4 Types of Building Maintenance
Many people think that building maintenance is only about fixing
broken things, but there’s a whole lot more to maintaining a property than
meets the eye. Every building owner needs to know about the four types of
building maintenance outlined here.
1. Preventative Maintenance
This maintenance is focused on preserving the physical integrity
and value of the property. By following a preventative maintenance routine you
can reduce corrective maintenance costs.
Preventative maintenance consists of regular maintenance
activities and routine inspections that are done to prevent problems with your building and to help
prevent costly repairs in the future. It’s always cheaper to fix problems when
they’re still small and preventable!
2. Routine Maintenance
This is the most frequently done activity of all and is done by
performing routine and scheduled maintenance of the property. Changing
equipment filters, cleaning gutters, removing debris from roof drains,
caulking, office cleaning, window cleaning and repairs, and parking lot care
are just a few of the many items that require scheduled maintenance.
3. Corrective Maintenance
These are actual repairs that keep the property functioning
normally and usually need to be done as soon as possible. The repairs are usually
done in response to something breaking or not working properly anymore. This
type of maintenance includes replacing a broken air conditioning unit, fixing a
dripping faucet, unclogging drains, replacing light bulbs, or repairing a
non-functioning toilet.
4. Deferred Maintenance
This is what happens when the other types of maintenance are not
performed. This is the maintenance that isn’t really maintenance at all! It’s
the repairs, replacements, and improvements that should’ve been done but
weren’t. Now they’ve become larger problems with larger repair costs. These
items are oftentimes the most expensive to fix and many times they could’ve
been taken care of at far less expense, if they had been fixed when first
noticed.
Deferred maintenance has been called“the controlled
self-destruction of your property” and it should be pretty obvious
that you want to avoid deferred maintenance as much as possible!
BUILDING FOUNDATIONS
Building foundations
require very little maintenance and generally
have a life expectancy equal to that of the entire building. However,
problems can occur, and when they do, they are very disruptive to the
building occupants and expensive to correct. Therefore it is essential that
building foundations be inspected thoroughly on a regular basis in order
to detect problems while they are still relatively minor.
The majority of building foundation problems can be traced to one
of two causes, settlement and below grade water. Settlement is usually
the result of improper preparation of the site during construction, improper
construction of the foundation, or the inability of the foundation
to support the loads imposed on it by the building or the surrounding
soil. Below grade water problems only make these other problems more
severe. If it is suspected that the foundation problem is being caused by
below grade water, before taking expensive action to divert water from
the sight, make certain that the roof is properly drained away from the
building foundation.
The most common defects found in building foundations include
the following:
1. Alignment. Foundation alignment problems range from minor
misalignments that are cosmetic in nature to ones that threaten the
stability of the structure. Most minor misalignments can be traced
back to the original building construction. Although in many cases
they pose no serious threat, they should be monitored for possible
future movement. Most larger alignment problems are the result of
settlement or below grade water pressure. They can take the form
of settlement or horizontal movement and bulging of the foundation
wall. This type of alignment problem must be monitored
closely to prevent structural damage to the entire building. Correcting
these problems can be very costly and disruptive.
2. Cracks. Cracks are the most common defect found in building
foundations. They range from small hairline cracks that are barely
visible to ones where two sections of the foundation have completely separated and moved apart. They are caused by a number
of factors including settlement of the building, exposure to freeze/
thaw cycles, insufficient or improperly located expansion joints,
overloading, or defects in the foundation material itself. Any type
of foundation crack can form an opening for water to enter the
building, causing additional damage to the foundation wall as well
as to the building contents. Minor foundation cracks that are not
structural in nature should be sealed to prevent water entry. More
serious foundation cracks must be investigated further to determine
their cause and repaired as necessary.
3. Leaks. One of the most common complaints that facility managers
face with building foundations is water entry through the foundation
wall. Leaks can occur along cracks or other defects in the foundation,
or they can be the result of water movement through the
masonry materials. Efflorescence, the layer of dusty salts that accumulates
on interior foundation walls, is a sign that water is moving
through the masonry, or entering the masonry from above. Unfortunately,
repairing these types of leaks may require excavation of
the foundation and an application of a waterproofing material to
the outside surface.
4. Sill plate rot. In wood frame construction, the sill plate connecting
the walls to the foundation can rot if it is exposed to moisture or
infestation. The only possible repair for rotted sill plate is removal
and replacement. To prevent the rot from reoccurring, steps should
be taken to redirect water away from the sill plate, including regrading
the adjacent ground to provide sufficient drainage and
elevation. All gutters and downspouts should be inspected for
leaks and repaired as needed.
have a life expectancy equal to that of the entire building. However,
problems can occur, and when they do, they are very disruptive to the
building occupants and expensive to correct. Therefore it is essential that
building foundations be inspected thoroughly on a regular basis in order
to detect problems while they are still relatively minor.
The majority of building foundation problems can be traced to one
of two causes, settlement and below grade water. Settlement is usually
the result of improper preparation of the site during construction, improper
construction of the foundation, or the inability of the foundation
to support the loads imposed on it by the building or the surrounding
soil. Below grade water problems only make these other problems more
severe. If it is suspected that the foundation problem is being caused by
below grade water, before taking expensive action to divert water from
the sight, make certain that the roof is properly drained away from the
building foundation.
The most common defects found in building foundations include
the following:
1. Alignment. Foundation alignment problems range from minor
misalignments that are cosmetic in nature to ones that threaten the
stability of the structure. Most minor misalignments can be traced
back to the original building construction. Although in many cases
they pose no serious threat, they should be monitored for possible
future movement. Most larger alignment problems are the result of
settlement or below grade water pressure. They can take the form
of settlement or horizontal movement and bulging of the foundation
wall. This type of alignment problem must be monitored
closely to prevent structural damage to the entire building. Correcting
these problems can be very costly and disruptive.
2. Cracks. Cracks are the most common defect found in building
foundations. They range from small hairline cracks that are barely
visible to ones where two sections of the foundation have completely separated and moved apart. They are caused by a number
of factors including settlement of the building, exposure to freeze/
thaw cycles, insufficient or improperly located expansion joints,
overloading, or defects in the foundation material itself. Any type
of foundation crack can form an opening for water to enter the
building, causing additional damage to the foundation wall as well
as to the building contents. Minor foundation cracks that are not
structural in nature should be sealed to prevent water entry. More
serious foundation cracks must be investigated further to determine
their cause and repaired as necessary.
3. Leaks. One of the most common complaints that facility managers
face with building foundations is water entry through the foundation
wall. Leaks can occur along cracks or other defects in the foundation,
or they can be the result of water movement through the
masonry materials. Efflorescence, the layer of dusty salts that accumulates
on interior foundation walls, is a sign that water is moving
through the masonry, or entering the masonry from above. Unfortunately,
repairing these types of leaks may require excavation of
the foundation and an application of a waterproofing material to
the outside surface.
4. Sill plate rot. In wood frame construction, the sill plate connecting
the walls to the foundation can rot if it is exposed to moisture or
infestation. The only possible repair for rotted sill plate is removal
and replacement. To prevent the rot from reoccurring, steps should
be taken to redirect water away from the sill plate, including regrading
the adjacent ground to provide sufficient drainage and
elevation. All gutters and downspouts should be inspected for
leaks and repaired as needed.
No comments:
Post a Comment