A clean and well-maintained garage space does more than just give the parking lot a sense of neat and orderly tidiness.
Keeping a garage clean is also vital to ensuring the safety of the public who use it. Furthermore, regular maintenance also protects the space from general wear and tear, which collectively reduces a garage’s lifespan.
Carrying out maintenance on a regular basis ensures that these minor issues don’t escalate into expensive repairs. You also reduce the risk of accidents as you clean up and fix potential hazards.
In this way, preventative maintenance and cleaning measures should be considered; the ROI of this care routine is that it improves parking lot safety while increasing its longevity.
Let’s dive into 8 essential tips for maintaining and cleaning parking structures. Do these, and your garage will remain safe and functional, even inviting!
1. Frequent Power Washing
Power or pressure washing is an indispensable part of ensuring a clean garage.
Over time, dirt, mold, oil, and grease build up on garage floor space and parking lots. This build-up not only creates unsightly stains but also poses a risk to public safety. Pressure washing is an effective way to remove these stubborn stains, including oil and grease spots that may increase the likelihood of slips and falls.
The benefits of power washing go further beyond this immediate, tangible clean-up. By removing the layers of sludge and grease, you remove various harmful contaminants that can damage the structural integrity of the building.
Therefore, a simple, regular power wash can prevent heftier costs just by removing those harmful stains.
2. Conducting Regular Ceiling Inspections
Never dismiss a seemingly minor water spot on the ceiling. Left unchecked, these spots can cause significant structural damage.
Conducting regular ceiling inspections can nip these potential issues in the bud before they balloon into something troubling. The idea is to identify water leaks or ventilation issues early on, preventing expensive repairs and maintaining a positive customer experience for garage users.
Causes of water spots in parking facilities might include:
- Clogged gutters
- Poor drainage
- Leaks in the roof system
Thankfully, the solution is often as simple as a premixed cleaning solution made of bleach or white vinegar and water. Applying this to the affected area before drying it out will prevent any further damage.
3. Avoiding Concrete-Damaging Deicers
During colder months, snow removal is vital for keeping your parking garage safe (even in Texas!). Unfortunately, common deicers like sodium chloride can be highly corrosive to concrete surfaces. Just like the contaminant-laden grease and oil in your parking space, using sodium chloride to make the ice and snow melt can damage the structure and lead to costly repairs.
Instead, use magnesium chloride or natural alternatives like beet juice to minimize damage to the structure. These alternatives are much kinder to your concrete.
4. Practicing Regular Sealcoating
The benefits of sealcoating are twofold:
First, sealcoating helps protect your parking facility from various environmental factors, such as:
- Water damage
- UV Rays
- Harmful oxidation
Second, sealcoating makes for a less slippery surface. This is critical for both vehicles and pedestrians. However, sealcoating doesn’t last forever—on average, it needs to be re-applied every two to three years to remain effective.
As is becoming a running theme here, you can see that sealcoating achieves two key tasks:
- It prevents damage (that would lead to more expensive repairs)
- It makes the parking garage safer for everybody
5. Fixing Those Potholes
Potholes are much more than an inconvenience you have to negotiate on your way through a parking facility.
At their worst, they can cause serious damage to vehicles and present safety hazards for drivers and pedestrians.
According to a report by AutoInsurance.org on the state of potholes in the U.S., drivers spend over $3 billion annually on vehicle repairs caused by potholes. The takeaway here? Nobody wants to use a parking lot that puts your vehicle at risk.
Potholes often come with the territory of a parking lot due to heavy vehicle traffic, particularly at the entrance/exit. The debris accumulation over time can create cracks, which can be exacerbated by the changing weather conditions throughout the year.
The upshot here is you have to deal with them as they crop up.
Promptly repairing potholes prevents further damage to the parking lot and saves thousands of dollars in potential liability claims. Regular maintenance and using high-quality materials to fill potholes can help prevent them from becoming a recurring issue.
6. Ensuring Proper Water Drainage
Without proper drainage, water can accumulate. That should set alarm bells ringing for any parking facility manager, as stationary water is the enemy of any building’s structure.
This water accumulation leads to erosion, cracks, and other structural issues while standing water on the ground can also put drivers and pedestrians at risk.
Common solutions for improving water drainage include installing trench drains and catch basins and regularly declogging gutters, alongside other waterproofing measures.
Carrying out proactive maintenance and regular checks on your gutters and drains means you can avoid these issues before they become bigger problems.
7. Applying Fresh Coats of Paint
A fresh coat of paint on directional arrows, exit lanes, and parking space lines does more than just freshen up your garage. These small improvements play a critical role in ensuring safety.
Clear, visible markings help guide drivers and pedestrians. In what can be quite dark, cramped spaces, these clear signs reduce the risk of accidents.
Also, keeping your garage’s paintwork fresh reflects positively on your business, showing that you prioritize safety and professionalism. While aesthetics may not be the most important function of a parking lot, bright, freshly painted directions can improve users’ overall experience.
8. Assessing Garage Equipment and Structures
So far, we’ve focused on caring for the concrete floors, walls, and ceilings of the parking lot. However, ensuring any equipment and other features are well-maintained is critical, too:
- Elevators
- Stairwells
- Lighting
- Parking meters
- Security systems
These features all require regular inspections and upkeep to ensure they function properly.
Once again, this preserves public safety, but there’s another reason to perform these inspections: compliance.
A comprehensive maintenance plan for parking equipment, such as regular servicing of exit gates and parking meters, will help keep everything running smoothly and ensure compliance with local regulations.
And, of course, ensuring your lights work and parking meters function keeps customers happy, too.
Mastering Parking Lot Maintenance With City Wide Building Services
By following these eight essential tips, you can enhance the safety and appearance of your parking garage. Routine maintenance and cleaning are also key to avoiding costly repairs and helping your structure last for longer.
Overall, in carrying out your routine cleaning, you are ensuring a positive experience for all users.
At City Wide Building Services, we’re all about protecting buildings through cleaning and other building restoration services. We specialize in parking garage maintenance and cleaning and have been providing superior service throughout Texas for over 45 years.
If you’re considering implementing a maintenance routine for your parking garage, or if you have any questions or want to learn more about our services, don’t hesitate to reach out to our team.