How facility managers can prepare for rainy season: A checklist

The onset of a rainy season can be messy for everyone, especially for a facility manager. As the rainy season is accompanied with molds and leakages, buildings will start to feel damp. Unclean spaces, especially during rain, bring tons of health issues to the people. Being responsible to keep a building safe and clean, the facility manager must take extra precautions in safeguarding the building from the adverse effects of rain.

Run a facility management site inspection

In order to prepare for the rainy season, the first thing is to have an inspection of the building. Check on each and every aspect in the apartment or office and make sure nothing is faulty and will create issues if it rains.

The first crucial part is to check the roof. It is the portion of the building that will have direct and open contact with the rain. They will be exposed to heavy rain and water. If not maintained well, the roof can cause costly repairs along with other losses.

• Check whether there are any cracks in the roof

• Check for missing or loose tiles from the roof.

• Have a check on the valleys of the roof. Make sure there are no holes in it.

• Have a look from the ground to the roof for ageing or any damage.

Apart from the roof, you should be cautious about the walls too. Exterior walls are also open to the rainwater. They can bring moisture inside the building. Check for cracks in the walls and inspect the painting and plastering of the exterior walls. If left without much care, the walls may get damped and can cause a big mess in the rainy season. Inspecting the doors and windows are also part of this. Make sure they have proper locks and are working smoothly.

Gutters and drainage are the next areas you should have an inspection on. Gutters are the crucial part of roofs that take away all the water from the roofs. If they are functioning properly, water may get into the house and the furniture may grow mold in it. Damped walls can get you diseases. So it’s important to have a check on the gutters in the building.

• Check whether the gutter near your home is broken or leaking.

• Make sure, there are no fallen leaves or debris in the gutter.

• Check if you have any downpipe clogs.

Proper maintenance of the drainage system is important for having a calm rainy season. If not cleaned properly, the rainwater will take leaves and debris along with them and clog the drainage, resulting in a flood-like situation in your area. This can create huge problems for the landowners near the area and the rainy season will make their lives very difficult. To avoid this,

• Check whether the drainage is clogged.

• Inspect for dried leaves inside the drainage near your building

Finally, take a note of all the problems you may face in the rainy season and jot it down in order. This will help you to systematically plan and tackle the issues without making a huge fuss around them.

Prepare to embrace the rain

After completing the inspection of the building, the next step is preparedness. With the findings after the inspection, the facility manager should do the necessary to keep the building safe and its people comfortable in the rainy season.

• If you find any cracks or leakages on the roof, fix it immediately. Also, add a waterproof coating if needed. You can hire a facility management service provider to do this work.

• Paint the exterior walls with water-proof coating and do the necessary things to fill the cracks, if they have any.

• Clean the gutter and do fix it, if it has any damages.

• Inform the authorities about the blocks in the drainage and do the necessary, if you have a private drainage system inside your property.

• Think about both the appearance and the security of the building. In the rainy season, the office/ apartment will be filled with mud and more water. To keep the place neat, prepare a place to keep the umbrellas and wet shoes. Also add more doormats, so that the people can dry their legs before entering the facility.

• Trim the trees near the building. This will help to ensure that the fallen leaves or debris will not create blockage on the drainage of the gutter. Additionally, this will also reduce the risk of falling in the storm and damaging the house.

• Keeping away from the pests is yet another task. Naturally, the rainy season will bring more pests to the buildings and will see a hike in diseases. Infectious diseases may attack people. So implementing a strong pest control system will be nice in the rainy season.

Emergency response team development

Facility managers should be ready to face messy situations and should be well-prepared for any type of challenges and emergencies that might happen in the rainy season. A well-defined cleaning schedule should be created to keep the place neat and tidy always. Rainy comes with an increased chance of accidents too. The facility managers must foresee the situations where such can happen and work to reduce the chances for it. Furthermore, the facility management team must be prepared to deal with any emergencies like accidents and should have clear guidance regarding what should be done in such situations.

Consult your facility management service provider

The facility management in the rainy season is very complex, yet an important one. It would be a wise decision if you are outsourcing the work to a trusted facility management service provider like GoIntegra. GoIntegra is the one of the best facility management companies in Chennai who provides professional services to both the professional and residential areas. The company can help you with cleaning the premises and keeping the building safe from the adverse effects of rain