Storm Damage and Your Commercial Property – Need to Know

You’ve no doubt paid a pretty penny to install attractive landscaping around your commercial property.  There are many benefits to doing so.  For one thing, adding greenery contributes to happier workers, who can look out on the trees, grass, and flowers while they work and enjoy it during their breaks.  It also creates a more welcoming space for visitors, from customers to business partners.

Abundant plant life also helps to clean the air and cut the urban heat island effect, making for a more beautiful and comfortable workspace.  Unfortunately, inclement weather could wreak havoc on your landscaping, damaging trees and turf alike.  This could be a major headache to clean up or lead to further problems if you fail to address damage in a timely manner.  Here’s what you should know about storm damage and why you need to deal with it as quickly as possible.

Repairing an Eyesore

The last thing you want is for the first impression of your business to include outdoor spaces that look like they were hit by a tornado – even if that’s exactly what happened.  When howling winds knock down trees, tear up turf, and spread vegetation hither and yon, your office can look like a war zone, and this doesn’t necessarily sow confidence in customers.

If you want to project a strong and reliable image, you need to clean up your exterior following a storm that causes excessive damage.  This means removing any large debris like fallen branches or entire trees, shrubbery that has become dislodged, and detritus that has blown in from elsewhere.  Some plant life may be salvageable, and your landscaping experts can help you make this determination.

From there, you’ll want to repair damaged lawns and replace missing plants that have left bald spots in your landscaping.  With speedy work and attention to detail, you can have your commercial property looking beautiful and inviting again in no time, reassuring customers and business partners that you’re open and ready to conduct business.

Reducing Liability

When your property is damaged by a storm, it could increase risk factors and your overall liability.  Suppose certain areas of the property are pitted, cluttered with debris, or otherwise impassable – you don’t want anyone stumbling into them before you’re able to return them to a safe and usable condition.

What if a damaged tree limb falls on someone walking below because you failed to remove it in a timely manner?  If you want to keep customers, employees, and other visitors to your property safe, it’s crucial that you assess damage and begin the cleaning process as soon as possible following a major storm.

Preventing Further Storm Damage

Even if you’re not particularly concerned about the damage a storm has caused in terms of unsightliness and liability, there could be lasting repercussions, or even further damage, if you fail to clean up the mess post haste.  For one thing, you could suffer some level of soil erosion in areas where plants have been torn up by high winds.  This could make it more difficult to replant down the line and require additional expense to add soil.  It could also leave you with a lot of windblown dirt strewn across your property.

Storm damage can actually impact entire ecosystems.  When the trees and other plants that serve as a shelter and food source for insects and wildlife are destroyed, surviving critters may move along to greener pastures.  If you want to preserve the buzzing of bees and the birdsongs that help to create a calming, natural environment that is attractive to employees and customers, hasty recovery is key.  To prevent further damage to your property and ensure an easy road to recovery, contact your preferred landscaping vendor immediately to asses and begin addressing storm damage.