The highlight of the FM calendar, National Maintenance Week takes place from 18th November to 25th November, culminating with the glamorously titled National Gutters Day on Friday 25th November.
All joking aside, it is that time of year when some essential maintenance work needs to be undertaken. Damp can be a serious problem for FMs and homeowners in Bristol, Bath and the South West alike. In a previous blog post ‘Dealing with damp and mould’ we covered the 6 main causes of damp:
- condensation,
- rising damp,
- penetrating damp,
- chemical damp,
- plumbing leaks,
- drying out.
Some of these causes are more serious than others, but if left untreated, they can all cause serious damage to a property and lead to mould.
Good gutter maintenance
In the spirit of National Gutters Day, probably the most common and easily preventable cause of damp is rain penetrating damp. In most cases, this form of damp can easily be prevented by regular maintenance and quality renovations. Exposed parts of buildings such as roofs, chimneys and external walls are all susceptible to moisture ingress.
Good gutter maintenance is essential in the winter months as heavy rain and fallen leaves can easily block or break gutters, preventing rain water from escaping and leading to flooding, water collecting on roofs or pouring down the side of buildings, leading to damp.
Fighting damp, a guide
The Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings (SPAB), the organisation responsible for National Maintenance Week, have produced a guide to fighting damp which can be found here: https://www.spab.org.uk/downloads/Fighting%20Damp_National%20Maintenance%20Week%20Advice.pdf.
Appointing a trusted partner
It is vitally important to appoint the right contractor for all your FM needs. Always look for a local contractor in the Bristol and Bath area with an established track record, demonstrable experience, who invest in their staff and equipment and carry the right credentials, certifications and insurance.
CCS provide specialist cleaning and soft FM services to businesses across the South West. To learn more about how we can help you to maintain your school or office building, contact us on 0800 4488026.
