How to Prepare Your Georgetown Business for Winter
The arrival of winter signifies the return of shorter days, the holiday season, and plenty of snow and ice.
Every winter, businesses in Georgetown must contend with heavy snowfalls, freezing cold temperatures, and other extreme weather systems. Consequently, preparing your business for winter is essential to minimize disruptions and keep everyone safe.
Some preparations you can do yourself, such as creating a remote work plan for your employees or investing in a generator. However, you must outsource other preparations to professionals.
For example, any roof repairs need to be completed by a professional roofer. Additionally, snow removal and de-icing are completed faster when left to a professional commercial snow removal company.
Prepare the Outside of Your Property
When a winter storm hits, what do you feel confident leaving outside? Extreme cold, wind, and snow wreak havoc on properties. Materials, equipment, and even vehicles can easily turn into winter casualties if left outside in the elements.
Consequently, you should relocate any materials or equipment susceptible to winter damage as the first step in your winter preparations. In addition, move vehicles to a safe, covered location.
Otherwise, they’ll likely get buried in heavy snowfall and be much harder to access.
Prepare the Roof
Roofs are responsible for protecting a building’s structure (and everything inside) from the elements. And the elements are fierce in winter! As a result, your roof needs to be in top condition and ready for anything.
Snow can be a big problem if your building’s roof has sustained damage over the year and developed weak spots. Snow accumulation is a common cause of leaking and dripping roofs and ceilings.
However, in extreme cases, entire roofs can collapse under a heavy snow load. Consequently, it’s crucial that you know the snow load capabilities of your roof and make necessary repairs before the snow starts.
Damaged roofs are also susceptible to high winds and water penetration. Snow, rain, frost, and ice can seep through a weak roof and damage your building’s structural integrity.
Water damage is also often expensive to fix.
Prepare the Pipes
Cold weather can mean frozen pipes without proper preparation. The potential building damage from a burst, frozen pipe is immense, so it’s imperative to prevent this disaster from happening.
Attics, crawlspaces, and other areas that lack insulation should be insulated to protect the pipes. It’s also important to keep your building warm all winter. Any outdoor pipes, hoses, or irrigation systems should be drained.
Prepare for Power Outages
Winter storms and power outages go hand-in-hand. Consequently, investing in a generator is a great way to prepare for unexpected power losses. An alternative power source, like a generator, minimizes business disruption by allowing some operations to continue.
It also allows you to heat your building, further reducing the likelihood of frozen pipes and other damage brought on by freezing temperatures.
Prepare for Snow Removal
Professional snow removal helps Georgetown businesses get through the winter with minimum disruption. It also keeps employees, clients, and pedestrians safe from slipping hazards.
Winter slips, trips, and falls are all too common. And if these accidents are due to inadequate snow removal, your business could be liable for injuries.
Commercial properties tend to have large paved areas that need to be kept free of snow and ice. This is a big task requiring time, labour, and proper equipment.
Therefore, it’s best left to the professionals. Otherwise, you’ll be spending a lot of your own time attempting to win the war against winter’s snowfall and freezing temperatures.
Professional commercial snow removal companies, like Peel Exterior Maintenance in Georgetown, have the right tools, knowledge, and experience to tackle winter maintenance.
They can clear snow far faster because of this combination of know-how and equipment. It also means they can remove snow and ice without damaging the asphalt underneath.
Many businesses that take winter maintenance into their own hands damage the concrete or asphalt hiding underneath the snow.
It’s important to stay on top of winter maintenance. That’s why Peel Exterior Maintenance develops an efficient snow control plan before winter arrives in force.
This plan allows for prompt, thorough, and safe snow removal and de-icing. The Peel Exterior Maintenance winter staff are also on call 24/7 (including holidays) to offer you emergency service, thus keeping your business free of snow when you need it most.
Snow removal and ice management keep parking lots, sidewalks, and driveways clear, no matter the weather.
Bonus Tip: Check Winter Storm Warnings
Monitoring winter storm warnings can help you prepare your business for incoming weather. You can move any materials, equipment, or vehicles to a safe location well in advance. Additionally, you can ask employees to be prepared to work from home if they can.
Peel Exterior Maintenance also watches weather reports and winter storm warnings and adjusts services accordingly. This allows us to respond quickly and effectively to extreme weather, so your property stays free of snow and ice.
Commercial Snow Removal in Georgetown
For commercial snow removal in Georgetown, contact Peel Exterior Maintenance. Our trained operators and technicians will keep your property free of snow and ice throughout winter.
We provide prompt and dependable emergency winter maintenance services, even on holidays. Plus, we have more than 25 years of commercial snow removal and de-icing experience.
To learn more about commercial snow removal in Georgetown, call Peel Exterior Maintenance at 1-905-873-8988 or contact us here.