How to Maintain Your Office Building During the Winter Months

Office building maintenance is of particular concern during the winter months when the weather is unpredictable. Even in the desert, high winds, surprise freezes and intense rains can damage buildings and grounds. If you didn’t prepare for winter during the warmer months, then here are a few ways to maintain your office building during the winter months despite shifting weather extremes.

Pipes

Anyone who has spent time in cold-weather regions understands the importance of keeping pipes from freezing. Buildings in the Southwest are also at risk, especially due to open designs and other architectural features like flat roofs or tile building materials. To ensure your pipes don’t freeze, winterize pipes and irrigation systems. Since you want to retain access to your pipes in the event of an emergency, do not overly insulate them. Instead, insulate pipes that are located in exposed areas and near drafts. Leave other pipe segments alone so that plumbers can access pipes quickly in the event of a quick freeze or other problem.

Overhead Protection and Maintenance Team Risks

Your maintenance team takes a risk every time a team member climbs a ladder or navigates an icy roof. Outsourcing roof maintenance to an insured commercial roof services company can decrease your organization’s risk and helps your maintenance team stay focused on grounds and building interiors. When working with a commercial roofer be certain to ask about their ability to make repairs. It’s also a good idea to find out if they can maintain the roof that you already have in place.

Pathways and Parking Structures

The weather might change but your property’s boundaries remain the same. So do pathway edges and steel reinforcement bindings. Mark your property lines and pathway edges. As always, ensure that swales and drainage areas are clear and capable of handling sudden floods and intense rain. Keeping these areas clearly marked throughout the winter is a must.

Parking structures’ expansion joints, control joints and exposed steel or reinforcement should be marked as well. This helps any ice removal crews avoid sensitive areas. Further, try using ice melt chemicals that do not damage concrete or steel. Cold weather contractors prefer calcium magnesium acetate, or CMA, for this reason.

Winter is a certain event. It may be mild or severe, but knowing the equipment you need and having it readily available ensures that your building will be in good shape regardless of what the weather has in store.