1 December How to Ethically and Effectively Clear Snow Off Your Property December 1, 2021 By sma Property Investment, Property Management commercial landscaping, exterior maintenance 0 HOW TO ETHICALLY AND EFFECTIVELY CLEAR SNOW OFF YOUR PROPERTY December 1, 2021 | Management, Investment | exterior maintenance, commercial landscaping Within the coming weeks, you might be shifting into your winter maintenance routine. It can be a busy time dealing with frozen pipes, drafty rooms, and keeping everything running smoothly through the freezing months. One of your biggest challenges of the season could be keeping snow at bay. Think About Your Impact Each year, millions of tons of ice-melting salt is used to clean roads, sidewalks, and parking lots. Though it makes for safer surfaces, the real harm is caused by the leftover salt that ends up in the local environment. Plants and animals can get severely sick from the chemicals used in most de-icers, and they can cause vehicles to rust. Before you start pouring, look into more eco-friendly substances. There are de-icers that have corrosion inhibitors to prevent the chemicals from eating away at your tenant’s vehicles. It can also help to not overdo it and only use enough de-icer to adequately cover the surface. (For more information on environmentally safe de-icer, check out the EPA’s list of safer choice-certified products.) Figure Out What Equipment You’ll Need To effectively clear the snowfall, you’ll need the right equipment. Start by assessing the size of your property. Do you have multiple units spread out around a complex or just one central building? How much total sidewalk and parking surface do you have? This will also help you in formulating a clearance plan to get the snow moved as fast as possible. Your safest bet will be to hire a snow removal company that’ll have all the gear and manpower you need. Wait For a Break in the Weather To get the most amount of snow cleared at a time, you should wait for things to let up. If you send your removal team out too early, you might have to send them out multiple times as the snow continues to pile up. But if you wait too long, it can take them longer to clear things and your tenants could become frustrated as they wait to get dug out. Keep an eye on the sky and clear as much snow as you can at a time before things pick back up. Find One Place to Put It Instead of having multiple random piles of snow around your property, designate two locations for it all. Your primary dumping spot should be out of the way from foot and vehicle traffic. It’s also best to have a backup spot in case you get more snow than normal. Not only will it help with logistics, but it will also make your property look a lot cleaner as well. Don’t Fall Behind on Removal The one thing you need to remember as a property manager is to never let your snow removal lapse. While you might be caught off-guard by a surprise snowstorm, not having a plan will only make things worse. Remember that as a property manager, you’re likely required by law to remove snow from your property for tenant safety. Failure to do so could result in hefty fines or even injuries to tenants. Just a little bit of thinking ahead will help keep everyone happy and safe through the winter! Ensure your commercial building is ready for the season ahead with a professional inspection from NPI! Comments are closed.