Maintenance for parking garages
Commercial buildings are often defined by their parking garages.
No matter how fancy the front of your building is, if people pull in to a dingy parking garage before they walk inside, they’re not going to have a great first impression. Your parking garage is important to the overall reputation of your business, and if you don’t keep it in good shape you’re going to lose people.
But that takes time, effort and a dedicated maintenance staff. Just how do you keep a parking garage in good condition?
Concrete
Your concrete matters a lot. Not just for the overall structural integrity of your building, but for first impressions too. A well-kept parking garage requires you to have regular inspections from your maintenance crew so you can catch any warning signs early.
Keep an eye out for any stains on the surface of the concrete. Sometimes these are just from vehicles, but rust-colored stains are worth keeping an eye on because they may be a sign of cracks in the concrete that reach the rebar or structural steel. Any water that leaches down to structural steel can buckle and tear apart parking garages without much difficulty. Take care of it early. Cracking, flaking and buckling can also be signs of problems in the slab.
You should also keep an eye out for standing water. Water has a way of getting into any minuscule crack it can find, and if you’re not careful you might wind up with structural steel problems. Find any spots that hold water and deal with them.
Joints
Expansion joints don’t last forever. They allow the structure to expand and contract over time, but they’ll wear out just like any other component. They’re also one of the easiest ways for water to get in when they start to fail.
Keep an eye on your expansion joints. Many different systems will work for your expansion joints, but they should be installed and maintained by an experienced professional who can make sure they will work properly.
Coatings
Any parking garage will have coatings applied to the floor to keep out stains and minimize wear and tear. If your coatings begin to wear down, you may have staining and chemical damage. If you keep up your floor coatings, you’ll have less issues to deal with on the back end with water and concrete cracks.
Parking garages take a beating, but with proper maintenance they can be a fantastic advertisement for your business. Make sure your parking garage is well kept by contacting someone who can help you with upkeep. Call JK Industries today if you need help.