How to Prepare Your School Building for Winter Break

Winter break is just around the corner, and it’s time to start preparing your building and grounds for winter weather. As a maintenance manager, it’s important to consider the following things to maintain safe and efficient operations during the winter months. Commercial buildings are at risk in many ways during the cold weather seasons. Here are some tips to make sure your school is prepared for everything winter can bring. 

Tips to Prepare Your School Building for Winter Break

• Inspect the HVAC System. Start with the heating system. When it starts to get cold outside, your heat needs to be turned on to keep staff and students comfortable. Did you know that commercial buildings are responsible for over 39% of energy used in the United States? That’s why it is important to make sure your HVAC system is in the best possible working order and ready to handle the hard work we put it through during the winter months. Hiring a contractor with experience in inspecting and optimizing HVAC systems before the coldest months is the first place to start. With the unit properly serviced, your building will be protected against unwanted outages during the cold months. 
• Inspect the roof. Most commercial buildings have flat roofs and need regular inspection and maintenance. Make sure there are no areas where heavy ice and snow build up will happen. Schedule weekly inspections for the winter seasons and remove any built up ice, snow, and water. This can prevent leaks or collapses. Clear out any drains and gutters on a regular basis and check the roof’s structural integrity. 
• Get ready for snow removal. If you are going to remove snow yourself, have a plan in place. Know where you will plow the snow, have extra supplies, and check all machines to make sure they are ready to go. 

Winter Fire Safety

We don’t often think about fire safety during the winter months, but with extra heaters running, you need to take extra precautions. 

• Test all electrical equipment in the building to make sure it can handle the loads placed on outlets, panels, and equipment. 
• Do not store flammable materials anywhere in the building. 
• Review all fire escape plans and fire drill procedures.
• Do not use space heaters. 
• Test sprinkler systems and smoke detectors. 

Preparing your school for winter months is a big task. With a little bit of planning, you will save time and money on repairs in the long run. Need extra help preparing your school, college, office building, or other commercial facility? At A&J Property Restoration, we have a team of specialists that work with schools to help prepare for winter by performing a winter maintenance walk through .

Call our experts at A&J Property Restoration and schedule a walk through to learn more today.