Caring for your property and any built assets is critical to maintaining its value and prolonging its life. Facilities are subjected to everyday wear and tear, and just like anything else, they need to be cared for in order to keep working. If maintenance seems like an unending task, that’s because it is. As long as you want to keep using your facility, you have to put in the work to care for it.
A large portion of facility maintenance is preventative. By keeping equipment cleaned and checking on systems regularly, problems can be detected early or avoided altogether. This is especially true for seasonal facility maintenance. A building’s needs can change with the weather, and extreme temperatures (hot and cold) can be taxing for systems like water and climate control. Using seasonal facility maintenance checklist tasks, prepare your facility for the changes to come and help avoid costly repairs.
Typically, spring and fall do the heavy lifting as buildings and landscaping are prepared for the upcoming extreme temperatures. Consider these your “proactive maintenance” seasons. Because of the weather, summer and winter have fewer tasks, with the main focus on heating or cooling. These are your “reactive maintenance” seasons.
Here is a facility maintenance checklist that you can use all year long.
Spring:
Spring maintenance has two goals: assess and repair any damage done in the winter and prepare the property for the summer heat.
- Inspect roof, gutters and drains for any freeze damage and clear of any debris
- Clear any debris surrounding HAVC units
- Check seals around doors and windows for cracks or drafts
- Once temperatures warm, turn on any exterior water valves and check for any leaks or other damage from freezes
- Schedule an HVAC inspection as soon as possible
- Change air filters
- Schedule exterior aesthetic tasks like painting, windowing cleaning, or pressure washing
- Inspect the parking lot for any cracks or potholes that may have occurred from freezing and schedule any necessary repairs
- Inspect all exterior signage for damage and visibility
- Clear landscaping of any fallen debris, such as dead branches
- Plant flowers and shrubs according to appropriate seasonal guidelines
- Lay a fresh layer of pine straw or mulch
- Refresh gravel and woodchipped areas with new material if necessary
- Set a lawn care schedule for the upcoming warm months
- Deep clean hard floors and clean carpets
Summer:
In some areas, summer is too hot to do any heavy outdoor lifts, so save bigger projects for spring or fall. The main concern for summer maintenance is ensuring your property stays cool.
- Maintain ongoing lawn care; for best results, schedule care for the morning or evening to avoid stressing grass and other plants
- If you have an outdoor sprinkler system, monitor usage levels throughout the season. Large spikes in usage could indicate a leak in the system.
- Continue to keep AC units clear of any debris
- Monitor energy use. Significant increases can indicate inefficiency in the HVAC system
- Change air filters
- Walk the property and roof after any heavy storms to assess for potential damage
Fall:
Fall is the second busiest season for maintenance, as buildings and landscaping need to be prepped for the cold. Leaves, especially wet leaves, are a big concern since they can compact in gutters and drainpipes and cause potential fall hazards.
- Clear the roof, gutters, storm drains and HVAC units of leaves and check regularly. Properties with heavy tree cover will need to be checked more often.
- Apply mulch or pine straw to landscaping
- Schedule heater/furnace inspection
- Change air filters
- Winterize pipes and exterior fittings
- Turn off any outside water sources
- Check doors and windows for cracks or drafts, and replace any broken or damaged weather stripping
- Deep clean hard floors and carpets
- Revisit and revise your winter weather plan, identifying any areas susceptible to ice buildup
- Stock up on winter materials like salt and gravel
- Check all exterior lighting and replace any dim or burnt-out bulbs
- Check and test carbon monoxide alarms
Winter:
Freezing is the biggest worry of winter. Even warm climates are prone to the occasional hard freeze and risk potential damage if not properly prepared. Winter is also a good time to plan and budget for any larger projects for the upcoming year, such as systems replacement, building renovations, etc.
- Regularly check gutters and drains for ice buildup and clear as needed
- During snowfall, monitor buildup on roofs and look for any areas that accumulate snowmelt. These could lead to potential leaks
- Monitor heating system
- Assess trees on the property for potential fall damage and dead or dying trees
Hire a good facility maintenance company!
Preparation and preventative care are the keys to keeping facility maintenance costs low. Don’t wait until an emergency to contact a facility maintenance company. Find an experienced business that you can establish an ongoing relationship with. Regular visits help maintenance teams get to know your property better and take note of any changes or potential problems.
If you’re in the market for a facility maintenance company to keep your property in top shape, contact us today to get a customized quote for the services you need most!