How To Prepare Your Commercial Property for Winter Weather
As a business owner or property manager, staying prepared is your greatest ally in the face of uncertainty. With summer ending and colder weather on the way, it’s a good idea to look ahead and take precautionary measures to protect your properties from winter storms and weather-related damage.
This blog will help you build a solid prep plan to safeguard your commercial properties, keeping your business running without a hitch all winter long.
What Is Winter Storm Preparedness?
Without taking necessary precautions, snow, ice, and extreme freezing temperatures can damage your exterior assets and grind operations to a halt. That’s where winter storm preparedness comes in.
Winter storm preparedness involves establishing disaster prevention, recovery, and continuity strategies to reduce business disruption and manage risk. Not only can it save you a fortune in repair costs, but it will also ensure the safety and well-being of customers, staff, and anybody else on-site during a storm.
Your Checklist for Winter Storm Prep
1. Roof, Gutters, and Other Drainage Systems Inspection
A great place to start your winter prep is with a drainage inspection. Take a close look at your drainage channels and ensure they’re well-maintained and capable of diverting runoff away from buildings and pathways. This will prevent water stagnation during a winter storm, which can cause injury risks and hefty property damage. Be sure to also keep gutters clean to avoid roof leaks and ice dams, which can slow drainage.
It may be necessary to use de-icing treatments or snow shoveling to further prevent ice accumulation and stagnant water. Finally, as an additional safety measure, consider using signage to warn of any potential danger and physical barriers to keep people away from areas that pose an injury risk.
2. Landscape Preparation
Preparing your landscaping for winter is highly recommended. Heavy snow, ice, and rapid freezes often cause permanent damage to shrubs and other plants on your property. As a preventative strategy, you can use burlap coverings to help keep your plants safe from the weather. Snow fences can safeguard your lawn from salt, liquid de-icer, and plowed snow.
Winter storms also have the potential to damage outdoor furniture. Snow and ice can deteriorate wood, crack plastic, and corrode metal, so it’s a good idea to store your items inside until spring.
3. Sidewalks, Exterior Doorways, and Parking Lot Preparation
Be sure to prepare pathways and other surfaces with de-icing treatments before harsh winter weather. These treatments will help keep snow from building up and compacting into ice, limiting the risk of slips and falls. It’s recommended that you pre-wet surfaces first before applying the de-icing treatments.
To protect pathways, doorways, and parking lots during storms, be sure to seal any cracks in the pavement beforehand. This is to prevent water from getting into the cracks and freezing, which causes them to expand and cost you more repairs down the road.
We’re Here to Help You Prepare
Being proactive during winter weather makes it safer and simpler to manage snow and ice on your commercial properties. Strategic Grounds is here to help. We’re a full-service interior and exterior maintenance partner for multi-location businesses in North America.
Not only do we assist our clients in managing and maintaining their properties, but we also keep them adequately prepared for extreme weather and other hazards. Talk to one of our experts today and get a free quote and advice on how to keep your property operating smoothly year-round.
