The last thing you want to hear as a commercial property owner is that someone slipped and fell on your property, or that someone couldn’t access (or find) your business. But there are other consequences than potential lawsuits or lost revenues. Here’s how neglecting commercial snow removal can go wrong in Burr Ridge, IL.
Related: COMMERCIAL SNOW REMOVAL SHOULDN’T INTERFERE WITH BUSINESS IN ELMHURST, IL—DOES YOURS?
Lawsuits and Damages
Commercial property owners are expected to keep their premises safe for tenants, employees, and visitors. Buried address numbers and snow-blocked business signage can make it difficult for emergency personnel to access the property in case of an emergency, and dangerous access opens you up to costly litigation from slips, falls, and property damage. A snow removal contract ensures that every snow event is taken care of promptly, without the hassle and danger of waiting for emergency plowing services.
A reputable snow removal company will take exceptional care in not damaging personal property and vehicles on the premises. While having a car plowed in is annoying, it’s also a potential liability if someone’s vehicle is damaged by a snowplow. A last-minute, emergency service may not take the same level of care that your regular snow removal professionals will in protecting personal property and vehicles.
Long-Term Increased Maintenance Costs
Ice and snow that is allowed to linger on the property can cause lasting damage that will significantly add to your landscape maintenance costs. When snow is plowed, it becomes much denser and heavier than freshly fallen snow. When this heavy snow is pushed onto the landscape rather than removed from the property, it can crush shrubs, compact turf grasses, and cause standing water to pool in low-lying areas. This damage will need to be corrected in the spring, and it will increase your overall maintenance costs. Only snow removal will minimize plow-related damage to the landscape.
Hardscape damage rarely occurs when you have a snow removal contract in place. This is because the area has been marked, and the plow drivers are familiar with the property. Waiting until the last minute may mean you need to use a different company that may not have the same standards in caring for the property.
Snow left on driveways, parking lots, and walkways will thaw and refreeze, causing damage to these hardscapes. The cracking, heaving, and settling that occurs from the freeze-thaw cycle leads to an unattractive and unsafe surface that will need to be repaired or replaced. Although concrete pavers are less susceptible to movement due to the freeze-thaw cycle, they are affected by deicing chemicals. It’s important to use deicing salts that are suitable for concrete pavers to avoid staining and etching. This is something that can be arranged in advance with a snow removal company, but may not be possible with last-minute requests. When you have a snow removal contract in place, we will thoroughly mark every area to be plowed or shoveled, including any vulnerable landscape features.
The freeze-thaw cycle can occur multiple times during the winter. This water will either run across surfaces where it can refreeze or pool in low-lying areas. Substantial amounts of snow can lead to flooding and foundation damage if the weather changes suddenly.
Most commercial property owners don’t have the staff or the equipment necessary to respond to snow events that could potentially impact people’s safety or access to the premises. At GoldLeaf, we take pride in what we do. We treat your commercial snow management as if it were our own business. We are standing by to respond to any snow event instantly; and once you have a snow removal contract with us, you are assured that you will never have to wait for snow and ice management when Mother Nature does her best to make everyone stay home.
Winter isn’t over yet. To avoid long wait times, schedule your snow and ice management services with us today.
Related: 6 POTENTIAL CONSEQUENCES OF NEGLECTING COMMERCIAL SNOW REMOVAL IN NAPERVILLE, IL
