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

Posted on September 3, 2024 by a1_admin

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:

Rooftop Anchor Inspections (to ensure compliance and safety)

Year Round:

Spring and Summer:

Bird Proofing

Spring, Summer, & Fall:

Pressure Washing

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.

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

Posted on August 23, 2024 by a1_admin

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.

Proactive Maintenance: How to Plan Your Annual Building Maintenance Budget

Posted on August 9, 2024 by a1_admin

Proactive Maintenance

Whether it’s unexpected repairs or a backlog of deferred maintenance quickly escalating to costly problems, forces are at work that will derail your annual building maintenance budget. One of the most effective strategies against these forces is budgeting for preventative maintenance.

Preventative maintenance addresses your building needs while they are small and manageable. This puts you in control of your budget dollars to effectively minimize disruptions and ensure compliance with safety regulations, all of which aid in budget adherence. This guide offers a step-by-step approach to creating an annual maintenance budget. It provides practical tips for prioritizing tasks and setting realistic goals, helping you stay within budget, save money, and ensure the safety and value of your properties.

Leverage Proactive Maintenance to Stay in Budget

Proper building maintenance is not just about fixing problems as they arise—it’s about preventing them before they start. When you plan accordingly and budget appropriately for your building’s needs, you are in the driver’s seat to get the most value out of your budget dollars.

Reducing Long-term Costs

With increasing costs, unlocking hidden value within your building maintenance budget is more imperative than ever. Proactive maintenance is a proven strategy that helps you preserve and protect your building to prevent costly repairs. For instance, performing window cleaning 2-4 times per year is a relatively small cost compared to other building maintenance services.

However, deferring window washing can lead to mineral deposits or grime etching into the glass. Additionally, accumulated dirt can damage window seals and frames, leading to leaks and potential structural issues. Factoring routine window washing into your budget is critical to prevent capital expense projects such as costly glass restoration or replacement services.

Improving Building Efficiency

To maximize building efficiency, implement proactive measures, such as inspecting and periodically replacing sealants at signs of deterioration or according to the manufacturer’s recommendations. When sealants begin to fail, they lose their efficacy, thus putting a greater strain on heating and cooling systems.

Effective waterproofing and exterior maintenance prevent water infiltration, which can lead to structural damage and energy loss. Addressing these aspects makes it easier to maintain a comfortable and efficient environment, reducing overall operational costs and enhancing the longevity of the building. An efficient building saves energy costs, freeing up resources that can be allocated to other essential maintenance tasks or improvements.

Ensuring Building Safety and OSHA Compliance

When you fail to take a proactive approach to building safety, you increase your risk of injuries, fines, or worse. Failure to provide adequate fall protection and other height-related citations dominate OSHA’s top ten most frequently cited items for building owners. The citations are far from a slap on the wrist, reaching tens to hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Many safety systems require periodic inspections and certifications to ensure they function correctly and meet evolving regulations. Delaying safety-related maintenance requirements is not worth it. If you delay beyond manufacturer or OSHA requirements, you knowingly expose yourself and others to risk, which could constitute willful negligence. Proactive maintenance ensures compliance with these regulations, reducing liability risks and potential fines.

Step-by-Step Guide to Creating an Annual Maintenance Budget

Creating a solid maintenance budget involves more than just crunching numbers. It requires identifying areas needing attention and their costs and then using this information to prioritize tasks. This builds a solid foundation to establish a regular maintenance schedule to prevent issues from escalating. Let’s explore each step to creating an annual maintenance budget in detail.

Assessment and Inventory of Your Building’s Needs

Kicking off your annual maintenance budget starts by taking a good, hard look at your building’s current state. It’s like giving it a health check-up! This process involves examining all building components and systems to identify existing issues or potential problem areas.

Create a comprehensive inventory list that includes all elements that require maintenance, such as the roof, HVAC systems, plumbing, electrical systems, and exterior facades. Additionally, note any items due for replacement, such as sealants, waterproofing membranes, windows, and other materials with a limited lifespan.

Prioritize Value-Added Building Maintenance Tasks

Once the inventory is complete, categorize maintenance tasks by urgency and importance. Focus on critical areas that impact safety and functionality. Address immediate safety concerns first, followed by tasks that could prevent significant damage or costly repairs in the future.

Estimate Costs and Obtain Quotes

Research the materials, labor, and service costs required for each maintenance task. It is essential to include potential emergency repairs and contingency funds in the budget. This ensures you are prepared for unexpected issues that may arise throughout the year. Consider obtaining quotes from multiple service providers to ensure you are getting the best value for your money. You can contact A1 here to get the process started.

Create a Maintenance Schedule

Develop a maintenance schedule that outlines regular inspections and preventative maintenance activities. This schedule should include timelines for recurring tasks, such as inspections to certify safety systems, and one-time tasks, such as roof replacement. A well-structured schedule helps ensure that maintenance tasks are completed on time and prevents the oversight of critical activities.

Allocate Resources

Determine the budget allocation for each maintenance task based on its priority and estimated cost. Ensure sufficient funds are allocated for high-priority items that impact safety and functionality. This allocation should be flexible enough to accommodate any adjustments throughout the year.

Review and Adjust

Review the maintenance budget regularly and adjust it based on actual expenses and feedback from past maintenance activities. This ongoing review process helps identify any discrepancies between estimated and actual costs and allows for timely budget adjustments.

Weather conditions, for instance, can affect budget allocation—less snow than forecasted means an opportunity to reallocate funds to other maintenance needs. Incorporating feedback from maintenance staff and service providers can also improve the accuracy and efficiency of future budgets.

By following these steps, building managers can create a robust maintenance budget that addresses both immediate and long-term needs.

Tips for Prioritizing Maintenance Tasks and Setting Realistic Goals

Effective maintenance planning involves setting clear priorities and achievable goals. This ensures that both urgent and long-term needs are met without overwhelming resources or inflating budgets.

Immediate vs. Long-term Needs

Balancing immediate needs with long-term goals is essential when prioritizing maintenance tasks. Address immediate safety concerns first, as these can have significant implications for the health and safety of building occupants. Once immediate needs are addressed, focus on long-term upgrades and improvements that enhance the overall functionality and efficiency of the building.

Balance Aesthetics and Functionality

You want your building to feel good and look good, too. Aesthetic improvements, such as repainting exterior walls or pressure washing the entry and sidewalks, can enhance the building’s overall appearance, increase its value, and enhance tenant satisfaction.

Set Achievable Goals

Break down large maintenance projects into manageable tasks with realistic timelines and milestones. This approach prevents overwhelming maintenance staff and ensures that each task is completed efficiently. Setting achievable goals also helps maintain motivation and accountability among the maintenance team.

Monitor and Document Progress

Keep detailed records of all maintenance activities, including completed tasks, associated costs, and any issues encountered. This documentation is invaluable for future budgeting and planning, providing a clear history of maintenance efforts and their outcomes. Regular monitoring and documentation also help identify recurring issues requiring more comprehensive solutions.

Property managers can ensure that maintenance activities are efficient and impactful by effectively prioritizing tasks and setting realistic goals.

Keep Your Budget On Track With Proactive Building Maintenance

Planning and prevention measures reduce the likelihood of these often avoidable and costly repairs. Proactive maintenance is vital for preserving a building’s integrity and value. By effectively planning your annual maintenance budget, you can reduce long-term costs, improve building efficiency, and ensure safety and compliance.

Partnering with experts like A1 can help you develop and execute a comprehensive maintenance strategy tailored to your building’s needs. Contact us today to learn more about how we can help you protect your investment and maintain your property in top condition.

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