As with any type of maintenance, preventative work is the most effective. When you take control of problems before they happen – or before they get any bigger – you’re not only saving yourself time and money, you’re saving yourself a huge headache and loads of stress. This is especially true when you own or manage your own commercial building. Commercial buildings require even more work than a typical home or residential building, which means it’s even more important to take a preventive approach. That’s why we wanted to take a second and put together a comprehensive commercial building maintenance checklist. While we recommend you do this at least once a year, it’s great to train your eyes to notice any issues on a day-to-day basis. Implement this checklist into your systematic processes in order to increase the safety, efficiency, and quality of your commercial buildings.
Your roof is a huge part of the structural integrity of your commercial building and needs to be professionally inspected at least once a year. If you live in an area with strong winds, storms, or extreme weather, consider doing multiple inspections throughout the year – especially after harsh weather.
For general building maintenance, clean your gutters regularly, make sure there is no debris accumulating on your roof, re-caulk if needed, and clean your roof to avoid any corrosion.
Plumbing and electrical systems are like the central nervous system of your building. In a commercial building, these systems are much more complicated than the ones in a residential home. Make sure you routinely check for any leaks and circuit breaks in addition to inspecting your gas line, fire alarms, and carbon monoxide detectors. Lubricate pumps, replace any oil, and check your fixtures regularly. If you find any problems, call a professional.
When maintaining your HVAC system, you want to make sure that everything is in working order so you’re efficiently heating, cooling, and ventilating your commercial building. Check that everything is clean, well lubricated, and nothing needs to be recharged or replaced. If you find any problems, hire a professional to perform an inspection and make sure that everything is in good shape.
Interior inspections can be done each day you’re in your commercial building. Simply walking around and paying attention is a great way to notice any problems early on and avoid costly repairs. Make sure to keep an eye on the structural integrity of your walls, ceilings, windows, and doors. Repair drywall, paint when needed, clean windowsills, repair any broken or damaged doors, take action when you see water damage, clean equipment, power wash areas that get a lot of use, dust any furniture or desks, remove trash, maintain a regular recycling schedule, and make sure all of your systems are in working order.
In addition to these general maintenance items, you should be deep cleaning and professionally sanitizing everything in your building at least a few times a year, more if needed.
Finally, you need to make sure you’re performing a regular and complete exterior inspection of your building. Check all of the doors on the exterior to ensure they’re in working order, clean, and secure. Inspect your property for any unwanted pests or insects and call a terminator if needed. Keep your walls cleaned and washed with no overgrowth. Finally, make sure that you pay special attention to any foundational issues that may arise. Check your building for any cracks, erosion, or general deterioration. If you have a commercial building that is made of brick, pay special attention to the quality and state of the mortar. If you see any crumbling, cracking, or missing mortar, your commercial building may be in need of tuckpointing.
Every so often, brick buildings need to be tuckpointing to maintain their structural integrity. If you wait too long, it may lead to a complete demolition and rebuild – which is much more expensive than simple maintenance along the way.
If you notice any deterioration or signs of decay in your mortar, don’t hesitate to contact a professional masonry contractor. Call the professionals at Chicago Tuckpointing Inc. today to schedule your masonry inspection. Our team of highly trained expert masonries will come to your commercial building and give you a full inspection along with any recommendations for actions. If you want to be proactive and avoid costly repairs, demolitions, or rebuilds down the road, the time for action is now. Call us at (708) 942-1951 or visit our website chicagotuckpointinginc.com.