If you are the owner of a small business or the manager of a commercial business in your town, then you know the importance of exterior commercial building maintenance. But sometimes the days and weeks get away from you and you focus on the interior look of your business. But from a customer’s point of view, the exterior look of the building, windows, doors, and sidewalks coming into your place sends a strong first impression. Good or bad. What kind of impression do you want to make? Check out this video for some quick tips:
WHATS GOING ON THE OUTSIDE
You’ll need to be pro-active. And stay on top of it as you go. If you manage the exterior maintenance of your commercial building in smaller chunks, you’ll be able to budget for items that need to get fixed a bit better. So let’s go over some things you need to look at weekly or monthly:
Importance of Exterior Commercial Building Maintenance
So here is a quick list of exterior items you should be maintaining weekly, monthly, or bi-annually on the building:
- Pressure wash the exterior of your building – This is a great way to keep it clean. And keep the spider webs away from the doorways. Birds also like to make nests, especially within or on the name on the exterior. Some find this quaint, but you’ll have to look out for lots of bird poop if you allow the birds to roost near your doorway. And don’t forget to power wash the exterior sidewalks and walk-ways up to your front door.
- Clean the Windows – I’d highly suggest a window washing company do this weekly. Sure, you could have one of your staff do this, but honestly, it is so inexpensive to just hire this one out. And it’s taken care of without even having to think about it.
- Doors & Door Handles – Make sure the doors coming into your building are in good shape. This means either stained or painted regularly. Everyone’s hands are on them countless times a day, so the finish gets worn away quicker than you think. And the door handles sometimes get loose or the finish on the handles wear down.
- Lights – Make sure your exterior lights are regularly cleaned. The bugs love the lights at night and make nests and webs in them. This will also attract dead bugs too. Make sure your exterior lights are a current style and always kept clean and rust-free. And replace the bulbs regularly as well.
- Exterior Paint & Caulk – This is something that I’d suggest you’d address every couple of years. After every major storm or if you notice an internal water leak. Caulk can fail and dry out, causing water to leak in after winter or after a strong rainstorm.
Lotz of Logic
Mark Lotz has been a 2nd generation remodeler and painter for three decades in the Chicago area.
A good rule of thumb is to be pro-active instead of reactive when it comes to the exterior of your building. Things can blow off after a major storm. Hail can damage the exterior paint or stain job. A new family of birds or bugs decides to take up residence on the exterior and cause tons of bird poop or spider webs to appear out of nowhere. If you manage your time and costs or exterior maintenance on a monthly or a few times a year, you’ll be a much happier owner or manager. I highly recommend in the spring and fall you do a maintenance check. Don’t send a bad message to your clients. You’ve worked so hard for them to finally come to your establishment. Don’t turn them off before they even walk in the door.
If you liked this post, click here for my post on After Hours Painting. My company offers a service called Nite Owls™ where we will do your painting or remodeling projects at night so your business can be open during the day without the inconvenience of our crew working around your staff and clients.
Don’t forget, if you need an estimate because you realize the importance of exterior commercial building maintenance, give me a call. My team and I have been serving the Orland Park, Homer Glen, Mokena, Frankfort, Tinley Park, New Lenox, Lemont, Orland Hills, Palos Park, St. John IN, and all of Chicago area for 30+ years.
Let’s Connect On: YouTube | Instagram | Twitter | Facebook | LinkedIn | iTune Podcast | Alexa Flash Briefing
