The potential for water damage from flooding in high rise buildings,
hotels and shopping centers is extreme. In a typical big city building
there is normally a water tank located every 8 to 10 floors, and these
can give rise to floods in a variety of ways, with malfunction of level
detection devices and human error being common causes.
Another
common source of flooding incidents in modern buildings is leaking or
rupturing water chiller lines for building air-conditioning systems or
malfunctions in fire water sprinkler systems. When water is released on
an upper floor, the water will often flow down several floors always
following the path of least resistance.
Moisture and
water intrusion feed mold, which can thrive in indoor, air conditioned
buildings with cellulose based (wood, paper fiber) composition. Spores
get in the air and can be inhaled.
When buildings get
wet, those spores germinate and mold starts to grow. Though some people
are not sensitive to mold, many others may suffer adverse symptoms
after limited or low exposure. Because mold levels affect people
differently, there are no state standards for what is considered safe.
There
is legal precedence however, and that precedence is S500 manual for
Water Damage and the S520 manual for Mold Remediation as developed by
The Institute of Inspection, Cleaning and Restoration Certification. J&M's
action plan for properly mitigating and remediating any water damage in
our client High-rises, Hotels or Shopping Center is always based on
these principles to save guard our clients, their liability and the
health and safety of their valued customers and employees.
High-rises, Hotels and Shopping Centers
