Sleep more soundly in 2021 with a ‘watertight’ approach to the perils of escape-of-water incidents

We’ve all seen it in movies. That moment when a character sits bolt upright in bed, gripped by fear – their heart pounding, eyes wide open, and beads of sweat gathering on their forehead.

It’s rarely that dramatic in real life, but many of us will be familiar with that uncomfortable feeling when our much-needed sleep is rudely interrupted by nagging thoughts, worries or doubts. Property managers are certainly no exception – having responsibility for a portfolio of buildings, each with its own issues, can give you reason to lie awake when you should be out for the count.

And that’s not helpful at a time when our precious hours of shut-eye are additionally being impacted by “COVID-somnia”.

Managing priorities

These stresses are down to the fact that property managers are charged with addressing the twin priorities of protecting the buildings under their control and, by extension, the wellbeing of the clients that occupy them. Fulfilling these demands can mean you’re never quite on top of the urgent items on the to-do list, let alone able to get ahead of problems before they happen.

Water leaks are a common source of anxiety. After all, every building is equipped with an extensive network of pipes, both inside and outside, all of which have the potential to fail at any point. Even the smallest escape of water can quickly cause major damage to a property, with a 0.5mm leak triggering the loss of up to 20l of water per hour. And even when damage is at a relatively low level, it can still lead to huge disruption for clients. Either way, it’s potentially a big pain in the neck and a big hole in your profits.

Two-pronged attack

Concerns about leaks are understandably heightened in winter thanks to the potential for frozen pipes to burst on thawing. For commercial property managers, the current lockdown is an additional factor, since many buildings are left unoccupied with employees forced to work from home.

Leak detection services are a powerful antidote to these concerns. They come at the issue from two angles: preventive measures to reduce the risk of leaks and avoid any damage occurring in the first place, and mitigation measures to minimise the damage if a leak does occur. At Polygon, we deliver these measures through a combination of technology, expertise and experience.

Technology
Being armed with the latest specialist equipment enables us to use leak detection methods that are highly accurate but don’t harm the fabric of the building, such as infrared cameras, acoustic profiling, thermography, tracer gas, building air tightness testing – all of which can provide advantages over traditional, more disruptive methods. Technology’s role is also increasingly important when it comes to prevention. Examples include the use of smart leak-detection sensors that trigger shut-off valves on the discovery of excess moisture as well as data-driven monitoring tools that highlight unusual patterns in water use.

Expertise
Plumbing repairs related to escape of water events are carried out by our fully qualified engineers. They know acting quickly is crucial to limiting damage to the premises and minimising disruption to the occupants. As such, they are trained to get to the root cause of the issue as fast as possible.

Experience
Because we have worked with escape of water claims for over 65 years, Polygon can advise you on how best to protect yourself from leaks and we also know what to look for when a leak appears – even when it’s undetectable to the naked eye.

So, if worries about water damage are keeping you up at night, Polygon is here to help this winter. It might not be possible to waterproof your entire property portfolio, but with our leak detection services at your side, you can certainly sleep soundly in the knowledge that your approach to leak prevention and risk mitigation is absolutely watertight.

Homes and businesses are not just at risk from escape-of-water incidents this winter. Read more about the perils of fire in our article here and get in touch for more information on our full range of damage restoration services.