USIndoor's Official Magazine is a quarterly publication, dedicated to owners, managers, program administrators and other professionals, startups and providers involved with indoor recreational sports facilities.
Issue link: http://read.uberflip.com/i/68815
SUMMERTIME MAINTENANCE by Jim Cline, CAO For many indoor sports facilities, the slow summer months provide an opportunity for renovations and maintenance. Even facilities that stay very active during the summer can address repairs and larger projects, such as painting the outside of the facility and re-striping the parking lot, when the weather is mild. T o protect your investment, routine maintenance is necessary. Building systems are complex and require preventative maintenance. Also, excellent customer service includes a first-class presentation. Regular cleaning and painting is directly related to customer service. A SUMMER CHECKLIST OF POSSIBLE PROJECTS Roof: Have the roof inspected and repaired. Repairing leaks is at the top of the list, because it is useless to do any renovating or remodeling with a leaky roof. Gutters: Have the gutters cleaned and repaired to prevent water damage to the roof and building interiors. Insulation: Repair any ripped or wet insulation. I sometimes think that white duct tape was invented for us to repair torn insulation, since we use so much of it. Repairing torn insulation is probably one of the best ways to make an old building look fresher. Heating, ventilation and air conditioning: Before you crank up the AC, have your systems checked by a HVAC technician. I recommend you stay away from costly service contracts with HVAC contractors and try and schedule maintenance two to four times a year during their down time at a reduced rate. It is also important that furnace filters are changed quarterly with quality commercial filters. Readjust thermostats to maximize efficiency and energy savings. Condensers should be cleaned, motors and belts should be inspected, and coolant levels should be adjusted. Carpeting: Clean any entrance and office carpeting. Hopefully, you can trade this work for a dasher board ad or banner. Artificial Turf: You should groom your rubber infilled turf according to your manufacture's recommendations. It is also important to periodically repair the seams and inlaid lines. If you have carpet turf, it should be steam cleaned periodically to sanitize it and reduce bad smells. Net Repairs: Tighten and repair field netting. Nylon netting tends to loosen over time. To prevent major damage, the nets need to be stretched tight, and any holes or rips need to be repaired with wire ties. Lighting: Re-lamp if necessary. You can cut energy costs, increase lighting, and prevent expensive ballast failure by replacing your high-energy discharge or fluorescent field lamps, as recommended by the lamp manufacturer. Every three to five years seems to work for most lighting systems. If this is too costly to do all at once, consider replacing a portion of the lamps in cycles. New and brighter lights can really spruce up a facility. Painting: Paint walls, doors, floors, and any other surfaces as needed. Repainting worn areas can be an inexpensive way to brighten a tired building. 18