The birds are singing a song of spring, the grass is greening, and under the last bits of melting snow in the parking lot... fast food packaging, dead leaves, and plastic bottles?! It's definitely time for a spring landscaping session.
If you live in a northern climate, you know first hand what a few months under the snow can do to a luscious park, newly paved back alley, or regularly cleaned parking lot. The disaster frequently reveals itself with the thawing of snow and ice: dead plant matter, cracks in the asphalt, and the accumulated debris of a few months worth of people missing the next available waste bin by several yards.
'Tis the Season (for Cleanups!)
The arrival of spring is a great reason to start a major cleanup in your facility's outdoor spaces: the temperatures lend themselves well to some park grooming, removing trash sends a welcoming signal to people and nature, and strategically scheduled general maintenance will save you costs in the long run. Here's a few examples of what you can do.
Building Specific Maintenance
An early winter might be a cause for delaying inspections in fall. The more important to get back to it as soon as the snow is gone.
For example, you can add to your maintenance list things like removing leaves and plant matter from gutters, roofs, and drains, checking in on water pipes, or cutting back trees.
Now's a great opportunity to patch up cracks in the pavement, replace lose cobble stones, fix tiles, and so on. All of these preventive maintenance tasks prevent accidents while making your facility more accessible.
Looks good, feels good
Humans have a natural disposition to seek out healthy spaces – that's why we love a good walk in the woods or hanging out in the yard so much. In an urban or residential environment, green spaces improve perceived quality of life (yes, Health Care, talking to you!).
That positive effect on quality of life can be seen in productivity, health, concentration, etc. – and it's why good landscaping is such an important part of creating a great urban environment (think about New York's Central Park or the countless green spaces in Vancouver). Mother Nature will thank you.
Green is the new black
If you're the proud Facility Manager of a building with green spaces, you know how important timing is to keep them in balance. Give the people in charge of trimming, raking, planting, weeding, and so on the time to do it properly.
To make outdoor spaces more inviting, getting furniture (benches) out of hibernation will do a great deal to open up the season. Remember to place seating opportunities at safe intervals so people can abide by social distancing rules while they are needed.
For maintenance scheduling, you can rely on CMMS – both for regularly recurring and occasional ones. Our app will help you and the entire team keep track of tasks and progress, and serves as a memory aid for the things that only happen once a year.
Your building and surroundings are all set for summer to come – fingers crossed the weather will do its part!
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