Category: Building Maintenance

Office Perks Employees Actually Want

Happy employees are driven, reliable and productive. That’s why employee satisfaction is critical to a company’s success. But how do you keep your workers satisfied?

Below are some of the most requested employee perks and incentives.

Flexibility and the Virtual Office

You’ve probably heard of the work-from-home opportunity, but how about the ability to work from anywhere?  Companies across the country are now giving employees the option to choose the location most conducive to their work and work style. That’s why telecommuting and the possibility of flexible work hours are two of the most sought-after employee perks.

Parking and Transportation

If workers have a long commute, have to cross bridges, or slog through public transportation, offering to pay for part of the costs would go a long way to making going to work more appealing.

What Perks do YOUR Employees Want?

Want to know what your employees really want? Just ask them.

Survey your workers. Employee surveys can reveal the perks that are most in-demand at your business. It also gives you the chance to learn what your employees really think about their workplace.

Ask them face-to-face. If you can’t get together an employee survey, ask your workers what perks they really want during a one-on-one meeting or during your annual performance reviews.

Consider satisfying requests from top achievers in your company. If they’re already working hard for you, you want to keep them satisfied.

Want to know more about keeping your workforce happy and healthy? Call MaintenX today!

Green Building Trends Seen in 2018

Even as facilities have increased in their energy efficiency many times over, there are always more approaches being devised in the green building industry. Below are some of the top trends in the green building industry we saw in 2018.

Healthier Buildings mean Healthier People

Healthier buildings appeared as a big priority in 2018. Factors like improved occupant health and well-being and increased worker productivity made this trend a winner. Around the world, green building is increasingly creating environmental benefits, including improved employee productivity and higher worker satisfaction.

Solar Energy

Solar power generation in the U.S. has increased fourfold in the last five years. Why, you ask? Because solar cells are getting more efficient, while the manufacturing costs are dwindling.

International corporations have committed themselves to switching over to clean energy in coming years. What’s more, over 30 US states now offer financial and tax incentives for going solar. Solar power will undoubtedly continue this upward trend seen in 2018.

Smarter Buildings with More Data

Many of today’s smart buildings are now joining the Internet of Things, with millions of sensors around the world measuring things like occupancy, air quality, and temperature, just to name a few. Add to that building-automation software, and you’ll see a smart building get even smarter.

Sensor data isn’t just a matter of convenience for occupants, though. It can make buildings more predictive by creating climate-control systems that use weather forecasts to preemptively cool or heat the building at off-peak times.

Want to know more about green building trends? Contact the experts at MaintenX today!

What is the Difference between Energy and Utility Audits?

What are Energy Audits?

An energy audit typically involves a visit to your facility by a technician who assesses the efficiency of your facility’s energy consumption. This technician will walk around your facility, survey the property and point out areas where energy is being wasted.

An energy audit’s goal is to:

  • Create a reference point for efficient energy use
  • Gauge energy usage effectively
  • Benchmark consumption compared to other facilities operating in the same field and conditions
  • Find opportunities to reduce energy consumption and utility costs

What is a Utility Audit?

Electric and gas statements often contain billing errors. Utility bill audits can provide substantial monthly utility savings.

A utility audit is different from an energy audit in that a walkthrough of your facility is not required. Typical utility audits start with an preliminary review based on a facility’s recent utility bill. The technician will then look for billing errors, and then recommend a detailed audit, if one is needed. The audit process usually takes one to two days.

After the initial audit, the auditor will then:

  • Work with your utility provider to assemble relevant paperwork
  • Correct any billing errors
  • Request any required refund from your utility provider
  • Only get paid AFTER you’ve been credited with the refund

It’s essential that utility bill audits review all parts of a facility’s operations. This will maximize the benefits of the audit and save your facility the most money.

Want to know more about energy and utility audits? Call MaintenX today!

Security Updates Coming in 2019

As a new year begins, it’s the perfect time to look ahead. Here are some of the emerging security trends coming in 2019.

Privacy is Key

Privacy will become an increasingly important factor in 2019. Data breaches and server hacks aren’t going away any time soon, so expect an increasingly complex system of privacy laws, programs, and company and international policies this year.

If companies want to keep up with the competition, they’ll have to integrate broad privacy initiatives into their business models and processes. This is especially true in the realm of customer data security.

Out with the Old

Though many companies still use them, Windows 2000 and XP are now more of a security threat than they are an asset. What’s more, Microsoft has stopped providing security patches for both operating systems.

If you haven’t done so already, 2019 is a perfect time to make the leap to a newer OS. Windows 7 is generally well-tolerated in most corporate environments, and is backward-compatible with XP and 2000 programs. The important thing, though, is that Microsoft still provides regular security updates for them.

Security Awareness Training

As the security landscape gets more complicated, companies will need to ramp up their security awareness programs. Every day, new ways of accessing your sensitive data are being invented. That’s why, to protect your information, your employees, your customers, and your reputation, it is vital that everyone in your company knows the threats and how to avoid them.

Want to know more about security trends in 2019? Contact MaintenX today!

Ways to Encourage ‘Active Commuting’

The benefits of a healthier staff include better productivity, higher morale, and more profit for businesses. That’s why you should consider active commuting.

What is Active Commuting?

Put simply, active commuting programs encourage workers to bike or walk to work, rather than driving or taking public transportation. These programs can be beneficial to companies and workers alike.

Benefits of Active Commuting

  • Improved physical activity
  • Better physical fitness
  • Enhanced health outcomes
  • Reduction in miles driven
  • Lowered greenhouse emissions

Why Consider Active Commuting?

Only half of American adults report getting enough daily exercise. Active commuting brings physical activity into your workforce’s daily routine. Physical activity also saves companies in their annual medical costs.

Active Commuting Incentives

There are many ways to make employees want to bike or walk to work. You can offer incentives for those who join the program or give prizes to workers who active commute to work the greatest number of days in a given period.

Corporate Culture

Active commuting can become a part of your company’s culture. Active cycling programs are a great addition to other green policies (recycling, charity work, community involvement programs, composting, etc.).

Showers, Locker Rooms, And Drying Facilities

Providing a place to shower and dry off is a great incentive to convince people to bike to work every day. Many facilities already offer showers for their staff. If you don’t already have such facilities, think about installing a shower or two. If this is not feasible, consider enrolling in a corporate program with a local gym or rec center.

What Is an Elevator Maintenance Agreement?

An elevator maintenance agreement is essentially a type of insurance that protects property owners from the erratic and unpredictable costs of elevator service, maintenance, and repairs by offering a fixed rate for each service. As with most insurance, though, it can become confusing when comparing policies and understanding specifics. Below are some helpful things to consider when comparing policies.

What’s Included?

Elevator maintenance agreements are vital investments in the safe performance, durability, and useful life of your elevator systems. As with almost anything in a building, routine maintenance is your best defense against malfunctions and damage. But when compared to many other facility assets, problems with elevators can be astronomically more costly for you and often more inconvenient for—as well as potentially dangerous to—riders.

It’s important to note that not all elevators are the same, and elevator maintenance plans and procedures vary widely. The maintenance strategy and agreement that’s right for your facility depends on a number of factors, including:

  • The number of elevators in the building
  • The brand, model, and year of the elevator(s)
  • The type, age, layout, and condition of your facility
  • The current condition of your elevator(s)

Based on all this information, a professional elevator technician can give you a fair estimate of the health, specific needs, and potential risks facing your facility’s elevator system. Typically, these estimates are complimentary.

If you’d like to know more about elevator maintenance agreements, call the maintenance pros at MaintenX today!

Temperature in Relation to Workplace Productivity

Comfort is key to workplace efficiency. That’s why facility managers and business owners often spend a lot of money on ergonomic desk chairs, eye-catching artwork, and indoor plants to create a more inviting workplace. Many businesses, however, overlook a fundamental component of worker comfort: temperature. If it’s too cold or too hot, efficiency and morale take a hit regardless of office décor.

Sex Factors

Sex plays a role in the temperature debate. Because of their generally higher muscle mass and lower skin-to-volume ratio, men are less prone to getting cold than women, who feel cold more easily in their extremities. This is because female bodies tend to pool blood around vital organs, drawing hot blood away from hands and feet. Consider the male/female balance in your workplace when setting the thermostat.

Importance of Warmth

A warm office environment can foster warm relations between colleagues. This is because the experience of bodily warmth is intrinsically linked with trust and affection. The part of the brain that’s stimulated by warmth is also stimulated when we experience trust and compassion for others.

The opposite is also true. Colder temperatures tend to make us feel withdrawn and isolated. Cold temperatures also use more of our bodies’ resources, as the human body shivers and increases blood flow to compensate. So it might be better to opt toward warmer environs than cold ones.

So what’s the best temperature for your workplace? That depends on many factors, but generally speaking, people tend to work at their peak productivity at between 71.6 and 77 degrees Fahrenheit.

Want to know more about temperature and productivity? Call the HVAC experts at MaintenX today!

What Is Deferred Maintenance?

Deferred maintenance is an all-too-common issue facing Facilities Managers. Putting off a renovation or system overhaul in a facility might seem like the easy choice for the inexperienced, but deferred maintenance can wreak havoc on your facility by swelling costs, increasing equipment downtime, and otherwise hindering efficient function. Facilities Managers wrestling with deferred maintenance concerns must therefore make timed maintenance decisions carefully.

What Is Deferred Maintenance?

Simply put, deferring maintenance on a building and its assets is suspending or delaying upkeep due to a lack of financial resources.

Lack of funding for routine maintenance can lead to high repair and replacement costs in the future. This problem is further magnified when maintenance is deferred to meet a business’s other financial necessities.

Common Reasons Maintenance is Deferred:

  • Lack of required staff
  • Workers do not have the technical expertise to carry out maintenance
  • Maintenance would interfere with business operations
  • Necessary parts are not readily available

New Systems Simplify Maintenance

These days, many facility systems are more intuitive than before. Smart buildings, for example, can pinpoint potential failures before they happen. This streamlines resource allocation and allows you to more efficiently address maintenance requirements.

Reduce Deferred Maintenance

Deferred maintenance can become a money pit if not resolved quickly. Make sure your facility takes maintenance very seriously.

If you’d like to know more about the importance of routine repairs, look no further than the maintenance experts at MaintenX. Give us a call today!

How to Do a Roof Inspection

Your roof is your facility’s first line of defense against extreme weather. When business owners and facility managers trust their roofs without inspecting them, they could end up with big problems including structural deterioration, mold development, or damaged insulation. The solution? Regular, comprehensive roof inspections.

When inspecting your facility’s roof, look for the following:

  • Fractured caulk or rust spots
  • Buckling, curling, or blistering shingle tiles
  • Missing or broken shingles
  • Cracked rubber seals around vent pipes
  • Moss and lichen, which could be a sign that a roof is rotting from the inside out.

If you find piles of debris from asphalt roof tiles in the gutters, that’s a sign of a much bigger problem; check the age of your roof to determine if it needs to be replaced.

DIY Inspections VS Professional Inspections

Most people can spot an obvious roof problem (missing shingles, interior leaks, etc.) without having to climb up on the roof. Other types of damage, however, require close-up inspection by a trained eye to detect. That’s why it’s generally a good idea to get a professional to look it over for you periodically.

If your facility’s roof is older than 10 years, hire a trustworthy roofing contractor to come out and inspect it. If you suspect your facility’s roof has been damaged, call the property’s insurance carrier first. Depending on the policy, the needed repairs may be covered. If your insurance covers the repair, they’ll handle the inspection scheduling.

Want to know more about roof inspection? Call MaintenX today!

Plastic Piping Technology

Plastics are indispensible in the piping service field. When used in landscape irrigation systems, drain, waste, and vent (DWV) systems, and sewage transport, plastic-based solutions can offer countless benefits.

Contemporary materials, such as polyvinyl chloride (PVC), chlorinated polyvinyl chloride (CPVC), and high-density polyethylene (HDPE), are installed more and more frequently by utility companies. Below, we’ll explore the advantages of these various plastic designs.

PVC

Improvements in PVC technology have allowed for increased durability in pipe, construction, wires, medical tubing, flooring, and even fabrics. Manufactured from industrial salts and carbon, PVC requires less oil or gas in its production, making it a greener option as compared to older designs.

Types of Pipes

There are three basic types of plastic pipes:

Solid-wall Pipes

These pipes have one layer of uniform thermoplastic material and have many applications.

Structured-wall Pipes

Structured-wall pipes have an improved design to enhance mechanical performance.

Barrier Pipes

Featuring a flexible metallic layer of three bonded materials, barrier pipe provides an added shield for liquids requiring purity, like drinking water. These pipes block out chemicals or other pollution where they are placed.

Improvements in Plastic Piping

One way to help make the nation’s piping systems more energy-efficient would be to minimize the number of leaks in pipe networks. Replacing and rehabilitating current water distribution systems made of traditional materials with plastic piping products could help reduce leakage and improve energy efficiency.

Developments in plastic pipe construction don’t just benefit utility companies, they also curb the nation’s energy consumption and lower greenhouse gas emissions, which has become an increasingly important factor in the decisions of companies and consumers alike.