How to Prepare Your Hall for the Cold Season
Make roof, facade and lighting winterproof
Autumn is coming to an end and that means: it's time to prepare for the cold season. Especially with halls, some preparations need to be made to get through the winter optimally and without damage.
Roof
Before winter sets in, roof maintenance or inspections should definitely be carried out. Although these are not legally required, they are a measure to maintain and improve the lifespan and functionality of a roof seal over a longer period. This also ensures the preservation of the value of the company buildings. During a roof inspection, the hall owner or a professional can ensure that there are no defects and that the roof is winterproof. Special attention should be paid to ensuring that there is no water ingress that could damage the building structure. Coating damage (cracks and scratches in the paint) and blunt damage (from New Year's firecrackers or birds) are also discovered during a walkthrough and can be repaired. In addition, the roof, gutters, drains, emergency overflows, and rainwater boxes are cleared of leaves, deposits, and plant growth, and ventilation openings are cleaned.
Important points that should be checked on the roof, among others:
- Rivet and screw connections
- Sealing rubbers on skylights such as light strips and domes
- Stability of cladding parts
- Functionality of sealing joints
- Safety of the roof walkway and installation of roof safety hooks
- Functionality of the gutter heating (roof surface heating)
- Upstand connections
- Maintenance joints (possible renewal)
- Proper opening of or access to the inspection flaps
Due to the snow in winter, there is an increased risk of accidents. Therefore, it is checked whether sufficient snow protection or snow stoppers are present above the entrances. The focus is mainly on the main entrances, customer entrances, and staff entrances. Snow protection systems such as snow guard holders can help here.
Facade
The facade must also be regularly maintained, especially before winter. This prevents impairments to function or signs of wear on individual parts. During a walk around the hall, the cladding and screw connections should be checked for damage and contamination. In addition, the window panes are inspected as well as the seals of doors, gates, and windows.
Lighting
Winter is particularly noticeable due to short days and early onset of darkness. To avoid accidents, it is essential to have enough functioning lights around the hall. Special attention should be paid to the lighting of external stairs, driveways and garages, as well as all hall entrances.
Schedule your hall maintenance appointment now
If you have any further questions about PEM Buildings or are interested in the maintenance of your hall, we look forward to hearing from you. Write to us at office@pem.com or call us at +43 7238 2712 to arrange a personal consultation.
By the way: Retrofitting fall-through protections
PEM not only offers maintenance for your hall, but also retrofitting of fall-through protections for existing light domes in existing halls. Especially in winter—when snow needs to be cleared from the roof—it is important to ensure that no one steps on a light dome. If this does happen because the snow on the roof is already too high and the light domes are no longer visible, fall-through protections should be installed for general safety.