Understanding 5 Common Types of Fixes and Repairs for Commercial Buildings

Every employee should be able to work comfortably in a friendly environment. It’s the responsibility of company owners or maintenance managers to install and maintain various workplace elements and ensure a hospitable working environment. Whether you have a simple office setup or run your own retail space, it’s essential to stay on top of features like the lighting, flooring, doors, air quality, indoor temperature, and plumbing.

Installing these important elements is one thing; maintaining and repairing them is entirely different. You never know when your office doors will malfunction or when the indoor temperature will start fluctuating, which makes it even more important to understand the common types of commercial repairs and fixes.

This article explores the 5 common types of repairs and fixes in commercial spaces, providing insights and discussing possible solutions. Let’s get started!

1. Doors

If you’re in retail, your shop’s doors are the gateway to your business, allowing seamless entry and exit. Whether manual or automatic, doors can create a lasting impression on your customers. Faulty doors may seem like a minor inconvenience at first, but can significantly affect your workspaces’ safety, functionality and overall appearance.

Some of the common door problems include squeaky hinges, loose frames, malfunctioning door knobs or locks.

Common Door Repairs and Fixes

• Faulty Fire Doors: Before anything else, one task that must never be overlooked is repairing fire doors. These doors help in reducing the spread of fire and smoke in case a fire suddenly breaks out. It’s best to have your local door repair professionals on speed dial. For example, businesses in Northampton may want to look for professional fire door repair in Northamptonshire to protect and prevent irreversible damage to life and property.
• Lubricate Hinges: A quick maintenance and repair step to lubricate door hinges is by using the right silicone-based lubricant. This simple yet effective step can go a long way in maintaining squeaky-free hinges.
• Adjust Door Frames: Closing and locking doors can be a challenge with misaligned door frames. Call in a professional to level and align door frames correctly.
• Repair or Replace Door Knobs and Locks: Faulty door knobs or locks can compromise your business’ security. You can regain controlled access only after quickly repairing or replacing them.
• Install Access Control Systems: Modern access control systems offer enhanced security features to manage and oversee points of entry and exit.

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2. Furniture and Flooring

Damaged floors and broken furniture can pose safety risks to your employees and also lower your office’s aesthetic appeal. Whether it is to replace peel rivets in an office cabinet or tighten the compression joint of a table, timely repairs can prevent incidents and lengthen the life of your furniture.

Common Furniture and Flooring Repairs and Fixes

• Routine Maintenance: Incorporate routine cleaning and maintenance activities into your office housekeeping schedules. Using the right products suited to your commercial flooring and furniture materials adds to its life.
• Quick action: Repairing or replacing damaged furniture or flooring as soon as possible can help to avoid accidents. It also enhances the aesthetic appeal of your workplace.
• Invest in High-Quality Materials: Investing in new furniture or flooring may seem like a significant investment at first, but it is for good reason. Whether you’re replacing old furniture or repairing bathroom tiles, ensure you use high-quality materials that last long.

3. Lighting

Another common issue affecting commercial spaces is poor or non uniform lighting. Dim and flickering lights can strain your employees’ eyes and lead to lower productivity. For customer-facing businesses like retail stores, poor or faulty lighting can leave a poor impression on your customers.

Common Lighting Repairs and Fixes

• Routine Inspections: Every now and then conduct a quick, routine scan to identify and replace faulty bulbs or light fixtures.
• Energy Efficient Lighting: Replace your traditional light fixtures with energy-efficient lighting to reduce energy consumption. These lights also offer a longer life span.
• Prompt Reporting: Incentivise your employees to report lighting problems to the maintenance department for quick resolution.

4. Indoor Temperature

Indoor temperature is another important aspect to ensure your employees and customers are comfortable while working. Fluctuating temperatures or feeling extremely hot or cold can greatly impact employee comfort and productivity. Extreme temperatures can discourage customers from entering your establishment and, in turn, affect sales and your overall reputation.

Common Indoor Temperature Repairs and Fixes

• Check and Maintain HVAC Systems: For stable indoor temperatures, it’s best to schedule regular maintenance for HVAC systems. Hire professionals to routinely clean coils, change filters, and calibrate thermostats to ensure stable indoor temperature all year round.
• Invest in Smart Tech: If your budget allows, consider installing smart thermostats that allow for better control and monitoring of indoor office temperatures.
• Encourage Reporting: Encourage your employees to note and raise any temperature-related issues. Raising reports of extreme or fluctuating temperatures in the office without delay helps maintenance teams address them quickly.

5. Office Equipment

Faulty and malfunctioning office equipment can bring your business’ workflow and productivity to a grinding halt. Common office equipment, such as desktops, laptops, printers, copier machines, and intercoms, may require urgent maintenance to minimise disruptions.

Common Office Equipment Repairs and Fixes

• Protocols and Backups: When any equipment breaks or becomes faulty, you need clear protocols for your team to follow. Entrust responsibilities to your team, including raising complaints about equipment malfunctions, flagging the issue on time, and following up with your office’s IT or maintenance department. Additionally, ensure timely backups of data with proper systems to prevent loss of data or business time.
• Preventive Maintenance: A preventive maintenance schedule can do wonders to prevent costly repairs when your commercial equipment breaks down. Be sure to add routine checks and software updates to your preventive maintenance schedule.
• Outsource Maintenance: You can also consider outsourcing maintenance of your office equipment to professional service providers for complete and timely upkeep and repairs.

Summing Up

Maintenance, fixes and repairs are common to any commercial space. Conducting regular inspections is a good way to quickly identify and address issues and fix them. This proactive behaviour also prevents small problems from flaring up and becoming unmanageable.

Create a robust maintenance strategy for your commercial space by making sure your commercial setup supports regular inspections, clear communication channels for reporting issues, and investing in durable and energy-efficient systems. When you prioritise the maintenance activities of your physical workspace, you ensure a positive and productive atmosphere for your employees and contribute to the overall success and growth of your business.

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