24 Expert Tips to Prepare Your Commercial Property for Winter
Commercial property and facility managers have a tough job. When problems arise in a building, it’s up to property managers and facilities managers to get issues fixed – and quickly.
That’s why preventative maintenance is so important – especially this time of year. Winter weather can wreak havoc on a facility, so preparing your facility now is the biggest key to avoiding a costly disaster that disrupts business.
How to Winterize Your Company’s Facility
With this planning period now upon us, we asked 15 property and facility managers to share their top recommendations for winterizing their commercial property to keep their facilities running smoothly during the colder months.
The following, is what they shared with us.
Check Your HVAC.
Staying on top of your HVAC unit was the most recommended tip from property management experts. Here’s what they had to say:
1. “Inspect and insure that all HVAC systems are in good operation, in both occupied and vacant spaces. Theses inspections should be included in the preventative maintenance program.”
– Dede Scott, Asst. Vice President – Colliers International
2. “We prepare the HVAC systems for winter most importantly.”
– Holly Sparks, Operations Manager – Realty Trust Group
3. “Regular routine maintenance of HVAC systems prevents an array of issues.”
– Donna Wheeler, Sr. Property Manager – Cushman & Wakefield
4. “Have preventative maintenance completed on HVAC units.”
– Lynn Sugg, Managing Director – Cushman & Wakefield
5. “Make sure your systems are prepared for the season, ie. test freeze stats in air handlers.”
– Chad Lovell, Chief Engineer – Jones Lang LaSalle
Be proactive and plan ahead.
We mentioned this at the beginning of the article, but a number of our experts reiterated the importance of planning ahead to help prevent potential maintenance issues.
6. “Have a plan for cold weather operation to prevent freeze ups, and take care of issues quickly, no matter how small, before they become major problems.”
– Kent Smith, Chief Property Manager and Engineer – Boyle Nashville, LLC
7. “Consistent preventative maintenance on a regular schedule helps prevent unnecessary repair bills.”
– JC Blakely, Director Corporate Facilities – PICA
8. “With the multitude of tasks and details required to maintain a building, it is difficult to remember all that is necessary and easy to be distracted by unexpected situations. My best tip is to develop a preventative maintenance program with weekly tasks lists that can be checked off. This will help everyone stay on track and maintain consistency.”
– Crystal Waller, Sr. Property Manager – Highwoods Properties
9. “Be proactive with preventive maintenance. Get on a schedule and stick to it.”
– Ken Eckert, Facility Manager – Metro Knoxville Airport Authority
10. “Check steam traps in your heating system for proper function.”
– Chad Lovell, Chief Engineer – Jones Lang LaSalle
11. “[The most important thing we do is] scheduling and performing preventative maintenance on all furnaces to make sure all are working properly.”
– Kevin Jones, Chief Engineer – CB Richard Ellis
12. “Have a plan in place especially on mechanical systems and have an experienced maintenance staff.”
– Holly Sparks, Operations Manager – Realty Trust Group
Plan For Snow, Before It Snows
If you’re in a part of the country where it has the potential to snow, it pays to pay attention to it now.
13. “We address snow removal early, doing everything possible to prevent slips and falls.”
– Kent Smith, Chief Property Manager and Engineer – Boyle Nashville, LLC
14. “Order your ice melt and renew your snow & ice removal contract.”
– Keith Hargis, Global Facility Manager – Caterpillar Financial Services Corp.
15. “Prepare by pre-ordering salt for the exterior of the property.”
– Holly Sparks, Operations Manager – Realty Trust Group
Winterize Your Irrigation.
Frozen or bursting pipes is a facility manager’s worst nightmare. Checking irrigation can help you prevent problems.
16. “Prepare for winterization of irrigation, process cooling water.”
– JC Blakely, Director Corporate Facilities – PICA
17. “Winterize all lawn sprinkler systems before the first freeze.”
– Ken Garrison, Sr. Facility Manager – CB Richard Ellis
18. “Water damage is costly. Winterizing water lines and frequently checking exposed pipes will save a lot of time and money.”
– Crystal Waller, Sr. Property Manager – Highwoods Properties
19. “Winterize the irrigation system.”
– Lynn Sugg, Managing Director – Cushman & Wakefield
Top Off Your Tanks
20. “Top [off] all the diesel fuel tanks, and keep your data center/server room UPS batteries maintained and your diesel generator tanks full. Everything runs on electricity.”
– Jim Stoddard, Director of Global Data Center Support – Elavon
Sanitize The Flu
21. “Fall is Flu season. Focus on keeping people healthy and place hand sanitizers in strategic locations.”
– Crystal Waller, Sr. Property Manager – Highwoods Properties
Partner With Good People
22. “Purchase and maintain quality in all aspects of Facilities Management.”
– JC Blakely, Director Corporate Facilities – PICA
23. “Inspect the building and hire qualified service providers!”
– Keith Hargis, Global Facility Manager – Caterpillar Financial Services Corp.
24. “Preferred vendors who take ownership of and pride in the services they provide [is the top way to keep things running smoothly].”
– Trudy Dixon, Director of Property Management – Spectrum | Emery, Inc.
There is no ‘one-size-fits-all’ solution when it comes to maintaining all buildings and facilities – each space is unique in it’s own way. Not to mention, the budget, weather and wear in every location can vary drastically.
However, these several tips mentioned above are great considerations to keep in mind as you prepare your facility for winter. A little preparation now will help you prevent disaster later.
What do you do to prepare your facility for winter? Is there anything you would add to this list?