Your Fall To-Do List: Cleanup & Maintenance for Commercial Properties

Seasonal cleanup and routine maintenance are important parts of keeping your commercial properties running smoothly and looking great…and keeping your tenants happy!

This time of year, your commercial buildings will need a little extra care and attention to make sure they’re ready for the cooler months to come. October is prime time for cleaning up your properties’ landscaping and getting your buildings ready for winter. 

To help you prepare for the change in the seasons, the team at APPRO Development and CERRON Commercial Properties have compiled a brief list of routine cleanup and fall maintenance for commercial properties. Add these items to your to-do list this fall to keep your commercial buildings in tip top shape

1. Schedule a Professional Roof Inspection

Roof inspections are always an important part of maintenance for commercial properties, but with the harsh weather winter brings, it’s especially crucial this time of year. A fall roof inspection will help ensure your roof is prepared to withstand the snow, ice, and winds to come, and minimize the risk of roof leaks and water damage to your property.

To keep your roof in great shape, go through this checklist this fall:

• Have your roof professionally inspected. (Do this at least once a year, as well as after severe storms.)
• If you have multiple properties, create a roofing file for each building to easily keep track of maintenance and repairs.
• Review your warranty information so you know what’s covered and what isn’t.
• Clear out debris from your roof drains.
• Consider putting salt blocks on your roof. 
• Walk the perimeter to examine sheet metal, copings, and previously repaired sections.
• Check for loose titles, boards, or shingles and have them repaired promptly.

2. Clean Out Gutters and Downspouts

Falling leaves, twigs, and other debris can block your gutters and downspouts. Clearing out this detritus will help ensure water drains from your roof the way it’s supposed to and reduce the risk of flooding or overflow.

While you’re at it, make sure all gutters and downspouts are in good condition and secured properly. If they aren’t, have repairs made before winter hits. Making sure your gutters are in good shape and securely attached will help prevent them from blowing around and suffering further damage in winter storms.

3. Inspect Lighting and Safety Systems

Shorter winter days mean a greater need for lighting, both inside and surrounding your building.

Inspect your lighting on a regular basis, replacing lamps and repairing damage as needed. While you’re at it, dust lamps and clean lens surfaces to enhance lighting performance. Luminaires that have transformers, control gear, or accessories like glare baffles or color filters should be thoroughly checked as well. 

If you have automatic timers for your lights, adjust the timing to line up with changing daylight hours.

Pay special attention to emergency exit lights and signage. With longer hours of darkness coming up, make sure your tenants and their staff can safely navigate the building during an outage.

Although a licensed or manufacturer-authorized professional should inspect fire- and life-safety systems, you can take the initiative to make sure your certifications are up-to-date and any necessary reports and paperwork are easy to find. 

While you’re thinking about safety, now is also a good time to check first-aid kids and AEDs to ensure they’re well-stocked and in good working order.

4. Test Backup Generators and Inspect Electrical Circuits

Whenever inclement weather hits, power outages are inevitable. In the event of an outage, it’s vital that your tenants are able to continue with their day-to-day business.

Test your backup generators now to make sure they will work properly when you need them. If you don’t have backup generators, consider investing in them before winter. You never know when you may need them!

Routinely inspecting your electrical circuits is a good idea as well. Winter means higher usage of lighting and appliances, and faulty circuits could lead to blown fuses—or worse, a potential building fire. So take the time now to ensure your electrical circuits are in good working order.

5. Have Your HVAC System Serviced

Having your heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems properly serviced will help keep your tenants happy when the cold weather hits. Routine servicing of HVAC systems will also prolong their efficiency and durability.

Here’s a checklist to follow this fall:

• Inspect the entire system at least twice per year, with seasonal start-up and run inspections.
• Clean or replace filters.
• Calibrate thermostats. 
• Adjust supply registers.
• Pumps: Lubricate bearings, inspect couplings, check for leaks, and investigate any unusual noises.
• Cooling towers: Disassemble screens and access panels for inspection. Then, inspect the tower fill, support structure, sump and spray nozzles, fill valve, gear box, drive coupling, fan blades, and motor bearings. Clean the starter and cabinet, inspect the wiring, check the motor starter contacts, megger test the motor and log readings, and check the condition of the sump heater and contactor. 
• Keep a log of all maintenance and repairs, as well as anything you need to keep an eye on for the future.

6. Give the Yard Some TLC

Just like at home, your commercial property’s yard needs a little extra care in the fall: 

• Pick up leaves, sticks, branches, and other debris from the lawn. Keeping this debris cleaned up helps improve soil health, reduce the chances of slip-and-fall accidents on walkways, and keep your gutters and drains from becoming clogged.
• Continue mowing the lawn and pulling weeds as needed until the first hard frost. 
• Consider aerating the lawn to help guard against soil compaction over the winter. Then, follow with overseeding and adding fertilizer to encourage fuller growth next year. 
• Winterize your irrigation system and shut off outdoor water sources.
• Add fresh mulch to your garden beds and around trees or other plants. Fresh mulch improves soil health, prevents weeds from growing, and keeps your plants hydrated and healthy.
• Prune trees, shrubs, and perennial plants. Remove dead or diseased branches, as well as branches that are getting too close to your building or to electrical wires.

7. Inspect Building Exterior

Small chips, holes, or cracks in your building’s exterior may not seem alarming, but harsh winter weather can make them much worse. Moisture can seep through even the smallest holes, then expand once temperatures dip below freezing. 

Take some time this fall to inspect your building’s exterior and repair any damage you see. 

Schedule your annual stormwater maintenance inspection if you have a stormwater basin or infiltration basin that was constructed as part of your building, which might also include a Stormwater Management Agreement with your City. APPRO Development can connect you with engineering firms that can complete this inspection. 

8. Prep Parking Lots & Pavement 

Prepare your sidewalks, walkways, and parking lot surfaces for winter as well. Small cracks can transform into larger hazards during winter, and snow plowing efforts will only worsen the situation.

• Sealcoat and stripe parking lots before temps drop. Sealcoating protects against salt damage and freeze-thaw cycles, and freshly painted stripes ensure tenants and visitors know where to park.
• Check drainage grates and storm sewers to ensure they’re clear of debris to prevent water pooling or ice patches this winter.
• Install signage or reflective markers as well to improve visibility for snow plowing and enhance safety during the dark winter months.
• Stock up on snow and ice removal supplies. Consider using Cherry Stone Grit (or similar) in lieu of salt for early season ice events to reduce the damage salt can cause to concrete walks. 
• Tune up snow removal equipment or set up snow removal services.

9. Seal Entry Points To Prevent Pest Intrusion

This time of year, mice, squirrels, and other small critters start to look for warm places to ride out the winter. To keep them from taking up residence in your buildings, make sure to caulk small cracks, check door sweeps, and secure vents. Small animals can easily squeeze in through even the smallest of holes, so taking the time to seal up potential entry points now will help ensure they can’t get in this winter.

While you’re at it, inspect dumpsters and waste areas to ensure lids close properly and that bins are positioned away from building entrances to deter pests.

10. Review Sustainability & Efficiency Measures

Fall is also a great time to ensure you have the right sustainability and energy efficiency measures in place for your needs. For example, the following could help save you money in energy costs this winter:

• Check for energy leaks with a thermal scan. This will help identify any heat loss through the roof, windows, and doors. 
• Schedule a lighting retrofit review, and upgrade to LED lighting where possible to reduce winter energy bills.
• Review recycling and waste contracts to ensure you have what you need, and that bins and haulers are ready for increased holiday season packaging waste.
• Check insulation and weatherstripping, and adjust as needed to prevent drafts, reduce heating costs, and keep interiors comfortable for tenants.

11. Communicate With Tenants & Staff

Make sure your tenants are up-to-date on snow removal and emergency contact protocols. Remind them of the proper procedures so they know who to call in case of icy walkways, power outages, or maintenance issues.

Also consider distributing a winter preparedness checklist with your tenants that includes reminders like checking their space heaters, reporting drafts or leaks early, and maintaining emergency kits.

Even if nothing has changed, it’s a good idea to communicate this information to tenants yearly, to ensure they understand how to handle emergencies or maintenance issues.

We hope this checklist helps you get your commercial properties ready for the colder months to come. For more tips and helpful information about commercial property solutions, follow along on the APPRO and CERRON blog or sign up for our email list!