What do you do when your storefront glass breaks? You know you’ll need Baytown window repair, but there are a few other steps you need to take. When you find broken glass at your place of business, remember to do the following for the best outcomes for your business.
Assess Why You Need Baytown Window Repair
One of the first things you should do is determine what caused your Baytown commercial glass to break. Falling tree limbs, storms, attempted break-ins, and vandalism can all result in broken storefront glass. Knowing the source of the damage will affect the next steps you take. For example, who to call for your broken storefront before you have it repaired.
Contact the Appropriate People
Before getting Baytown window repair, you may need to call the police or your business insurance company. While you’re likely anxious to get the damage repaired as soon as possible, it’s important to take these initial steps. Otherwise, you might face more issues later on.
Calling the Police for Broken Baytown Commercial Glass
If you suspect foul play for your broken store windows, you should contact the police. If there’s any sign of a break in, it’s best to have an officer come to check it out. This is especially true if there’s a possibility that the intruder may still be inside your building.
However, even if the culprit isn’t at the scene, the police will need to see the damage before you clean it up. This will help them accurately document the damage in the police report. Once they have the evidence they need, they can work to find the person responsible for your broken storefront.
Calling Your Insurance Company
If you intend to make a claim on your business insurance for your Baytown window repair, you’ll also need to contact your commercial insurance agent. They may request pictures or other evidence of the damage for your claim. If you had the police come out, they may also want a copy of the police report. Therefore, it’s important to contact your insurance before repairing broken storefront glass.
Will Your Insurance Cover Your Baytown Window Repair Costs?
However, be sure you know what your commercial property insurance covers. Some business insurance policies will cover the costs for Baytown window repair for your business and some won’t. In other cases, you may have to add on an optional glass policy to file a claim for a broken storefront.
Another thing to remember is that the cause of the damage may affect whether you can file a claim with your business insurance. For example, some policies may not cover damages related to storms. Other times, they might not accept your claim if vandalism or theft was to blame for your broken commercial glass.
Therefore, it’s best to know whether your insurance will cover the costs for your commercial glass repair. Also, it’s often a good idea to opt for additional glass policies, depending on your business, budget, and needs.
Make the Area Safe Until Your Baytown Commercial Glass Technician Arrives
Additionally, you’ll need to take steps to ensure safety for your employees, customers, and business. While you wait for your Baytown window repair technician to arrive, you should block off any area with broken glass. For example, if you a bit of rope, ribbon, or tape. This helps let people know that there’s a safety hazard to help prevent any injuries from the broken glass.
After you’ve talked to the police and your insurance agent, you should clean the glass off the ground if you can do so safely. Most commercial glass is tempered glass, so it breaks into small, rounded pieces. This helps prevent cuts from sharp glass shards. However, it’s still best to take some precautions, like thick rubber gloves and a broom, to remove the broken glass from the area. This will help keep everyone in and around your building safe until you can get your window repaired.
Choose Professional Board-Up Services from Your Baytown Window Repair Professionals
Also, to help protect your business from weather and keep it secure, your windows will need quick board-up services. You might be tempted to try to board-up your storefront on your own. However, you could cause further damage or even injure yourself. Therefore, it’s best to call your Baytown window repair experts for board-up.
Once your glass technicians arrive, they can assess the damage to determine the best course of action. In some cases, you may not need board-up services, as they’re able to repair the damage right there. However, if you do need replacement glass, then your commercial glass specialists will expertly board-up your store window to protect your business from harm until they can get a replacement glass pane and install it.
In order to board-up your store, there are a few things your window repairmen will do. First, they will remove any broken glass left in the frame. It’s important you allow a professional to do this, as improper removal can actually damage your storefront framing even further. They will also measure the size of the damaged window so they can accurately cut the boards, which are usually made of plywood.
Once they have the boards cut to size, they’ll need to mount them to the exterior properly, so there are no gaps where air and moisture can enter your building. Depending on your specific circumstances, there are a few ways to do this. Generally, the most secure way to do this is using tension from carriage bolts to pinch the wood to the frame on both sides. However, if this isn’t an option, they may screw the board directly into the frame. In any case, it’s best to opt for professional board-up services to help ensure the board is well fastened to help protect your business.