27 Sep Exterior Maintenance: Importance and Benefits

Exterior building maintenance is critical for preserving the aesthetics and integrity of all types of structures. This ensures a clean, appealing building for visitors and owners/residents; it also helps property owners uncover potential problems early on before they become more extensive (and expensive).

All properties should undergo regular exterior maintenance. Here are just a few examples of some of the benefits to exterior maintenance plans:

• The property stays in good condition for a longer period of time;
• The property will retain its value long into the future, ensuring better resale capability;
• The property remains safe to occupy for all who use it;
• The property maintains a better aesthetic appeal.

What should an exterior maintenance plan include?

It’s one thing to understand exterior maintenance importance—it’s another thing to actually develop a working plan.

Here are a few of the issues you will need to deal with if you are to maximize the benefits to exterior maintenance plans:

• Regular inspections: Any exterior maintenance plan should include regular inspections of the outer shell of the building/the building envelope. Look for any visible defects like cracks, water leaks or problems with windows and doors, and develop a plan to address those issues. These inspections will help you detect early warning signs of problems and make the fixes while it’s still easy and inexpensive to do so.
• Check for leaks: This is an important part of your exterior maintenance plan. Don’t just look for gaps or cracks on the exterior of the building—also look for signs of leaks inside. If you have a commercial property, train your workers to be on the lookout for leaks as well. Watch for standing water, signs of water damage in ceilings, walls and floors, and make the necessary corrections as you notice them.
• Get help: You won’t be able to take care of all types of repairs and maintenance internally, so it’s important to develop relationships with third-party professionals that can come in and assist you with various tasks. This is the safest and most efficient way to get this work done correctly. Experienced professionals can help with monitoring, inspections, maintenance, repair work and upgrades to your property. They’ll know exactly what to look for and will have all the tools and knowledge needed to get the job done.
• Know that nothing is too small to fix: It can be tempting to skip over the small stuff and come back to it later (especially when you’re in a time crunch); however, the entire point of performing regular exterior maintenance is to find these small issues while they’re small. Don’t skip these problems! Address them immediately, so they don’t become any bigger. If you notice small cracks, don’t just assume they’re not a problem at the moment—seal them up as soon as you have the ability to do so.
• Make your maintenance ongoing: The more you get into the habit of keeping up the appearance of your building, the less work you’ll have to do later. Over time, a lack of ongoing maintenance can result in a pretty shoddy-looking exterior, so keep up with your maintenance throughout the year.

The benefits to exterior maintenance plans are numerous, and it’s critical to work with an experienced professional to get the job done. Knauss Property Services, LLC. has you covered. Contact us today to schedule your next inspection.