Ready to tackle Snow
This meme did the rounds on our team What’s App group last week and it raised a chuckle in the office. But it did get us all thinking about the winter season, which will be here faster than you think.
So, instead of enjoying the heatwave, we’ve been busy building a new fleet of gritters, ready to tackle the snow and ice on our client sites over the winter.
To help you get ready for winter, we’ve put together our top five tips for looking after your commercial properties:
- Top up grit bins early
You’d be amazed at how difficult it was to get last-minute salt and grit over the winter of 2021/22 – and it wasn’t a particularly cold year. Delivery delays were blamed on Brexit, COVID, driver delays and inclement weather (!). Whatever the reason, get your salt orders in early.
- Repair uneven paving and potholes.
Guess where the water collects? And when it’s cold, what happens to puddles? That’s right – they freeze! It’s worth spending a bit of time and money repairing damaged paths and roadways during late summer and autumn as this can help to prevent icy patches and slips, trips and falls over the winter months.
- Get your boiler or HVAC serviced.
No one likes a cold office (except our Office Manager who is always boiling, even in the depths of winter). Having a planned, preventative maintenance package in place means you can minimise the risk of breakdowns. Have you ever tried to get someone to fix your boiler at home in the winter? It’s even worse in commercial properties, so be one step ahead and make sure everything is serviced and working well in advance of those first frosty mornings.
- Check your roof
Even one or two slipped or missing tiles can let in a lot of water. Over time, water ingress can cause thousands of pounds worth of damage. It’s worth having a good contractor in place who can carry out a roof inspection and check guttering, soffits and facia for damage. Getting these checks in place over the summer and early autumn means your building will be water tight, ready for the inevitable British winter rain.
- Get a good winter maintenance contract in place.
Winter maintenance covers a range of services from mechanical and hand gritting, through to the supply and top up of salt bins. Getting a good contract in place will help to relieve some of the burden on busy FM’s and site managers. There are many different types of contract to chose from and not all winter maintenance providers were created equal – so get started now. And yes, we know it’s weird to be thinking about snow and ice in some of the hottest weather ever!
Now that I’ve given you something to think about, I’m going to get the sunglasses and factor 50 on, the deckchair out and enjoy the sun.
Although, as I’m typing, I swear I just saw a raindrop. Typical.