Building maintenance is a never-ending project. Most people don't understand the extent of work involved with keeping a commercial building running smoothly, safely, and efficiently. The same goes for other facilities such as hospitals, schools, or office buildings. Often, the long-term benefits of preventative maintenance can seem invisible.
From painting touch-ups to landscaping, building exteriors have an ongoing list of tasks that must be done to keep the building looking its best and staying in good condition.
Inside the building, things get more complicated. Electrical systems, HVAC, plumbing, equipment, flooring, and more require regular maintenance to function properly. Maintenance is more than just cleaning and repairing what breaks down. Preventative building maintenance is essential to keep things going, but it's one of the first things to go by the wayside.
It's understandable. After all, preventative maintenance has an upfront cost, so it's easy to put it off in favour of other, more urgent expenses.
The problem is that the cost of preventative maintenance is far lower than the cost of repairs and replacements. A lack of preventative maintenance results in broken machinery, lack of efficiency, safety issues, and major expenses that could have been avoided. Consider these long-term benefits of preventative maintenance for your building.
Preventative maintenance reduces repair costs and the expense of replacement. This applies to all areas of building maintenance, including interior and exterior concerns. Some examples include:
Scheduled inspections and preventative maintenance should be carried out to identify potential issues before they turn into costly repairs. For example, regular roof inspections and maintenance should be scheduled seasonally—and also after any kind of weather event to check for damage. This includes gutters and downspouts.
Equipment and machinery are major expenses for any organisation. Keeping it maintained extends the lifespan of your assets and reduces repair costs.
For example, consider the long-term benefits of preventative maintenance for your HVAC system. Scheduled HVAC maintenance can extend the life of your system by several years and help you avoid expensive repairs and downtime.
Efficiency is economical. Preventative maintenance helps your building run more efficiently, saving you money year after year. When equipment runs more efficiently, less energy is used, and more money is saved. When you replace components that lack efficiency, like old windows or out-of-date machinery or systems, you are creating increased efficiency in the long run. Preventative maintenance helps you run more efficiently and identify areas lacking efficiency.
A good example would be your building's heating and cooling systems. Poorly maintained heating and cooling systems don't run efficiently. This also costs your organisation money each year. Not only that, but when the system fails, it affects your employees and customers. Maintaining your HVAC system ensures comfort, avoids costly repairs, saves energy, and keeps your customers happy.
Lack of maintenance doesn't just increase the instances of expensive repairs and replacements. It also creates safety issues. Malfunctioning equipment, damaged walkways, stairs, and fire hazards can cost you millions in damages and cause serious injuries. Accidents and injuries can cost millions in medical fees and lost productivity. They also increase insurance premiums and fees. Add on fines for non-compliance or other related expenses, and things add up.
Simple preventative maintenance increases safety and should be a priority for any type of organisation. The following are a few areas that should be inspected and maintained to offer a safe environment for the people who spend time in your building:
Safety is a huge factor when it comes to preventative maintenance. Protecting clients, tenants, employees, and customers should be a top priority. Some common safety issues include damaged flooring, which can result in trips and falls, and poor lighting that contributes to accidents. Also, consider machinery that causes injury because it no longer works safely and broken or loose railings that can cause falls.
Preventative maintenance resolves all of the above, making your building safer for all who use it.
A safe, well-maintained environment is a pleasant environment. Lack of maintenance can affect things like temperature regulation, indoor air quality, visual appearance, equipment performance, and customer safety. When your building lacks maintenance, it affects the customer experience.
Preventative maintenance shows that you care and creates a good customer experience. This enables you to retain your customers and increase your revenue, among other long-term benefits of preventative maintenance.
Preventative maintenance costs money and time. In fact, it is often put off because of time and personnel constraints or reduced as a way to cut costs. The problem with this strategy is it backfires. Cutting preventative maintenance costs money in the long run in the form of repairs, replacements, downtime, and even injuries and accidents.
One way to approach preventative maintenance is to outsource it to a professional maintenance company. Contracting with a maintenance provider is an economical way to get the maintenance services you need. First Response Maintenance Solutions is the answer to your maintenance problems. To learn more about our services and how we can support your organisation, contact us today