As winter approaches, you’ll want to take extra precautions to keep your business safe throughout the season. If certain maintenance or repair issues haven’t been addressed, your business could suffer from the cold weather and other winter elements. Here are four things that you can do to get your commercial property ready for the winter.

Reseal Paving

Seal coating the pavement that covers your driveway, walkways, parking lot and other areas around your property can help prevent damage that often occurs from moisture and ice formation. The seal coating will be especially good for preventing the freeze-thaw cycle that can further harm the pavement. Winter sunlight is known to be especially intense, and having seal coating in place can prevent many of the harmful drying effects that the sun causes.

Repaint Exterior Walls

Even if the paint on your business’s exterior walls looks to be in good condition, you may still want to consider adding a new coat of paint. The frequent moisture coupled with the harsh drying effects that are often prevalent during the cold season can cause paint to crack and chip. Using a winter-grade paint that’s formulated to withstand many of these harsh effects will be the best option. You can also paint exterior walls with paint that’s environmentally friendly and doesn’t contain volatile organic compounds.

Have Roof Checked for Leaks

During the drier spring and summer months, you might not notice that your business’s roof has cracks, holes or missing shingles. These problems may not become apparent until moisture starts leaking through your roof when moisture from rain, snow and thawing ice returns during the winter. Having your roof inspected before the cold season sets in will allow you to have any needed repairs performed so that the inside of your business can stay dry.

Have HVAC Checked

Your heating, ventilation and air conditioning system components should be checked to ensure that everything is in working order. Clogged filters and damaged lines can cause problems with your heating and ventilation system and make heating the inside of your business on cold days much more difficult. It’s also important to make sure that your heater isn’t emitting any carbon dioxide that can be deadly when inhaled. Having your air conditioner checked will let you know if it’s in working order so that it’s able to keep indoor temperatures cool and comfortable when the hot weather returns.
Getting your business ready for winter the right way can help you get through the season better. By having all the necessary repair and maintenance work performed in advance, you’ll have a better chance of beating the cold winter weather.