High Dusting

Elevate Your Building’s Cleanliness with High Dusting

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Often, building owners focus on the visible, high-traffic areas regarding cleanliness and maintenance, but what about the spots that are out of sight? Steve Jobs was adamant about the aesthetic quality of Apple products, even the components customers would rarely see. He said, “For you to sleep well at night, the aesthetic and the quality have to be carried all the way through.” The same holds true for your commercial property.

High dusting, which targets hard-to-reach places like rafters, beams, pipes, and elevated art sculptures, ensures the hidden parts of your building receive the attention they deserve. These areas are often found in school gyms, manufacturing plants, atriums, airports, art exhibits, and lobbies. Over time, these spaces accumulate dust and debris that can compromise air quality, reduce tenant satisfaction, and degrade the overall aesthetic of your building. Let’s take a look at why high-dusting maintenance matters to you and your tenants.  

High Dusting Presents Unique Challenges

While dusting itself is straightforward, this task presents unique challenges that standard janitorial teams can’t and shouldn’t handle. The reason? Most janitors don’t have access to specialized lifts, fall protection, or training required for high-reach cleaning and working at heights. They also often lack proper liability insurance, which could put property owners and managers — and their teams  — at risk.

When neglected spaces are left unclean, they can cause poor indoor air quality. For instance, you may see a higher amount of dust, allergens, and other particles consistently released into the ventilation system.

High Dusting Takes Your Building from Dusty to Dazzling

To prevent buildup, we recommend scheduling an annual high dusting service for hard-to-reach pipes, beams, rafters, art sculptures, and other hard-to-reach surfaces. 

General cleaning for retail spaces, lobbies, and high-traffic areas should be scheduled monthly. For lower-traffic areas, twice-a-year cleanings should suffice to remove dirt and dust.

Here are the key benefits of regularly scheduling high dusting.

Air Quality: Breathe Easy

Dust buildup in high spaces can silently degrade air quality over time. Removing this dust helps safeguard the air your tenants breathe and reduces the risk of respiratory issues caused by particles circulating through the building’s HVAC system.

Skyline Aesthetics: Clean from Floor to Rafters

Ensuring that even those high-up spots are clean maintains the building’s polished appearance. It’s not just about the floors and walls; having a consistently clean environment from top to bottom creates a more welcoming, professional setting for tenants and visitors alike. For property managers, tenants looking out of their office windows onto dusty beams or rafters is a surefire way to generate complaints.

Happy Tenants, Happy Property

Regular maintenance reduces complaints, keeps tenants satisfied, adds to a healthy environment, and shows that the property is well cared for. No one wants to work or live in a building where dust falls from the ceiling or the elevated art feature is noticeably dirty. By proactively addressing these areas, you can avoid dissatisfaction and prevent tenants from moving out due to poor maintenance.

High dusting is often one of those tasks that property managers overlook or defer until it becomes an issue. By implementing a scheduled annual maintenance plan, you can take high dusting off your to-do list and rest easy, knowing that A1 will handle it efficiently and safely.

A1’s Sky-High Expertise

At A1, our window cleaning service line includes high dusting solutions, a vital component of building maintenance. The earlier you take action, the better the long-term impact.

High dusting is just one way we help maintain your building’s pristine condition. Our window cleaning, birdproofing, pressure washing, and metal refinishing services are all designed to address those hard-to-reach places that standard maintenance services can’t handle.

When it comes to servicing your building’s highest points, we provide a suite of high-reach services and beyond. Our combination of training and expertise allows us to perform complex cleaning and maintenance tasks using specialized lifts, equipment, and safety protocols.

Secure a Healthier, Cleaner Building with A1

As you can see, high dusting plays a significant role in keeping your building clean, safe, and tenant-friendly. We are proud to provide services that enhance your building’s aesthetics and longevity.

Now is the perfect time to schedule high-reach maintenance before the seasonal elements cause further wear and tear on your building. Contact us today and discover how we can help you create a custom maintenance plan that fits your building’s needs and budget.

building maintenance-2

Seasonal Maintenance Planning: How to Budget for Year-Round Building Care

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Ensuring your building remains in top condition throughout the year requires a strategic approach to maintenance. Seasonal maintenance helps you prepare your property for the next season while removing remnants of the previous season. This article will help you plan and budget for effective seasonal maintenance, ensuring your property remains safe, efficient, and aesthetically pleasing all year round.

Getting the Most out of Seasonal Maintenance

Seasons bring both challenges and opportunities. For example, it’s advantageous for a university or school to do all significant projects during the summer while most students are off campus. Planning for seasonal maintenance helps to avoid operational disruptions for occupants and workers. Budgeting for seasonal maintenance ensures your building’s safety, functionality, and aesthetic appeal. With the right strategy, you can successfully address the needs of each season to keep your property in prime condition and avoid the pitfalls of deferred maintenance.

Spring Maintenance Tasks

Spring is critical for building maintenance as it addresses winter damage and prepares the building for summer heat. It’s also one of the most active seasons for property maintenance activities, such as performing inspections and building assessments. For this reason, property managers should begin planning in early winter to secure services and negotiate contracts. 

Key Focus Areas for Spring Maintenance 

  • Implement a spring cleaning regimen to enhance the building’s appearance.
  • Pressure wash walkways to wash away salt or residue from winter or heavy pollen buildup. 
  • Ensure the building envelope is ready to stand up to spring and summer showers.
  • Evaluate property to ensure safety and compliance. 

Budgeting Tips for Spring 

  • Allocate funds based on need from the building condition report to help address issues while they are small and manageable. 
  • Plan for 2-4 window washing sessions throughout the year to maintain a clean and professional appearance.

Summer Maintenance Tasks

Summer is the peak season for building restoration, maintenance projects, and hurricanes. In most cases, the weather cooperates, but resources are in high demand. While it’s an ideal time for schools that are out of session, it’s in the best interest of vacation properties and stadiums to schedule around this busy season to avoid impacting customers.

Key Focus Areas for Summer Maintenance

  • Protect your building from moisture damage by applying sealants and protective coatings. 
  • Remove stains and inspect window seals to ensure aesthetic appeal and energy efficiency. 
  • Clean, seal, and repair parking garage surfaces.
  • Clean and inspect property and building facade.

Budgeting Tips for Summer

  • Schedule exterior facade cleaning to remove any pollen or pest remnants from the spring.
  • Plan for next year’s property budget, typically due at the end of August.
  • Identify and plan for anticipated non-routine maintenance needs. 

Fall Maintenance Tasks

Autumn is your chance to take advantage of the few remaining months of nice weather to prepare your building for the winter. It’s also an ideal time to review your maintenance budget to ensure it’s spent and spent wisely. 

Key Focus Areas for Fall

  • Clearing leaves from sidewalks quickly reduces the chances of staining, mold and mildew buildup, and slip hazards. 
  • Repair cracking and spalling concrete before winter to avoid water penetration, expansion, and further damage. 
  • Conduct fall protection inspections to mitigate fall hazards and ensure compliance and safety.

Budgeting Tips for Fall

  • Schedule a rooftop assessment to evaluate your compliance status and assist with budgeting.
  • Include costs for sealant replacement to prevent water infiltration during winter.
  • If you don’t use your end-year budget, you may lose it. Identify small projects to improve your property and use the remaining budget dollars or risk seeing it cut the following year. 

Winter Maintenance Tasks

Winter is a great time for interior maintenance and evaluating your budget to plan for next year. As the holidays approach, you can prep your property for events and decorations with additional window cleaning. 

Key Focus Areas for Winter

  • Interior maintenance such as high-dusting and handrail repair and replacement.
  • Last chance to allocate your remaining budget dollars 
  • Snow and ice removal
  • Decorating for holidays

Budgeting Tips for Winter Maintenance

  • Assess budget performance, OSHA compliance, and building maintenance, repair, and cleaning needs. 
  • Secure service contracts for the following year to stay on your maintenance schedule. 

Year-round Maintenance Services from Valcourt

Tending to your building’s needs requires a vigilant approach to year-round preventative maintenance. At Valcourt, our teams provide a wide array of building services to help you stay ahead of avoidable and often costly repair projects. 

Here are some of our seasonal maintenance services and tools, along with the best time to carry them out: 

Annually:

Year Round:

Spring and Summer:

Spring, Summer, & Fall:

Proper planning and execution of seasonal maintenance ensures you spend your budget effectively. This approach helps address problems while they are small and manageable, prevents liability issues, and upholds your property’s value. 

Partnering with Valcourt for Expert Seasonal Maintenance Planning & Solutions

Cleaning up what the last season left behind and preparing for what the next season may bring delivers the most cost-effective and proactive approach to protecting your investment. 

Valcourt’s wide array of building services helps you take advantage of what each season offers and provides you with the best opportunity for year-round property care. Contact us today so we can partner with you to deliver you peace of mind and safety while maximizing your annual building and property budget. 

 

deferred maintenance

The Hidden Costs of Deferred Maintenance: Why It’s Essential to Budget for Annual Upkeep

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As a property manager or building owner, it’s tempting to prioritize immediate cost savings by deferring maintenance, but that’s a gamble that rarely pays off. Deferred maintenance often leads to costlier problems down the line, draining finances through expensive restoration projects while compromising safety and efficiency. 

This article highlights the hidden costs of deferring maintenance and how preventative maintenance helps avoid significant repair costs to ensure smooth operations and maximize property value.

Saving Pennies Now Can Cost Dollars Later

Currently, commercial property owners feel the pinch of rising energy costs, which have jumped nearly 30% since 2020. Sticking to budgets and managing expenses with these financial pressures isn’t easy. However, cutting corners by deferring maintenance will eventually come back to bite you. For example, imagine skipping a roof inspection and missing a small water leak. If you don’t catch it early, that leak could turn into extensive water damage, forcing a complete roof replacement and throwing your building’s operations into chaos. 

Consider the General Services Administration (GSA) a cautionary tale. According to the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO), in 2022, the GSA faces a staggering $3.1 billion backlog in deferred maintenance and repairs, including persistent issues like water leaks and outdated safety systems. While explaining the challenge during a House hearing, the GSA stated it is “suffering from the consequences of significant deferred maintenance, driven by inadequate investment.” 

In a similar story, the Kansas State University board found it cheaper to demolish buildings than tackle years of neglect by deferring maintenance. Meanwhile, the state of Louisiana faces a $2 billion backlog of deferred maintenance projects, which causes compliance issues, leaky buildings, and “a lengthy list of crumbling infrastructure on state college and university campuses.” When you defer maintenance, the problem doesn’t go away; it compounds financially and restoratively. 

Weighing the Risk and Reward of Deferred Maintenance

Whether “a stitch in time saves nine” or “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure,” there are countless words of wisdom advising against deferring maintenance. Despite these best practices, ballooning deferred maintenance costs are all too typical, and the results are equally predictable. 

  • Deferring Maintenance Increases Repair Costs: Minor repairs neglected over time can escalate into major repairs, demanding extensive work and resources. For example, on a recent project, we discovered that the property manager had put off minor repairs and routine maintenance. The expense ballooned three short years later, costing the property three times what preventative maintenance had called for. 
  • Decreased Property Value: Neglecting maintenance can significantly reduce property value. For instance, failing to stay on top of facade maintenance in a challenging market can negatively impact occupancy rate and rent. 
  • Higher Energy Bills: Poorly maintained properties and building envelopes quickly become less efficient, compounding the impact of increasing energy costs. For instance, pressure washing white roofs helps maintain cooling efficiency. 
  • Minimizing Disruptions: Preventive maintenance, such as window cleaning, requires minimal to no disruption to tenants. When you neglect window cleaning for an extended period, deep cleaning, glass restoration, or complete replacement may be the only option to return them to their original condition. Not to mention missing out on opportunities to identify issues while they are small, like damaged mullions or damaged sealants. 
  • Health and Safety Risks: As a building owner, you are responsible for keeping tenants and those who work on your property safe. Preventative maintenance is critical in maintaining air quality and negating slip hazards and other safety issues. Maintaining fall-protection systems is among OSHA’s most frequently cited standards, requiring routine inspections and certifications. Failure to comply puts workers at risk and comes with steep penalties and other liabilities. 

The deferred maintenance trap puts tenants, workers, and your investment at risk. The key to building longevity is preventative maintenance. It puts you and your building in the best position to prevent the avoidable and tackle the unavoidable early on while keeping the cost low and manageable. 

Smart Budgeting for Year-Round Maintenance

A well-structured budget that allows for annual upkeep and maintenance of your property is your best ally to avoid the deferred maintenance trap. Over time, this strategy will save money by proactively addressing issues while they are small, extending the life of components and systems, ensuring safety, and avoiding fines. The long-term implications of deferring maintenance aren’t worth the risk of an unmanageable backlog.

Here are some key tips to remember for your annual maintenance plan. 

  • Windows & Glass: Clean exterior windows and glass 2-4 times each year. 
  • Building Facade: Pressure wash your building’s facade every 3-5 years and add a sealant for protection. 
  • Inspecting Waterproofing Membranes: Routine inspections and reapplying per the manufacturer’s recommendations ensure your waterproofing investment pays off. Our Waterproofing & Building Facade Preventative Maintenance Guide highlights how a proactive approach to waterproofing helps avoid repair costs and provides long-term protection for your asset. 

These are just a few of your property’s many needs. You can make the most of your annual building maintenance budget by staying ahead of potential issues to keep your property value up while keeping costs down. 

Partnering with A1 for Expert Maintenance Solutions

Don’t sacrifice tomorrow for a quick win today. Sticking to a preventative maintenance plan tailored to your building and property needs pays off in the long run. At A1, we can help you with budget planning to avoid costly repairs. While it’s easy to underestimate the implications of deferred maintenance, we’ve seen the costs accumulate and accelerate over time, leaving decision-makers wishing they had acted sooner. 

We encourage you to contact us today to establish a preventative maintenance program uniquely designed to drive value, improve safety, and maximize your budget dollars for years to come.