Building Maintenance Checklist

Property and facilities managers have a wide range of building maintenance items to look after in order to keep their building running the way that it should be.This blog post covers some of the most important items to look after.

It is important for property managers, building owners and facilities managers to ensure that their buildings undergo routine inspection and cyclical maintenance in order to increase the lifespan of the building and maintain overall quality. This helps in avoiding future high costs of repair in case of a failure of a part of the building. That is why it is essential for a manager or building owner to have a building maintenance checklist to help them in identifying and keeping accurate records or inventory of the problems encountered in the building, and facilitates their systematic maintenance and repairs. Here is a brief overall building maintenance inspection that can and should be carried out in a building.

Electrical

Fixtures with disorganized maintenance tend to use more energy than is efficient. You need to ensure that all the equipment and appliance that the owner uses have sufficient power circuits. It should be noted that older buildings were not wired to cater for the numerous electrical equipment and appliances used today. Check:

• Luminaries that include any accessories, control gear or transformers
• Operation of every switch and exterior outlet
• Condition of all incoming support and service wires
• Aluminum wire connections via an electrician
• Whether exterior plugs and wet area plugs are well fitted with ground fault connectors as required by code

Mechanical and Plumbing Systems

Find out the type of mechanical and plumbing systems that the building has presently in order to carry out the right building maintenance. You should inspect the radiators, pipes, furnaces and registers.

• Check out for any signs of deterioration, including rot, damage and stains.
• Conduct a full plumbing inspection annually at the very least.
• Look out for items such as leaks or noises that are out of the ordinary.
• Replace sewage and sump ejection pumps as needed- check up on their functionality.
• Lubricate exposed pumps annually.
• Have your local gas company test for leakage in the gas lines.

HVAC

Spend the proper time to maintain your cooling and heating equipment, as this vastly affects your energy usage and the quality of your indoor air.

• Conduct inspections at least bi- annually, with seasonal start- up and a run inspection. Look for aspects such as missing screws, gasket repairs, and screw or latch updates.
• Conduct monthly cleaning and replacement of air filters on the air handling unit.
• Pumps need bearing lubrication at least once a year. Conduct an inspection on the couplings and check for any leakage. You should also look into any unusual noises.

Roofing

A roof that has been neglected will lead to higher expenses resulting from damages than one that has been carefully maintained. Roofing elements and materials have to be inspected bi- annually, before and after winter, to determine the costs needed for maintenance.

• Asphalt shingles- pay attention to the edges, hips and ridge of the roof as they experience the hardest wear. Look for:

– Edges that look worn

– Moss or mold

– Mineral granules collecting at the base of downspouts and in gutters

– Roofs that look new but are lumpy

• Metal – if the roof is not stainless steel, zinc, copper, or any other corrosion- resistant metal, then your task will be to look out for rust. You just need to keep the roof painted. Look for:

– Broken joints and seams

– Corrosion or rust spots

– Punctures in metal

– Any sign of a previous patch job

• Clay tiles- they weather well but are usually prone to breakage caused by mechanical shock, for instance people walking on them without protecting them, or a falling tree limb. Watch out for:

– Moss or mold forming on them

– Broken or missing tiles

– Nails popping up

Fenestration

Windows and doors can also have a large effect on energy usage. Be sure to inspect for proper installation to avoid energy inefficiency.

• Doors – inspect frames, doors and weatherstripping. Check:

– All the hardware for proper operation

– All the parts for deterioration

– Door alignment

• Windows- check for material soundness at the sill, joint between jamb and sill, muntins and corners of the bottom rail. Inspect for:

– Rot and deterioration of wood frame

– Proper hardware operation

– Cracks or any other damage to lintel

While we certainly can’t cover every single maintenance item that should go into a building, these are certainly important items that should be attended to. To learn more about how Kings III can help property and facilities managers, visit www.kingsiii.com.