Why Building Maintenance is Important

Building maintenance can appear daunting, costly, or excessive to companies or leasers who own large buildings, especially when building functions are running smoothly. However, proper and consistent building maintenance is essential for various reasons. Buildings deteriorate over time due to natural causes such as climate, daily occupant use, mechanical obsolescence, and others. When these issues go unresolved, they can devalue user experiences, create dangerous and unhealthy environments, and even incur higher and more sudden costs than regular building maintenance costs.

Building maintenance encompasses everything from minor details to the most critical functions. Some functions, such as washing windows, may appear insignificant. Still, they can have a significant impact on presentability and worker happiness. Because of the need for specialised equipment and additional workers, they must also be delegated to other companies. In other words, despite their small size, they require significant effort and attention.

Other functions may even be crucial to the health of the occupants. Gas safety checks, elevator inspections, and fire system maintenance, for example, help to prevent gas and elevator accidents and may save lives in the event of an emergency. Other functions, such as water testing and air conditioning inspections, have the potential to both protect health and ensure that environmental standards are met. Building maintenance is thus diverse in terms of both required functions and reasons for maintenance.

The ultimate form of sustainable practice is maintenance. Regular and careful monitoring reduces the need for repair. It prevents the loss of original building fabric, reducing the use of limited material resources and energy-producing practices. Traditional buildings are naturally sustainable because they are inherently repairable and encourage the use of local materials and contractors, all of which contribute to lower carbon emissions. Maintaining our existing building stock acknowledges the embodied energy of existing structures, conserving resources, and reducing waste.

In conclusion, while the cost and effort appear to be high, consistent maintenance adds up to be less expensive than frantic responses to health and safety emergencies. It is easier to budget for than unexpected cost hikes when something goes wrong. The effort of building maintenance must be offset by delegating work to companies with specialised technical knowledge and equipment to perform maintenance in the first place. All of this shows that comprehensive building maintenance is a no-brainer.