Spectrum Maintenance Services Blog

How often have you asked for three bids on a large painting job and received very different numbers? Why is that? In a word: Scope.

Many factors determine the cost of painting the exterior of a building including:

• Type of surface to be coated
  
• Extent of prep needed including pressure washing and primer coat
  
• Caulking expansion joints and repair of masonry, stucco and metal surfaces
  
• Number of coats required
  
• Amount of trim work
  
• Type of paint – latex, elastomeric, polyurethane, industrial enamel
  
• Brand of paint – not all paints are equal in quality or expected lifespan

To avoid surprises and unsatisfactory results, make sure all painting bids are based on the same scope.

For more information on how SMS can help with your next painting project visit:

Do you know what your roofs look like right now? When was the last time you sent someone up to inspect?

Many problems can be averted with regular inspections of your roofs. Some of the advantages include:

• Keeping gutters and downspouts clear of debris
  
• Removing loose objects which can damage membrane
  
• Checking for water ponding and membrane decay
  
• Ensuring that HVAC condensation lines are properly draining
  
• Ensuring that all conduit lines and pipes are properly placed above
  the membrane
  
• Treating any rust developing on metal surfaces
  
• Checking all roof penetrations are properly sealed
  
• Providing property owner/property manager with photos of potential
  problem areas needing further attention

SMS recommends quarterly inspections to help save thousands of dollars in unnecessary repairs and to extend the useful life of your roofs.
For more information on our roof maintenance program go to:

Most people are unfamiliar with Will Rogers, one of the great “social influencers” of the early 20th Century who coined this phrase. Why do we bring it up? The condition of your vacant suites plays a major role in how successful you will be in re-letting the space. 

There’s no better way to chase away a good prospect then to unlock the door and be greeted by the smell of a dry plumbing-trap or to have them walk through spider webs on a tour of the space.

If the sheet rock walls are damaged, if fluorescent lights are out and the carpet is stained, then you’re depending on the tenant’s imagination when comparing your space to other options that they will visit on the tour.

Why not patch and paint the walls, rip up the old carpet and get the lights working before putting the space on the market? And by all means, make sure that your maintenance team services the space at least monthly to make sure it looks and smells its best!

For more information on how SMS can help you re-let your vacants…

When an SMS technician visits a property, he not only takes care of the work order at hand but he also spends a few minutes doing a quick inspection of the property to see if any other problems stand out.

Upon completion of a quarterly preventive maintenance visit, our HVAC technician noticed a large amount of surface water on the front parking lot although the weather had been dry for several days.

The technician took the above picture of his muddy boot in the puddle.  We sent the picture and a proposal to the property manager, offering to investigate and repair the water leak.  Unaware of the problem, the property manager gratefully authorized us to proceed.  No doubt, our additional “eyes and ears” on the property saved the owner thousands of dollars in unexpected water and sewer charges that would have resulted.

All of our twenty-eight service technicians, regardless of their specialty will do a quick drive-around and help our clients know when something needs attention.

This is why, on hundreds of office, industrial and retail properties across Metro-Atlanta…

“SMS is the third leg of the stool
that helps keep properties operating at peak performance.“

For further information…

The comfortable early Spring days we are enjoying now will soon give way to hot and humid summertime weather. How prepared are you for HVAC system breakdowns necessitating the replacement of major components?

Unpredictability in delivery of new HVAC package units systems persists. 3-, 5- and 10-ton units can take as little as a week or as long as three months to deliver. Special order systems can require six months delivery time.

Landlords, property managers and tenants must take extra steps to ensure against disruptions this summer. Supply problems could cost tenants their ability to conduct business. It could also kill a new lease deal that a landlord and tenant hope to make.

SMS’s HVAC team recommends the following steps be taken now to alleviate big problems later:

Landlords/Property Managers:

• Landlords should not have to inherit poorly maintained HVAC systems at the end of a lease. Throughout the lease term, Tenants should provide evidence of regular maintenance of HVAC systems performed by a reputable contractor. Within six months of lease expiration all HVAC systems should be inspected to ensure such systems have been property maintained.
• Vacant suites: Inspect and continue servicing HVAC systems in vacant suites to prevent deterioration resulting from neglect.
• Anticipate costly delays in new system deliveries by scheduling system replacements in advance of future need.

Tenants:

• SMS recommends performing scheduled preventive maintenance quarterly. Less frequent service may save a small amount of service fees, but dirty filters and coils will lead to reduced efficiency resulting in greater utility cost and shortened useful life of the equipment.

Landlords, Property Managers and Tenants should always get a second opinion on the condition and serviceability of systems. Often a recommendation to replace a unit is unnecessary when maintenance or repair of a component is all that’s needed.

For further information…