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Wood flooring is a beautiful option for small businesses. If you have a fine dining restaurant, a high-end retail store, or a smile mom-and-pop storefront with vintage style, wood flooring can be a unique and stylish design option that will enhance the mood of your interior. However, with the beauty of wood flooring comes maintenance challenges. 

Most people treat wood flooring like tile, which can cause damage long-term. Even wood that is sealed should be cleaned using special wood products and avoid moisture to prevent rotting as it ages. Below are the most common care mistakes we see with wood flooring, and what you should do instead to preserve your hardwood:

Do use the right cleaner.

Hardwood is one of those flooring options where buying specialty cleaners is worth the extra expense. An all-purpose cleaner may be too acidic or too watery for your hardwood and cause rotting or warping over time. Oil-based cleaners and wood cleaning sprays are ideal for daily cleaning, while tough cleaners like Pine-Sol can help remove stains from the floors. 

Don’t use water on your hardwood.

Hardwood flooring can suffer from water damage just like a wood table or other piece of furniture does. When mopping, it’s a common mistake to use water and soap on hardwood, but over the years this can cause the wood to crack, rot, or come up from the floor due to warping. Use specific wood floor cleaners to mop without water instead.

Do clean up spills right away.

Food, drinks, paints, and other staining agents will run hardwood much faster than it will tile or other easily cleaned floors. If you spill something on your hardwood, clean it up immediately. Stains from wear and tear can often be cleaned with an oil-based cleaner, while hard-to-remove stains like inks and paints can often be cleaned with a bit of alcohol and a heavy-duty wood floor cleaner. 

Don’t use scrubbers or abrasive cleaners.

A scrubbing sponge or steel wool can scuff the finish on hardwood and cause damage to the wood grain itself. If you have a hard-to-clean spot on your floor, use a toothbrush or the soft side of a sponge to gently remove it. 

Do polish and refinish flooring.

While your hardwood will require daily cleaning, it’s important to also schedule professional deep cleaning once a year or so to keep your flooring looking new and fresh. A professional can deep clean your hardwood and add a new finish or polish to it, which not only keeps the wood healthy but will extend its service life by several years. 

MaintenX offers flor cleaning and installation services for businesses across the U.S. If you have questions about your hardwood or would like to learn about installation services, give your local MaintenX a call today!

A general contractor is a person who oversees a building renovation to ensure all parts of the project run smoothly and meet local codes. Most often, they have subcontractors in specialties such as plumbing, electrical, HVAC, and roofing to ensure your entire remodel or new construction is done with the utmost skill. But, at the end of the day it’s the general contractor’s license that is on the line for your project’s integrity. 

While hiring a general contractor can be the easiest and safest way to go for large projects, what if you want to do a smaller remodel? Is it better to hire a general contractor for everything, or hire out based on specific jobs? In this article, we’ll explore your options and help you choose the right professionals for your job. 

New construction and renovations

For new construction and renovations to existing spaces, it is generally recommended you hire a general contractor to oversee the project. This is especially important if you are a new business trying to open in a new building. The permitting process is much easier if you use a general contractor to oversee your project and ensure all renovations are up to code. 

General contractors also have a higher level of accountability. Because they are in charge of a team and their company reputation is on the line with every build, they are more likely to deliver exceptional results. However, sometimes hiring a general contractor is not practical or necessary for maintenance and renovations. 

Odd jobs

If you are an already existing business or only need a few minor repairs to open your building, you may not need to hire a general contractor to oversee your project. Licensed and insured subcontractors can handle most maintenance jobs and simple renovations like the change of an appliance without a general contractor. At MaintenX, we employ hundreds of general contractors across 13 states to provide service for these jobs that you can trust. 

Our subcontractor network is organized by the national MaintenX team and guarantees quality work every time. If you are interested in beginning renovations or new installations for your building, talk to your local MaintenX team to learn more. 

Finding a maintenance contractor for your repair, renovation, or new installation can be tricky. There are thousands of names out there, but only a few in your area you can really trust. If you’ve never used a company before, how can you tell if their quality of work is really what they say? 

At MaintenX, we want to help our clients avoid contractor headaches by providing fast, reliable service at an affordable rate. If you’re interviewing with several contractors, here’s what you should do to avoid poor service: 

Ask for references or search online reviews.

Don’t take your contractor’s word for the quality of their work – ask around and get plenty of references! Other customers can tell you best what the pros and cons of working with a specific contractor may be. Find someone with great reviews or several local references to ensure the quality of work before you begin on a new project. 

Ask about commercial experience.

Not all contractors specialize in commercial plumbing, electrical, HVAC, or roofing repair. While they may say they can perform the job well, your best bet is to choose someone who focuses solely on commercial spaces. They will not only understand the scope of work better, but can provide you information on permitting, local ordinances and more. 

Start with smaller jobs. 

Before you hire someone to redo an entire room or area of your facility, hire them for something smaller to see the quality of their work and customer service. There’s nothing worse than hiring a contractor you don’t know for a big project, only to find out they can’t deliver what you expect. This is a waste of your time and resources, and finding a contractor to redo previous work is so much harder than doing it the first time. Make sure you vet your company prior to ensure this situation doesn’t occur. 

MaintenX provides on-demand maintenance and repair service from curb to curb and coast to coast. To learn why so many businesses choose us for all of our commercial repairs, visit our Services page or contact your local MaintenX team for a consultation. 

As a building’s new tenant, you want to be careful about the work you do to make the space your own. While some renovations are to be expected as you open, you will likely be under heavy scrutiny from the building owner and the city to ensure you are following local ordinances for commercial construction. To not ruffle any feathers, be careful about what you DIY and what you hire contractors to perform.

Typically, you are required to have a general contractor supervise any renovations you do, or at least hire a specialist to cover anything that has to do with electrical, plumbing, roofing, or HVAC repairs. However, there are a few things you can DIY to save money while you try to open. 

When it’s okay to DIY

Minor renovations like painting or redoing furnishings are always okay to DIY, but anything that tampers with the structure of the building needs to be approved by the city and building owner. You can usually do renovations yourself when:

• It’s something small like changing out a light switch cover or fixing a leaking faucet
• When it does not interfere with current work being done
• If it is not working that requires a licensed contractor to complete
• When your business is open and is not still under inspection from the city for permitting and licensing purposes

When you need to hire a contractor:

A contractor is typically required for any structural changes or major renovations that involve health and safety precautions. You should check with the city and building owner before: 

• Doing any electrical, HVAC, plumbing, or roofing repair 
• Installing major appliances
• Replacing any structural element including flooring, drywall, or fixtures
• Adding or replacing anything that can affect health and safety codes within your building (such as kitchenware or fire safety equipment)

If you have questions, it’s always best to hire the contractor instead of guessing. If you are looking for affordable plumbing, HVAC, electrical, or roofing work done, however, give MaintenX a call to learn about our renovation and installation services for your area. 

If you’re starting a renovation project in a commercial space, there is a lot you need to know about permitting in your area. While each city has its own ordinances and laws, there are some commonalities you should prepare for before you put down the first nail. The more you research and understand prior to the beginning of your project, the more smoothly it will go. 

At MaintenX, we work with a variety of commercial building owners and renters to complete renovation projects for their businesses. If you’re beginning new construction or a renovation, here’s what you need to know: 

Location matters more than you think.

City ordinances for commercial buildings are not the same across the board. While it’s obvious that different industries must follow different compliance rules, there are many other considerations to make with your specific location. For example, are there wetlands or protected areas nearby? Or are you building in a historic district? What about noise ordinances, restricted sightlines, or other requirements for your area? Knowing these contingencies is crucial before you even begin scheduling consultations with your contractors. 

You’ll likely need a general contractor even for small renovation jobs.

Many cities require a general contractor to oversee your renovation project even for minor adjustments to plumbing and electrical work. This is especially important if you are opening up a new business rather than making renovations to an existing one. Before you begin the hiring process, make sure you are in compliance with local construction laws. 

It’s easier to choose a building that is made for your business type.

Some business owners will try to renovate a space that was used for one purpose and turn it into something else entirely, but this can cause problems when it comes to permitting. For example, if you want to turn an old office space into a restaurant, you’ll have to renovate and pull permits for every minor change in your kitchen space. While it can be done, this is a massive undertaking financially and practically. If possible, look for buildings to lease that require as little renovation as possible. 

Your contractors don’t know everything.

Your contractors are experts in what they do, but they can’t answer all of your permitting questions. We specialize for a reason, and what may be right for commercial plumbing could be different for electrical repairs or roofing renovations. In order to avoid reworking and permitting problems, always check with city authorities to ensure you do things right the first time. 

MaintenX offers commercial plumbing, electrical, roofing, HVAC, and general contracting services for both new building construction and remodels. If you have questions about the permitting process or want to schedule a consultation, give us a call today!

As a facility manager, you are under great pressure from owners and investors to retain tenants throughout the years. Long terms without leases mean losses for the owners, which means the better you can impress renters, the more likely you are to succeed. However, retaining tenants in a commercial space is a gamble both on your end and theirs. 

There are many factors that may contribute to tenant dissatisfaction in a commercial space. However, one of the biggest complaints is maintenance. If you want your tenants to be happy with their lease, follow these five maintenance management tips: 

Offer easier maintenance request systems.

If there is no clear way to request maintenance services, your tenants will likely go for far too long with leaky faucets, creaking floors, or a faulty HVAC system. When you do finally receive the complaint, it will likely be more expensive and come with hidden resentments from your tenant. Streamline your service requests with MaintenX’s simple automated system and ensure your tenant issues are heard the first time. 

Provide preventative care on a schedule.

Preventative care saves you money on repairs and ensures your tenants aren’t held up by emergency repairs. Routine services such as cleaning and tune-ups can help you detect problems earlier and provide the level of maintenance service that the best in the industry receive. 

Plan landscaping services early.

Landscaping helps your tenants make a better impression on their customers, which in turn helps you keep them in the same building for longer. By scheduling regular landscaping that prioritizes work by season, you can help your tenants make the right first impression and stay in business longer. This is especially important if your facility has outdoor seating or showrooms and customers will be spending time in and around your landscaping. 

Connect tenants to a 24/7 maintenance service. 

Accidents happen, and when they do, you want your tenants to have preferred access to a 24/7 maintenance crew. MaintenX offers an emergency hotline for commercial maintenance service and can provide your tenants with HVAC, plumbing, and electrical emergency services at any time. When you need quick and reliable maintenance repairs, MaintenX is your top choice!

Ask for input.

The best way to learn how to improve your maintenance service is by asking your tenants for help. If they have issues in the work order management, the services itself, or the scheduling for preventative care, they will likely tell you if you meet face to face. Sometimes these issues can be difficult to communicate and may fall to the back burner with other more pressing concerns at the surface. However, if you take the time to address your maintenance issues, you can fix them easily and make your tenants that much happier. 

To learn more about how you can improve your maintenance services, contact your local MaintenX today!

As the property manager of a commercial building, the burden to please tenants ultimately lies on you. Even with a high-end newer building, issues can arise when a new tenant cmes in who isn’t accustomed to your building. They may spot maintenance issues you’ve become blind to, which can not only ruin your first impression but cause them to look elsewhere to lease. 

Before you show your property to potential tenants or prepare for a new one to arrive, look for these five maintenance issues that can instantly ruin your facility’s good reputation: 

Clean out the HVAC system.

Dusty, noisy, or leaking HVAC systems are a major red flag when a tenant is viewing a property for the first time. This can cause endless maintenance headaches for them and disrupt business operations if the HVAC goes out during their lease. If you want to prevent these major issues and tenant deterrents, clean and tune your HVAC system between leases. 

Rewire any old or faulty electrical appliances/outlets.

Faulty wiring is common in older buildings, and can be detrimental in today’s tech-driven business world. If your facility cannot handle modern appliances or intense electrical demands, you should talk to your MaintenX technicians about rewiring entirely or patching up older outlets with modern electrical systems. 

Patch up missing shingles.

Poorly maintained roofing is not only an aesthetic issue – it can also cause leaks and water damage within your building if left unattended. Don’t let roofing mishaps cause tension between you and your tenants. Contact MaintenX for a consultation to patch shingles and damaged flashing right away. 

Conduct backflow testing and a hydro-jetting service.

Plumbing emergencies are arguably the worst emergencies for facility tenants to deal with. If you want to prevent them, be diligent about your maintenance schedule. Talk to your MaintenX plumbers about annual backflow testing and setting up a hydro-jetting service to clean your pipes from built-up debris. 

Clean stains from the floor. 

Finally, if you want to make a great impression, plan for a deep cleaning of your floors before new tenants arrive. Flooring is one of the dirtiest parts of a facility, and a deep cleaning that addresses all of your flooring issues can make a great first impression on new tenants. 

MaintenX can help you prepare your facility to impress new tenants no matter what type of facility you manage. From restaurants and medical facilities to large industrial complexes, we can handle it all! Talk to us today to schedule an onsite consultation. 

2022 is just around the corner, which means it’s time to start planning for next year’s sustainability goals and projects. With so much emphasis put on the COVID-19 pandemic the past two years, it can be helpful for your staff to start looking again toward the long-term future and invest in meeting sustainability goals. 

 

Setting meaningful goals to improve energy efficiency and reduce carbon emissions can help your business recover from COVID-19 faster. By showing your customers that you’re confident in the future and are looking to improve the future rather than keep things “business as usual,” you can start preparing for a more profitable future. 

 

Below are just a few ways to get your mind back on sustainability goals and actually achieve them in 2022:

 

Dream bigger.

Climate change and environmental sustainability are hotter topics than ever, especially since pandemics like COVID-19 are more likely to happen as climate changes become increasingly more drastic. As a business, you have the opportunity to aim higher and make a real impact on your community and the world at large. Sustainability goals such as reaching net-zero energy usage or committing a certain percentage of your budget to climate action show stakeholders you’re putting your money where your mouth is. 

 

Get involved in local initiatives. 

Choosing sustainability projects that impact your local communities shows that you care about your clients just as much as you do your business. In Florida, where MaintenX is headquartered, we are heavily impacted by climate change that affects rising ocean sea levels and the increase in dangerous Gulf hurricanes that continue to worsen each year. That is why we spend our volunteer time helping victims of hurricane devastation and give back to communities where environmental impacts like these are felt the most. 

 

Match environmental goals to the business mission. 

Your business can’t tackle it all. However, you can focus on an inward approach to transforming your facility. By investing in in-house green technologies and projects that align with your core mission, you can effectively create impact rather than spreading your resources too thin across too many environmental projects. Some examples include: 

 

• Environmental volunteer projects within your city
• Investing in greener packaging or manufacturing processes
• Investments in green technology and energy-efficient equipment
• Purchasing carbon offsets or investments in renewable energy
• Offering eco-friendly product options

 

No matter what your sustainability goals are for 2022, MaintenX is here to help. We offer a variety of energy-efficient solutions for plumbing, HVAC, roofing, and electrical installations as well as preventative maintenance service on these appliances. To learn more, contact your local MaintenX team!

Maintenance planning can be tedious for facility owners and managers, but it is a necessary step for ensuring peak productivity for the rest of the staff. Many times, one of the most difficult aspects of creating an effective maintenance program is determining what staff is needed, and how to reduce labor hours without hurting performance. Labor is the most expensive part of all maintenance programs and should be carefully put together in order for your facility to cut costs. 

 

There is a way for you to reduce labor costs and improve the efficiency of your maintenance team. Below are three suggestions to help you make the right choices for your staffing: 

 

Hire specialists.

Hiring an experienced plumber, HVAC technician, or electrician may seem more expensive than a regular handyman, but you save tremendously on ensuring repairs are done right the first time and advanced issues are caught early. A handyman can repair surface issues, but they may not be able to do the root cause analysis that saves your equipment from long-term damage. 

 

Train internally.

Training goes a long way in ensuring that a pared-down maintenance staff is as effective as a bigger one. Technicians who are highly skilled and understand the ins and outs of your facility can work more efficiently by themselves or in smaller groups and can diagnose problems before they become emergencies. By offering training on facility-specific equipment and working with your maintenance team instead of above them, you can rapidly improve the efficiency of your maintenance team. 

 

Put a preventative maintenance schedule in place.

One of the easiest ways to improve the efficiency of your maintenance team is to put a schedule in place for preventative care. Services such as cleaning, tune-ups and regular parts replacement can prevent unwanted emergency repairs. Less staffing is needed to maintain a running piece of equipment than is needed to fix a time-sensitive repair, so the more you invest in preventative maintenance, the less you’ll have to spend overall. 

 

MaintenX offers the best of both worlds with our nationwide contractor network. We provide service from top specialists in plumbing, HVAC repair, electrical work, and roofing at affordable prices. When you call MaintenX you can expect to have the job done right every time. 

 

Contact us today to learn more about the advantages of MaintenX staffing for your facility.

Benchmarking your maintenance strategy against other similarly sized and staffed companies is an excellent way to improve efficiency and reduce costs over time. By comparing your maintenance costs, emergency service requests, and ability to recover after major disasters against other companies, you can see where your strengths and weaknesses lie. But, how do you know if you’re measuring the right metrics? How do you know if your benchmarking is actually usable as a guide for your ground-floor maintenance team?

 

Oftentimes, benchmarking only focuses on the numbers. How many dollars, service requests, and man-hours were used in a given year as compared to the competition. However, these numbers don’t tell you “how.” They don’t answer the most important question, “How are our strategies succeeding or failing in achieving maintenance goals?” They only tell you whether or not you’re meeting an arbitrary mark. 

 

The only way to make your benchmarking effective is to study the processes and support systems needed to meet your target numbers. For example, if your goal is to reduce maintenance costs by a certain percentage by the end of the year, you can benchmark to see where other maintenance teams are cutting costs effectively that you aren’t currently implementing. Something as simple as a new waste reduction process or more efficient energy systems can help you reach your target goals immediately. 

 

Processes don’t just include the work, but also how the work is managed and supported through the staff. A work environment where long-term facility health is prioritized over the short-term fixes typically sees the best numbers in the end as well. By offering employee support and ample resources to your maintenance team can help them go above and beyond for your business. 

 

MaintenX is a leader in our industry because we prioritize long-term facility excellence for our clients. To learn more about our work order management and preventative maintenance strategies, contact us today.