Steel Building Maintenance- Part 4
In earlier blogs, we covered metal building maintenance through washing the structure, cleaning the gutters, and cleaning overhead doors. Now let’s look at a few more easy ways to keep your steel building at its best.
Metal Building Maintenance Safety Tips
TIP 1. Do not neglect simple maintenance. Do-it-yourselfers can easily do these simple steel building upkeep projects. However, if you are unable to do the structural building maintenance yourself, enlist the aid of reliable, licensed, and insured professional contractor, rather than letting upkeep go undone.
TIP 2. Practice ladder safety. Use a sturdy ladder that reaches a minimum of three feet above the roofline. Make sure the ladder is level and on firm ground. Secure the ladder to the structure. Never climb on the roof alone; make sure someone is standing by to help if needed.
TIP 3. Exercise extreme caution on metal roofs. Wear heavy-duty rubber-soled work boots. Walk on the valleys of the steel panels, not on the raised ribs. Whenever possible, walk on the line where the screws secure the roof panels to the purlins. Never walk on wet roof panels! Never step on a skylight or other translucent panel!
Preventive Maintenance for New Metal Buildings
It is very important to remove any remaining construction debris from the roof of a newly completed steel building. Drill bits, screws, tiny metal shavings, and other metallic items left on the roof may scratch the metal roof’s painted surface or discolor the roof with rusty streaks.
TIP 4. Remove large items by hand, including pieces of roof panels or flashing.
TIP 5. Sweep smaller metal construction debris gently off the roof with a soft-bristled nylon brush or broom.
TIP 6. Repeat tips 4 and 5 again after any repairs or modifications made on the roof by outside contractors.
TIP 7. Be sure any condensation from air conditioning units drains away from the structure.
TIP 8. If water pools around the structure after rain or snow, alter the terrain around the building to improve drainage.
TIP 9. Avoid having any open water storage tanks or caustic chemicals stored adjacent to the metal building walls.
TIP 10. Never fasten copper pipes directly to steel building panels.
TIP 11. Keep shrubbery and plants trimmed back at least 5” from direct contact with the metal building.
Long-Term Metal Building Maintenance
TIP 12. Oil personnel door hinges as needed. Sweep door thresholds to remove collected debris.
TIP 13. Clean built-up from vent fan blades as needed.
TIP 14. Expansion and contraction may cause screws to loosen without proper structural building maintenance. Tighten any screws that appear loose. (Be careful not to overtighten screws and damage the waterproofing washers.) Replace missing screws promptly.
TIP 15. To prevent corrosion, use both primer and metal building paint to repair any accidental scratches or gouges on metal building panels.
TIP 16. Remove excess snow build-up to avoid unnecessary leaks, strain caused by uneven heaps of heavy snow, or ice dams.
TIP 17. Commercial and industrial metal building owners should consider keeping a Maintenance Log detailing inspections and repairs made by the maintenance staff. Each entry should be dated and signed. Document the repairs with photos for insurance purposes.
RHINO: Hooked on Quality
Not all metal buildings are alike!
The better the quality of your steel structure, the less metal building maintenance will be required. Choosing a top-of-the-line building system like RHINO saves you from the structural problems associated with an inferior metal building.
RHINO’s satisfied customers not only come back again and again for their building projects, they also frequently recommend RHINO to friends and family. In fact, previous clients and their referrals generated over 30% of all our sales in the past year!
Find out more about The RHINO Difference today. Speak to experienced and friendly RHINO metal building consultant about your upcoming building project. Call RHINO at 940.383.9566.
After just one construction project, you too will be hooked on RHINO pre-engineered steel building systems!