Your Building? Your Duty.
March 1, 2019 by Staff
Filed under Money/Business, Weekly Columns
(Akiit.com) Yes, we get it. You have a lot of other things to look after, and sometimes the maintenance of your building isn’t top of the list. But, if something does happen to go wrong, then that defense won’t fly in court.
By letting smaller things slide, like a slight peel on the carpet, or a mold spot on the wall grow, you’re going to get a much bigger bill in the end. Not only that but any insurances you have on the building might very well rest on you keeping everything in good working order.
You owe it to yourself, your staff and your customers to have everything taken care of as much as possible.
Here are some tips to keep you ticking over smoothly.
Regularity
Smaller jobs turn into big jobs pretty quickly when they get ignored. If you are running regular checks, you will find more minor issues and have them taken care of nice and promptly. Cracks, peeling paint, chips, leaks – all of those things might seem impossible to see as indicators of a more significant issue… if you’re not paying attention.
Well, that is because most people would spot these things and hunt for the cause, before fixing it. And so should you.
Only you know what you have and have no recently check up one, so many yourself a personalize checklist and take a walk around your building and see what is going on.
Taking the wait and see approach will see a big bill on your desk in no time at all.
Repairs
There is always going to be something that needs to be fixed – that’s just how these things go. Whenever possible have a professional come out and do they work so that you keen keep a copy of the invoice should you ever need to show it.
It is worth remembering that the cost of prevention is almost always much cheaper than having to pay for a full repair.
Don’t forget the top and the bottom. The roof and the basement tend to get overlooked a lot because you aren’t looking at them every day. Book in some commercial roofing services to give your roof the once over and fix any problems asap. For the basement, check all of the darker or cooler corners. Sometimes they are a secret hotbed for damp.
DDIY – don’t DIY. Even though you probably fix you fair share of smaller things at home, this is no longer your domain. In fact sometimes by ‘tampering’ you can run the risk of invalidating any policies you have, as well as injuring yourself, others or just doing a mediocre job.
Make It Modern
Whenever possible, you should look to upgrade the building. This will keep much more of it up to code, and generally in better condition. If you load up the building with newer technology, newer materials, have the structural things modernized you’re going to get many more years out of the building.
As with any work building you have a duty to all of those that use it to keep it safe and clean.
Staff Writer; George Ford