A strong, presentable, and clean building is the backbone of every customer-facing business. Employees are more efficient when they have a hygienic and safe working environment. It also prevents expensive breakdowns that may impact the bottom line. This is where building maintenance comes in useful. From the very concrete of the foundation to metal roofs and glass exterior, facility managers and building owners need to ensure that everything is as it should be.
Why Facility Maintenance Is Important
It is possible for your building to become bogged down with costly repairs or be unsafe if it is not properly repaired or maintained. Timely facility maintenance and checks ensure that you don’t have to worry about your building. Periodic inspection and preventative maintenance are key to a safe building. Routine facility maintenance refers to any task that is performed on an ongoing or planned basis for identifying and preventing problems before they cause total equipment failure.
Regular inspections and service work are a few common maintenance tasks. These can be performed on a usage-based schedule or a time-based schedule. These tasks are generally straightforward and don’t require any specialized equipment or skills. However, it is recommended that you retain the services of professionals to ensure the job is done properly.
Why Facility Maintenance Should Be Carried Out Regularly
Property maintenance is an easy to implement and straightforward method of improving the overall infrastructure. Large commercial buildings with certified facility managers should in particular consider hiring commercial maintenance technicians. This allows maintenance managers to dedicate their resources and attention to other important tasks, such as predictive and preventive maintenance.
However, facility managers must hire professionals with adequate certifications and credentials from the International Facility Management Association (IFMA). This will ensure that routine work orders are performed in a way that doesn’t disturb building occupants.
These are a few advantages of carrying out facility maintenance:
- Decreased equipment downtime and resulting repairs
- The increased life expectancy of assets, such as HVAC systems
- Better conservation of resources
- Reduced risk of premature replacement of equipment and machinery
- More economical use of maintenance workers that complete tasks on a scheduled basis instead of a crash basis
- Reduced overtime
- Decrease in large-scale repairs because of timely repairs
- Improved quality and safety conditions for everyone involved
List Of Maintenance Tasks To Be Conducted
These are a few tasks that should be included in every maintenance program, whether it is for industrial maintenance or residential buildings. The checklist also ensures compliance with OSHA standards.
General Building & Interior
- Check the condition of walls, ceilings, and floors
- Look for plumbing concerns, such as water damage, flooding, or leaks in the ceilings and bathrooms
- Check locks on all doors
- Ensure that stairways and railings are not loose
- Exits should be marked with additional signage wherever needed
- Test carbon monoxide and smoke detectors
- Change batteries wherever required
- Conduct pest inspections, pest control, and treatments
- Hallways should be free of large items and trash
- Check for tripping hazards throughout the building
Exterior
- Walk the perimeter of the building to look at common areas
- Check the condition of windows and look for the ones that may be broken
- Clear the roof and gutters of debris
- Clean debris and trash from building grounds
- Check the condition of the landscaping, parking lots, and sidewalks
- Fill all large cracks and potholes
- Look at the condition of the siding and exterior paint
- Check the patio and deck for loose railings or rot
Building Systems
- Test the sprinkler system and fire alarm system
- Test the alarm system
- Look for electrical concerns, such as loose fixtures or wires
- Schedule a more complete inspection with professionals
- Check maintenance schedules of HVAC units and boilers
- Check the air conditioning and ventilation systems
Maximizing The Value Of Your Assets
Timely maintenance plays an important role in maximizing the value of the real estate. This holds for all building structures, including office buildings, warehouses, and manufacturing facilities among others. There is no better way of ensuring that your building appears presentable and inviting than by scheduling routine maintenance.
Building owners don’t need to budget for emergency repairs since maintained equipment suffers less frequent breakdowns. This will also work towards increasing the life expectancy of the equipment. HVAC and boiler unit is one the largest investments in any building. Maintenance helps in prolonging the life of this asset in particular. Your equipment will be more efficient and work towards reducing utility bills besides keeping the repair costs down.
The Value Of Preventive Maintenance
It is normal for things to begin wearing out over time. Regular upkeep is vital to ensuring their efficiency and functioning. Preventive maintenance is focused on anticipating the things that may go wrong in a facility and fixing it before it turns into major and costly repairs. You should create a detailed list of everything that needs to be checked if you are implementing a preventive maintenance program or overhauling the existing training programs.
The value of preventive maintenance is particularly visible in electrical, HVAC, and plumbing systems. They also improve the overall appearance of the building by involving general building cleanliness and conditions. Facility managers can create a preventive maintenance checklist based on the items and equipment that need to be inspected. It is easy to stay on top of repairs and maintenance when you have a checklist in place.
These are a few ways preventive maintenance can add value to your facility:
- Preventive maintenance can lengthen the lifespan of equipment and decrease downtime
- It can reduce the need for emergency repairs and reactive maintenance
- Assets and equipment can work in optimal conditions with routine maintenance. This results in fewer failures, higher profitability, better productivity, and improved safety.
Call Today for Enhancing Building Appearance
Servi-Tek is a professional facility maintenance and engineering solutions, provider. We believe in ensuring that all our clients benefit from having a clean, neat, and hygienic-looking facility. Routine, preventive, and predictive maintenance can help prevent major repairs and breakdowns while improving the appearance of your facility. Give us a call today at 866-454-6185 or use our online form to schedule a consultation.
