What Do Building Maintenance Companies Do?
Whether residential or commercial, buildings require regular maintenance and repairs to ensure the safety and security of people within. If a building’s structure fails or machinery malfunctions, it can cause severe damage to buildings and any person/s inside.
To prevent any costly problems from occurring, it is essential that businesses invest in building maintenance for their property, ensuring that all machines are well maintained, inspections are done on a regular basis, and engineers check daily work like cleaning windows.
The biggest problem business owners face who neglect building maintenance is significant scale problems such as fires, floods, and leaks. These can cause thousands of pounds in damage within a short period of time which could have been avoided if regular inspections had been done.
Some common building maintenance tasks include:
Maintain windows
One of the most important things for building owners to focus on is their windows. Windows are essential for letting in light and air, and they can also play a role in insulation. Therefore, it’s important to make sure that your windows are properly sealed and in good condition. If you have any cracks or broken panes, you’ll want to get them fixed right away. You may also want to consider upgrading your windows to something more energy efficient.
Maintain roof
Your roof is another important part of your building that needs to be maintained. A damaged roof can lead to serious water damage, so it’s important to make sure that it’s in good condition and is properly sealed. You may also want to consider applying an ice/water shield (a layer of material that prevents the formation of ice dams on your roof) along with a new layer of asphalt shingles.
Maintain elevators
In some apartment buildings, elevators may be an essential part of the building. However, broken down elevators can lead to people becoming trapped and cause inconvenience, especially for those with heavy items (e.g. groceries).
Therefore, it’s important to ensure that your lifts are inspected for lift refurbishment. Also, you should periodically check that there is no rust or corrosion on the door tracks and between the elevator car and guide rails, as this can hinder the operation of the device.
Maintain flooring
Your flooring needs regular maintenance because spills happen, and damage can occur due to heavy traffic. All wood floors should be sanded down every 3-5 years if needed. Resilient floors that are mastic (VCT) tile installed on top of plywood need to have the seams filled with latex-modified adhesive once every five years for proper adhesion reinforcement on the substrate underneath the tile.
Also, all concrete floors should have periodic sealers applied during resurfacing so that they remain strong. If sealers are not applied, cracks may appear that can lead to permanent damage to the structure.
Maintain light fixtures
If your light fixtures are in bad condition, it can be very dangerous for people to use them. Make sure that there is no exposed wiring or rusting parts and that all bulbs are working properly.
Maintain walls
Many small issues with your walls can add up to cause major damage. Your walls are very important for holding up your building, so you’ll want to make sure they’re in good condition and properly sealed around door and window frames. If there is any discolouration or peeling paint, it’s also recommended that you apply two coats of paint with high-quality exterior paint.