Summer is when many people take vacations and enjoy the warm weather. But if you are responsible for facility services, you know summer also means unique building conditions to consider. Now is the time to prepare and look at performing preventative maintenance to increase the longevity of your critical systems and keep your employees and tenants comfortable, happy, and safe.
As temperatures begin to rise, it’s important to evaluate and prepare your facility both inside and out. Consider the following key areas to assess and preventative maintenance tips that you can follow to ensure your facility is running smoothly this summer.
Interior Preventative Maintenance
Properly maintaining your building’s temperature is essential to combat summer heat, but here are some other areas to evaluate and perform proper preventive maintenance.
The Power of an Energy Audit
Systematically evaluating your building’s energy consumption can decrease your building’s operating costs and drive greater operating efficiency. Start by conducting an audit and list out everything you find. An evaluation should include checking for air leaks and drafts, which are most common around windows and door seals but can also occur around electrical outlets. Also consider your lighting. LED lights, sensors, timers, and dimmers are all ways to reduce energy consumption. After completing the audit, you’ll want to determine your facility’s average energy consumption from critical systems and their overall impact on energy usage. You might want to consider hiring a professional like Marsden Services to assist you in conducting an audit to ensure you optimize the benefits.
Essential Preventative Maintenance on Your HVAC System
Temperature and air purification are two vital aspects of any facility during the summer months. Before the summer season hits, your facility services team or a professional contractor should service your HVAC system. The service should include an inspection and thorough cleaning of major components such as coil surfaces, fan impellers, blades; electrical contacts; passages, and more. Preventative maintenance is an important step in extending the longevity of your equipment and preventing expensive system failures that could interrupt your business. You should also check all thermostats and set them to a proper target temperature.
Summertime can also mean allergy season. Your building’s HVAC system is an essential part of maintaining the proper air quality. Professional HVAC contractors, like Marsden Services, will help keep your system operating at peak efficiency. They are knowledgeable about the latest technologies like responsive air and surface purification systems which can deactivate over 99.99% of tested allergens, bacteria, and viruses, including viruses that cause infectious diseases. Professional firms will also understand how preventative and even predictive maintenance approaches can help to improve your system’s operating efficiency to decrease energy consumption and cost.
Care for Carpets and Hard Flooring Surfaces
Foot traffic during the winter and spring months will bring dirt, moisture, salt, and other harmful substances across the floors of your facility. One square foot of carpet can trap as much as a pound of dirt and dust. So proper care and maintenance are a critical part of your janitorial services program to keep your facility healthy and safe. Preventative and proper carpet care should include the combination of regular vacuuming and periodic professional deep cleanings. The summer is the perfect time to address these challenges by performing routine carpet and hard floor maintenance and resurfacing.
Exterior Preventative Maintenance
All seasons take a toll on your building, and the summertime is no different. As we approach the summer, there are several areas you should inspect and perform proper preventative maintenance to ensure your facility is ready for the sunshine and heat.
Roofing, Downspouts, and Building Trim Drive Efficiency and Damage Prevention
Summer can bring intense heat, and in many parts of the country, this is coupled with severe and often pop-up thunderstorms. To be prepared, your facility maintenance team should inspect the exterior of your building, especially the roof, downspouts, and building trim which may have sustained damage from a winter freeze or a spring storm. These inspections can identify potential areas where water or outdoor pests could infiltrate your building. Proactive inspections can help prevent emergency situations due to water or pest damage.
Exterior Lighting and Security Systems for Safety
Keeping your employees, tenants, and assets safe is a vital part of your role in facility services. The climate can add wear and tear to exterior lighting, security cameras, and alarm systems. To prepare for the summer, inspect and test your lighting, especially in critical areas such as parking lots and entryways. Replacing traditional lighting systems with LED lighting options can reduce energy consumption and decrease maintenance costs through extended life and a reduction in labor from replacement. Season changes are also a good time to conduct quarterly audits where you test your building security systems to ensure they operate correctly. You will also want to check cameras, sound systems, alarms, and emergency response systems to ensure everything is functioning correctly.
Hardscaping and Landscaping Essentials for Safety & Performance
Summer months put an emphasis on being out of doors, and landscaping becomes front of mind. Trimming trees, bushes, and other plants and scheduling routine services like grass cutting are probably already part of your routine. But also consider inspecting irrigation systems, monitoring for insects or pests, and conducting a hard surfaces audit. By identifying potential insect or pest control issues, you can help to prevent building damage. And looking for and repairing any damage caused by winter conditions to sidewalks or parking lots can help you to avoid accidents or injuries at your facility.
Preventative Maintenance Will Pay Dividends for Your Facility
Performing preventative facility maintenance tasks can help you to avoid significant problems at your facility during the summer. Preventative maintenance will help keep your facility operating a peak efficiency, keeping your operating costs down and minimizing the need for system replacement or significant repairs. Partnering with a professional facility services provider and incorporating seasonal preventative maintenance can help you ensure that your facility is safe, clean, healthy, and enjoyable for everyone.
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