Preparing your business premises for autumn

We’ve had such a great summer it’s hard to believe that the seasons are about to change. Sure enough though, autumn is less than a month away now. Albeit a beautiful time of year, as the temperature starts to drop, everything needs a little more TLC and this includes your business premises.

Stuart Carter from the government endorsed Find a Tradesman Scheme (https://www.trustmark.org.uk/find-a-tradesman) says:

“Many winter-related disasters can be prevented if people plan ahead in the autumn to protect their properties from the wind, rain and freezing temperatures”.

Below we have listed some great ways you can prepare your business for autumn.

Clean out the gutters

Keeping your gutters clean is a simple yet highly effective way to prevent property damage. If your gutters are blocked, this is when you’re likely to encounter serious problems such as flood damage. It’s also worth bearing in mind that gutters full of leaves and debris provide a nice comfortable nest for rodents and this is a problem no business wants to have to deal with.

Inspect the roof

For something that plays such a crucial part in the structure of any property, we tend to take the roof for granted. Because it’s simply in our line of vision rather than something we actively look at every day, it’s easy to forget to maintain your roof.

Remember though that your roof is exposed to all the different elements all year round and this makes it very susceptible to damage. You can avoid this by carrying out regular inspections to check for:

• Broken, loose or missing slats, tiles or mortar
• On flat roofs, look out for patches, cracks, tears, blisters and/or wrinkles
• Remember to check your chimney for loose or missing flashing as well as damage to the brickwork or chimney cap
• You can also spot roof damage from inside your house. Early indications of leaks include moisture marks, peeling paint and brown, yellow or grey stains

Saving energy

It’s becoming increasingly important for businesses to show that they’re conscious about the impact they’re having on the environment. Thinking about how you can reduce your energy consumption isn’t just great for your reputation, it can also save you a lot of money.

• Get your boiler serviced now – a well-maintained boiler burns less fuel and you don’t have to worry about being left with no heating should it break down
• Drought-proof and insulate your office so you don’t have to have the heating on for as long
• Invest in double glazing if you’re losing a lot of warm air through your windows

Have a water drainage system in place

While we may be crying out for the rain after a particularly warm and dry summer, with the colder months often comes plenty of rainfall.

Last year, a report commissioned by the WWF warned that by 2050, the extreme weather we’re experiencing could cost the UK billions of pounds and leave 2.5 million homes at risk of flooding. You can read more by following this link: https://www.wwf.org.uk/updates/extreme-weather-could-cost-our-economy-billions

Protecting your business from water damage is paramount. If you do fall victim to it, not only do you have to pay out for the repairs, your insurance premiums will go up and you will lose out on valuable revenue when you experience downtime trying to get up and running again.

There are several surface water drainage systems available for all types of businesses and industries. You may be reluctant to pay out for the initial cost of installation but it’s much better than the alternative should a disaster occur. For further details visit a reputable retail shop like Gatic for more information.