was given a flood warning as a result of the region experiencing a month's worth of rain in 24 hours.
Along with flooding, wind-driven rainfall hitting walls and entering your property through windows and roofs can also cause water damage to your property.
Another significant factor that can contribute to water damage is the failure of internal structures in your strata property such as overflowing toilets, burst pipes, broken water heaters, clogged gutters, blocked drains, and leaky plumbing systems—even condensation from HVAC units can cause water leakage which can damage your properties
If your strata scheme is located near a coastal area, river, or lake, surface water run-offs and coastal storm surges can also cause water to enter your scheme and damage your buildings.
Since flooding is one of the most common causes of water damage, having a clear post-disaster recovery plan is the best way to limit the financial and structural damage to your property and protect the wellbeing of your tenants. Implementing this plan effectively can not only protect your property, but also help you restore your property to perfect condition.
That said, drawing up an effective post-disaster plan can be a complex process and you might not have the time or resources to create a plan that considers your unique requirements. Here, a professional building management service provider can lend their expertise and experience in creating a bespoke plan that meets your needs and helps you during the insurance claims process.
Building management in Sydney can also help you fix more structural defaults that can be hard to detect but can cause significant water damage by creating a detailed preventive maintenance plan—prevention is always better than reaction. These plans empower you to conduct periodic inspections of your property to identify early signs of water damage such as leaks, condensation, and water stains and initiate preventive repair measures that address these issues before they cause significant structural damage.
An experienced building management partner can even help you get rid of mould and other moisture-related infections by supporting you to procure the right professionals to do the job.
Water damage can affect the value of your strata scheme and expose your tenants to various health and safety risks. You need to work with the right building management partners who specialise in disaster management to protect the value of your property and elevate the living experience of your tenants.
Just ensure that you do your research and explore all available options before you invest in building management and strata cleaning companies in Sydney.