Prepare your premises for wet weather and colder days with a practical inspection, clear responsibilities and a maintenance plan your team can follow.
Date:
Author:
Aspire Building
001
What should you check before winter?
Start with the parts of the property that keep weather out and people moving safely: roof condition, rainwater drainage, entrances, paths and exposed water services. Then organise the findings into work requiring prompt attention, planned repairs and items to monitor. Agree who owns each action.
The Met Office’s winter property guidance highlights roof defects, blocked guttering, vulnerable pipes and flood awareness. For a business, turn those checks into an agreed premises plan rather than leaving them as an informal list.
Use previous maintenance records to identify repeat problems. A ceiling stain, recurring entrance puddle or frequently blocked outlet deserves investigation of its cause. Photograph the location and note when the issue occurs, especially whether it follows wind, rain or a particular activity.
002
Keep drainage and access on the same checklist
Arrange suitable inspection of gutters, outlets and downpipes, and record evidence of leaks or overflow. Roof access and work at height need appropriate planning and competent people; a staff walk-round should stay in areas that are safe to access.
For external routes, HSE identifies autumn and winter slip risks associated with reduced daylight, wet leaves, ice and snow. Review the routes people actually take, including deliveries and early starts, and identify lighting, drainage or surface defects that need attention.
Assign responsibility for keeping entrances and routes usable, checking mats and managing wet floors. Agree how hazards will be reported, isolated and dealt with. A warning sign alone does not remove the underlying problem.
Record the route or asset, the issue, the action owner and the follow-up date. Include a completion note so a reported defect does not disappear into an email chain without a resolution.
003
Plan maintenance around occupation and shutdowns
List the areas that stay occupied and any planned holiday closures. Confirm who can provide access, where contractors can sign in and which works need notice to tenants or neighbouring businesses. Check the division of responsibilities with the landlord or managing agent before commissioning work.
Ask the appropriate specialist to review heating controls, vulnerable pipework and any concerns about building services. Agree a closure and reopening checklist suited to the premises; avoid improvising system settings or switching equipment off without understanding the consequences.
Keep the latest records and key contacts together. Useful information includes the location of the problem, relevant service history, safe access arrangements and the person authorised to approve the next step. Do not assume a general maintenance visit replaces inspections or servicing required for a specific system.
004
Planned maintenance or reactive repair?
Planned maintenance is work arranged in advance around the building’s condition and use. Reactive repair addresses a fault that has already occurred. Both may be needed: the practical aim is to identify foreseeable work early and make reporting unexpected faults straightforward.
For a new enquiry, send the postcode, property type, photographs taken safely, a description of the issue and any restrictions on access. Say whether the problem is recurring and whether the premises are occupied. If there is an immediate safety risk, follow the site’s emergency arrangements rather than waiting for a routine enquiry response.
Aspire offers commercial maintenance across London, Essex and Suffolk. Explore planned maintenance and reactive maintenance, or send details of your premises. Availability and scope are confirmed when you enquire.
