Maintenance Guide for Metal Buildings

No one can deny that metal buildings are incredibly strong and durable. Even after this rigidness and build quality, structures like metal barns, garages, and carports need maintenance. But, compared to conventional buildings, the maintenance requirement is meager for prefab buildings. Routine maintenance and repair can help keep the steel building in perfect shape. Especially in the case of metal red barns and metal workshops.

The process of metal building maintenance is slightly different from conventional structures. The entire maintenance process for the metal buildings can be classified into three distinct stages:

• Metal Building Inspection
• Tasks Listing
• Perform Maintenance

The following steps will help you perform all the maintenance tasks in the best possible way, in the correct sequential order.

Maintenance Process for Steel Building

The process of maintenance for prefab metal buildings starts with a detailed facility inspection followed by task listing and performing maintenance. Step-by-step maintenance will reduce the chances of task error and save you from additional costing.

Metal Building Inspection

The entire inspection task can be divided into five simple steps to simplify the process’s complexity. A categorized assessment will help you minutely inspect the metal structure without missing anything.

Safety Inspection

Safety must be the primary requirement for metal buildings. The inspection task should start with assessing safety considerations for the structure. All moving and overhead components should be considered in the safety inspection process.

This inspection process is essential for analyzing the safety risks of the structure. You can list all the safety hazards found in the facility in the inspection report for further procedure.

Inspect failures

Individuals must regularly inspect different components used in metal buildings to assess their working conditions. If any element is not working as it should be, it can be considered a failure.

Not only the moving components, but it can also include various static components that are no longer in good condition. For example, if an automatic roll-up garage door is installed in the facility and is not functioning well, it can be categorized as a failure. Listing all faulty components in the task list will help you plan the entire maintenance process without missing anything.

Utility Inspection

Utility assessment is essential to maintain a continuous water supply and electricity inside the prefab steel structure. Utility inspection process is mainly focused on the utility connections to the building. In this process, electricity and plumbing connections are assessed for faults as a preventive measure. The assessment process also includes change requirements in the existing utility conditions. Defects and requirements that appear in the testing process can be listed for the maintenance task.

Interior Inspection

Internal inspection is essential to determine various risk factors that can cause a hazardous situation. The internal assessment process considers damage to interior walls, ceilings, and floors. For proper operations and functioning, it is crucial to maintain the interior of the steel structures.

All internal risk factors and damages are crucial to consider if the steel structure is for residential purposes. Apart from all these factors, structural layout and ergonomic considerations also can be regarded in the internal inspection process.

Exterior Inspection

External assessment is the most critical task of the building inspection process. The exterior inspection is mainly related to the integrity and stability of the structure.

All damages resulting from environmental causes and calamities are considered in the external assessment process. Along with all damages to the steel structure, cleaning, paint, waterproofing, and other risk factors also can be included in the assessment process to keep the prefab metal building unaffected in all conditions. Additionally, the exterior assessment process can also consider requirements.

All the information gathered in the inspection process is essential to devise a foolproof plan and budget for the maintenance process.

Tasks Listing

Task listing is the next step of the maintenance task. In this process, all the issues and changes required in the steel structures are listed for further planning. In this process, all the recorded tasks are prioritized based on the level of risk and urgency.

The strategy devised in the listing process can help you be efficient in the maintenance task. You can categorize tasks into low, medium, and high priority. This prioritization allows you to prepare an outline for the complete maintenance plan. Lower priority requirements also can be excluded from the maintenance process according to budget limitations.

Perform Maintenance

The last stage of the maintenance process is to implement all the tasks found in the inspection process. Here are a few methods you can use in the end stage of the maintenance process.

Perform Routine Maintenance

Performing routine maintenance is slightly different from the maintenance process required post severe climate conditions. Touching up paint, cleaning surfaces, removing dirt & debris from the roof, and looking for any potential risk around the steel building are considered in routine maintenance.

There is no major task involved in the regular maintenance process. It mainly consists of preventive measures to help you avoid severe issues like rust or permanent damage to the structural frame.

Prevent Water Leaking Inside Structure

The steel used in metal buildings is 100% rust-proof and can survive all weather conditions without significant damage. But continuous water pooling or accumulation can cause severe problems. It can lead to corrosion and issues in structural integrity.

Designing a proper drainage system can also help prevent water and fluid leakage inside the facility. You can repair all the dents on the top of the metal building to avoid water pooling on the roof. As additional protection, sealants or adhesives also can be used to fill gaps between the sheets and joints.

Power Washers

Power washers are tools to clean steel structures using pressure water. Water pumps create pressure to remove accumulated dirt and debris on building panels during this process. It is an effective way to clean the entire building without damaging it. You can also use chemicals and other washing agents to clean stains on the metal surface.

Make Immediate Repairs

In this task, you can include all the damages that occurred because of natural calamities and structural requirements. Based on the priority list of repairing tasks, faulty components can be replaced with new ones, and other changes also can be implemented in the structure. At the end of the maintenance task, greasing all the moving parts will help you avoid creepy noises, and it will also help you enhance the lifespan of the building.

With years of experience and knowledge, we at Viking Steel Structures are known for offering best-in-class 100% American manufactured buildings. We serve in all categories, including metal barns, garages, and carports. You can call our metal building experts at 877-801-3263 to get more information about prefabricated steel structures and purchase one for your property.