Owning a commercial building is much different than owning a residence. It is expected that a commercial building will have visitors throughout each and every day of operation. If the building is in a high traffic area, like a shopping district or a business district, it is expected that thousands (if not more) of people will pass in front of the building daily, whether the building is open for business or not. As a result, owners of commercial buildings, as well as their tenants, must maintain a higher amount of liability insurance, as the high traffic levels mean more people risk possible injury when passing the building. In the winter months, this type of coverage can also be directly affected by the formation of ice dams.
What is An Ice Dam?
An ice dam is what occurs when ice forms at the top of the roof, melts, travels to the edges of the roof, and reforms. It may or may not create icicles; however, it always brings issues. Depending on your building and its roof design, the ice dam may create a problem for the building itself. Worse, it can be a potential danger to the people walking under it at any given time. Once the ice dam begins to melt, large pieces of ice may fall to the ground, which could easily harm passersby. In addition, ice dams weaken the structure of the building, allowing for water to seep through the cracks in the walls and cause damage to your building. This can become a liability nightmare.
Safety is the First Concern
While liability insurance is of course an issue for most businesses, safety is really the first concern when dealing with ice dams and your business. Unlike residences, commercial buildings often have many more issues within their walls that can be affected by melting ice dams. For instance, one issue is the numerous wires and electrical outlets in such buildings to accommodate all the different commercial needs. When water gets into those systems, sparks can cause fires, endangering everyone in the building.
Of course, the other issue is falling ice or icicles from the roof onto those walking below. Depending on the height of your commercial building, these falling bits of ice can actually become deadly to anyone caught in their path. In any case, it is essential to use great care when removing these structures, lest additional safety concerns may occur. Ice dams require skill to remove. Training is essential to ensure the removal is safe and will not cause additional damage to your building.
RTD Ice Dam Removal trains its employees with both in-house training and DVD trainings to add extra knowledge. We use only the most effective steam removal equipment to make sure your ice dams are removed safely and cause as little damage to your building as possible. Furthermore, RTD Ice Dam Removal wants to avoid any other liabilities to your company. That’s why we carry $2,000,000 in workers’ compensation coverage to protect our employees while on the job. The goal is to make sure your building remains safe for anyone passing under or through the building at all times, even during the heart of winter. Contact RTD Ice Dam Removal at (651) 699-3504 today to make sure they are on your team when the weather is cold.
