How To Prepare Your Commercial Property For Winter
Preparing a commercial property for winter takes careful planning. From ensuring that your walkways are safe for your guests to creating a disaster preparedness plan, the process takes a coordinated effort.
The resources you put toward winter preparedness can pay off a lot; you can lower your energy consumption, reduce the risk of liability claims, and increase how much business you get in the coldest season (the Golden Quarter, which falls in the winter, is especially important for retail businesses).
Here’s what you should do to prepare your commercial property for the coldest months of the year:
Evaluating Your Commercial Property's Winter Needs
The first step is to establish exactly how the change in weather will affect your property.
Do you have sidewalks or parking lots? You’ll need a plan for snow removal and de-icing; accessibility is key in the winter. Do you have a lot of team members who live out of the city? Have a plan if they can’t access your property because of inclement weather. Is there construction, renovation, or repair work that needs to be done? Finish it before the first snowfall—it’s hard to get work done in the wintertime.
Different commercial buildings have different needs, so it’s difficult to list all possible considerations here; take a tour of your property and mark down everything that might be affected by snow, ice, and cold.
Exterior Preparations
Winter will affect your property’s exterior the most; below-zero temperatures can freeze your sprinkler system or any other exposed pipes, while snow and ice build up on your walkways and parking lot, impeding foot and vehicle traffic.
There are a number of steps you can take to protect your commercial property’s exterior, including:
Clean out any gutters to ensure water can flow freely—this helps prevent ice dams.
Ensure that gutters and downspouts are secure.
Turn off any external water sources, removing and storing hoses and sprinklers.
Check your roof for damaged or loose shingles, sagging, or other problems.
Trim trees that are close to your building—their branches may fall off under heavy snow.
Check your building’s foundation and exterior and seal cracks, holes, and other damage.
Create a plan for snow removal on the premises.
At Bulger Brothers, we offer snow and ice removal for commercial properties in Winnipeg. We can help you prepare for winter; call us today.
Interior Preparations
The interior of your commercial building should be well-insulated. Your doors and windows should be easy to open and close and be properly weather-stripped. Ideally, your building has a foyer where people can get rid of any snow and ice that’s built up on their shoes.
Here are some of the steps property owners can take to prepare their commercial property’s interior:
Check the insulation in your building’s attic and other areas. Reinsulate if necessary.
Wrap pipes that are in unheated areas.
Schedule maintenance and testing for your furnace or boiler.
Test freeze-protection devices and alarms.
Change air filters and ensure that your vents and registers are clean and unblocked.
Weatherstrip your doors and windows, and ensure they open and close easily.
These are the first steps to prepare your commercial property for the winter season—they’ll help you avoid burst pipes, furnace breakdowns, and property damage. We can do more, though, and in the next steps, we’ll improve safety, increase energy efficiency, and talk about insurance and legal protections.
Safety and Accessibility
Power outages, road blockages, and other problems caused by harsh winter conditions can wreak havoc on your business. Fortunately, there are a number of steps you can take to keep your commercial building safe and accessible:
Have a list of contractors you can call in case of emergency. This includes HVAC contractors, electricians, plumbers, maintenance companies, and snow removal companies.
Place slip-resistant mats in your entryways so guests can remove snow from their boots.
Create a plan for parking if a parking ban goes into effect.
Get your backup power generator serviced.
Create a system to monitor for severe weather events.
Have signs to indicate icy or slippery areas.
By following all of these steps, you’ll help keep your team and your guests safe.
Energy Efficiency and Sustainability
Energy consumption is higher in the winter than at any other time of year. Lights are on for longer, and heating consumes a lot of energy, whether it’s electricity or natural gas. There are a few things you can do to increase energy efficiency before the coldest months hit:
Update the insulation throughout your building.
Patch any cracks or holes.
Run a thermal inspection to detect cold spots.
Install a new high-efficiency furnace or boiler.
Schedule your lights to turn on later in the day and earlier in the evening if your hours of operation allow.
Use smart technology to adjust light and heating automatically.
Disaster Preparedness and Response
Winter is the most dangerous season, and disaster preparedness is vital to keeping your team members and guests safe even in the worst conditions. You should:
Purchase and maintain an emergency power generator.
Purchase and maintain emergency heat sources.
Create a plan of action in case power outages, road blockages, or other problems arise.
Train your employees on that plan of action.
Keep shovels and a snowblower in a secure place.
Create an emergency preparedness kit. This kit should include:
Thermal blankets and warm clothing
Non-perishable food
Water
First-aid kit
Flashlights
Batteries
Emergency contact information for employees and utility contractors
Portable chargers
Ice melt and sand
With all of the above, you, your team members, and your guests will all be much safer should a disaster strike. Keep emergency preparedness kits in all of your company’s vehicles.
Financial and Insurance Considerations
You should review your insurance policy each year—and the best time to review your insurance is before the winter. There are a few steps you can take, including:
Checking what coverages you have for water damage from snowfall and burst pipes
Taking inventory of all of your equipment and its value in case you have to make a claim
Making sure your liability insurance covers slip-and-fall accidents on your premises
Create an emergency fund for extra expenses that may come up in the winter. Financial preparedness can help you out of situations that might otherwise be disastrous.
Legal and Compliance Issues
There are a few legal and regulatory factors to keep in mind when preparing your business for the winter:
Follow all of the guidelines in your municipality regarding snow removal and parking bans.
Check with your snow removal company to see who is liable when slip-and-fall accidents occur.
Ensure that your building remains accessible to people with physical disabilities.
Conclusion
By preparing your commercial property for winter, you can avoid costly shutdowns, prevent harm to guests and team members, and run your business more efficiently. We hope you’ll implement some or all of these tips—they’ll help keep your business thriving even when the temperature drops.
