A Winter Maintenance Checklist for Commercial Facilities
Winter’s cold temperatures and harsh precipitation can be devastating for businesses and their buildings, which is why it’s crucial to undertake specific preventative maintenance measures before the season gets underway.
Once snow and ice enshroud the region, it will be much more challenging to protect your commercial property, business assets, employees, and customers from the threats of failing structural systems. Follow this core maintenance checklist to ensure your commercial facility continues to operate safely all winter long!
1. Snow Removal Services
While your customers, employees, and suppliers continue to need access to your physical location, winter weather can prove a severe obstacle.
A snowstorm may blow through and cover your pathways in snow, turn your parking lot into a sheet of black ice, and produce sitting piles of snow that erode your building and surfaces. Snow removal services, such as deicing, shoveling, plowing, and hauling, enable your people to get to where they need to go safely.
By consulting an expert snow removal company and creating a winter weather contingency plan ahead of time, you prioritize the safety and longevity of your business functions.
2. Landscaping Preparations
No landscaping is entirely immune to the damaging effects of inclement weather, such as rain and snowstorms, hail, high winds, and sleet. However, there are a few things to do to help your well-manicured lawns and shrubs survive and remain attractive throughout the winter months.
First of all, mulch is your best friend. Not only does it give your landscaping that crisp, clean-cut look, but it also offers the practical benefit of absorbing water. An added layer of mulch can protect your plants from flooding, trap nutrients in the soil, and shield the roots from frost.
On the other hand, you don’t want your plants to suffocate under a layer of debris, like fallen leaves. Rotting leaves mixed with snow and moisture can result in mold and mildew growth. As a result, raking or leaf-blowing your lawn and garden can make a noticeable difference come springtime.
Another way to prevent flooding and mold growth is to allow excess water to drain away from your gardens quickly and efficiently. For this, you’ll need a landscaping plan that incorporates an irrigation system. Work with your professional landscaping service to develop a drainage strategy specially designed to handle the amount of water you’re likely to see in winter.
3. Roofing Inspection
Your roof is one of the most essential assets to your commercial property because it shields your entire business operation from the elements. As such, it’s your responsibility to schedule roof inspections in the spring and fall of each year.
To detect any damage or leakage points, a roofing inspection will review your roofing membrane, insulation, seams, and penetrations, flashing, shingles, gutters, and more. The inspector will then follow up with a plan of attack for repairs and cleaning, which should be completed before the harsh weather comes along.
4. HVAC Check-Up
A winter without a functioning HVAC system either means shivering from head to toe under blankets while you attempt to focus on work or sending your employees home due to inhumane conditions. That said, you don’t need to lose precious workdays as long as you check up on your HVAC unit before it goes into overdrive for the winter.
First, inspect every piece of the machine to make sure there is no apparent physical damage and that every moving part is working properly. This includes replacing the air filters, checking the vents for holes, examining the hoses and blowers for clogs, testing the thermostat, emptying the condensation drain traps, and observing that there is unobstructed airflow.
HVAC maintenance from heating repair Las Vegas will prevent your unit from malfunctioning, overworking, and running up your electric bill.
5. Plumbing Protection
Freezing temperatures can cause your pipes to burst. While you can’t do much about the weather, you can at least monitor its effect on your plumbing. Install a freeze protection device or test your pre-existing apparatus to ensure it’s still working.
In addition, apply a sealant to any obvious cracks around your pipes and plumbing features. Set your faucets to drip and consider wrapping them with an insulating material. Keep the indoor temperature set to at least 55°F, and keep a keen eye out for any signs of leakage, water damage, mold, or mildew.
In Conclusion
You’d rather provide your customers with world-class service than a frustrating experience reaching your storefront due to snow, ice, or unsightly landscaping.
You’d rather safeguard humane working conditions for your employees than allow them to suffer freezing temperatures and lack of water due to a damaged HVAC system and burst pipes. You’d rather spend your time on analytics that takes your business to the next level than on something as foundational as a leaky roof.
The reality is that your commercial property requires regular maintenance no matter what. If it doesn’t receive proper care and attention, it is more likely to fail you later on, possibly even during an inconvenient time like the winter.
However, business owners like you understand that proactive action now equates to time well-invested and money well-saved down the road!
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