Getting commercial buildings winter ready is no small task. When your scheduled ongoing maintenance is up to date, you’re less likely to encounter many problems in the fall. Preventative maintenance, or PM, will make winter preparations more efficient. Is your facilities manager stretched too thin? Getting Commercial Buildings Winter Ready Your facilities manager’s checklist for maintaining the building will be extensive. Before the snow flies, you must take care of all preventative maintenance indoors and on the grounds. A professional should inspect the roof for any cracks or loose flashing and remove debris. Many larger commercial buildings have their HVAC
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Building Maintenance Systems, Inc. (BMSI) knows limiting water consumption in commercial buildings is vital. Gone are the days of gross negligence, where sidewalks and parking lots get watered unintentionally. Initially, a leaking faucet may not look like a big deal. However if there are numerous leaks on the property, the water consumption will increase quickly. This increase is difficult to describe in terms of dollar amounts. There are several factors that will determine loss or savings gained by maintaining strict water conservation efforts, such as the region, the specific efficiency measures implemented, and the scale of water consumption. However, in
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Theories on the labor shortage are complicated. What is crystal clear is there has been a widespread shortage of qualified workers in every field since the pandemic. There are eleven million job openings and only six million unemployed workers. Indeed lists 2,530 job openings for building maintenance alone in the DC area. Office buildings were fully occupied pre-pandemic. We assumed if four people could run a building, then two could manage a building at half occupancy. Unfortunately, staff can get spread too thin. Labor Force Participation Edelberg from the DC-based Brookings Institution attributes the unprecedented decline in the national labor
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Who needs Universal CFC Certification, and why is it important? What is CFC Certification? The odds are that a CFC Certified technician has worked on equipment in your home or office building. The EPA, Environmental Protection Agency, has developed four certification levels for Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning, HVAC. Technicians can get different types of certifications based on what kind of equipment they’ll be servicing. The EPA offers the CFC, or EPA 608 certification, to technicians who have passed rigorous tests. The test encompasses numerous rules and laws about handling dangerous HVAC chemicals. Technicians must handle the refrigerant in heat
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Businesses and institutions with backup generators need them to be operational at all times so that you can turn them on at a moment’s notice. Preventative maintenance is an essential part of readiness. Many backup generators are primed and ready to go, with fuel left in them. They will start immediately when you power them on, restoring power to the business until the power grid is operational. Bad fuel can not only prevent a backup generator from running; it can actually cause harm to the internal generator parts if run through the generator. Fuel testing and sampling are a vital
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So, you’re looking to become a building maintenance engineer. But what do they actually do? Becoming a building maintenance engineer takes many skills, and you’ll have to earn qualifications. A building maintenance engineer ensures the proper installation of equipment and building systems and performs routine monitoring and maintenance to ensure they run optimally and efficiently. Another name, which is fitting for a building maintenance engineer, is a reliability engineer. Overview of Disciplines and Responsibilities The building maintenance engineer should also be proficient in electrical engineering and project management. The maintenance engineer’s responsibilities include: Creating schedules for preventative maintenance Troubleshooting hardware
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Are you interested in becoming a Building Operating Engineer? When choosing a Building Operating Engineer career, you must begin as a Building Maintenance Technician. Check out how your career would progress in the industry. Reach out to us for resources and information. Building Maintenance Technician The Building Maintenance Technician works directly with the building engineering staff and property management team in commercial and government buildings to assist and complete various tasks. Some tasks we will expect you to perform are: Completing work orders Performing inspections and remedying as necessary Keep records and reports up-to-date Recommend necessary maintenance operations Manage BMS
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Far too many responsible commercial building maintenance operators in the United States perform maintenance reactively rather than proactively. By being proactive, you can get ahead of maintenance issues to prevent bottlenecks that can ruin productivity and client/tenant satisfaction. Being proactive in your building maintenance saves you money and improves your business’s efficiency. Here are some building maintenance best practices that can help you be proactive rather than reactive. Data Collection The first step in proactive commercial building maintenance is gathering data and assessing downtime’s actual cost. Knowing how much an hour of downtime costs can put reactive building maintenance into
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A commercial boiler contributes to the comfort level of all those that inhabit the building. Even the best of maintenance won’t make it last forever. Still, regular maintenance tasks can help it stay in service as long as possible. When you need to replace a commercial boiler, it’s typically an emergency situation. Don’t put yourself in that stressful position. Make sure you’re keeping up with necessary tasks and that you check the status of your boiler regularly. All commercial boiler maintenance needs to be done by a 3rd Class Engineer. This professional will have the training and knowledge to handle
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Whether it’s during the summer when most occupants are on vacation or during a global pandemic, there are times when commercial buildings have reduced occupancy. Facility managers and commercial building owners can use several strategies to optimize their buildings during these times to ensure operational efficiency while maintaining occupant safety and continued service. Consider these cost-saving measures to optimize your buildings during reduced occupancy. Take Advantage Reduced Occupancy With fewer people in the building, now may be the best time to complete maintenance tasks and perform upgrades. Consider installing UV lighting disinfection in the HVAC system to clean the air
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When you own a commercial building, there are maintenance tasks. These must be completed daily, weekly, monthly, twice per year, and yearly. Having a building maintenance inspection checklist for each set of tasks makes it easier to stay up-to-date on preventative maintenance. Performing these tasks regularly can alert you to minor problems before they become more significant problems, which usually come with a higher price tag to fix. Here are some tasks to include in your monthly building maintenance checklist for your commercial facility in the Washington, D.C., area. HVAC Is there adequate access to all systems for maintenance? Replace
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When it comes to the responsibilities of today’s building engineer, being well-rounded and showing expertise in many areas is the secret to staying busy in today’s economy. After the COVID-19 pandemic, specific cuts in staff have been necessary for nearly every industry as we all get back to work. The more versatile an engineer is the more maintenance and repair services for commercial buildings, the more valuable they become. Some building engineers work alone, while others are part of a team of specialists. What Areas Should a Building Engineer Be Skilled In? During an average workday, our building engineer will
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A building maintenance schedule checklist is an invaluable tool that ensures your building continues to run safely and efficiently for your tenants. Regular inspections and maintenance will prevent minor issues from turning into serious—and costly—problems down the road. But when should you perform commercial building maintenance for your Washington, D.C. facility? Here are some things to have on your building maintenance schedule checklist. We’ve arranged them by season. Spring Building Maintenance Inspection Landscaping Clean out debris and dead plant matter from beds and landscaping areas Fertilize and perform the first mow of the season Create watering schedule/set up sprinkler system
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Hiring and training the right Building Engineer for your building can be a challenge. Training is essential to your Building Engineer Career Advancement. To support the industry, bringing new Engineers on board becomes critical. We couldn’t do it without the help of NAPE. The National Association of Power Engineers. Notably NAPE provides outstanding training and certification programs at all levels for the Building Engineer profession. What Type of Training Does NAPE provide? NAPE does an excellent job of providing training for new students and seasoned professionals. They offer classes at several locations around the DC Metro area. For this reason
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At the height of the Coronavirus pandemic, facility owners and managers had to scramble. Maintaining a Coronavirus free environment was a priority. Now that we’re almost two years in, we know more about the virus and how to combat it in buildings. The more Coronavirus strategies you have in your arsenal, the better. You can use these strategies all year long. This will help ensure tenants and visitors feel safe in your commercial buildings. Today’s strategies focus on building HVAC systems and internal and external doors. Coronavirus Free Strategies – Commercial HVAC Systems The COVID-19 Coronavirus and other airborne diseases
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Winter is coming to the Mid-Atlantic region! Before winter settles in for good, you should prepare your commercial buildings for the change in seasons. Even if your commercial buildings aren’t sitting empty for the winter, there are a few reasons you should consider winterizing them. Why You Should Winterize Your Commercial Buildings Preventative Maintenance Plans Regular cleaning, calibration, and inspection can ensure your systems are operating at their peak efficiency at all times. If you don’t already have a preventative maintenance plan in place, now is one of the best times to do so. Inspections and regular maintenance can prevent
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For many businesses, backup generators are an investment worth making. Winter is fast approaching and the threat of bad weather is right around the corner. Power outages are happen a lot in the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area. Types of Commercial Building Backup Generators Commercial buildings over 3 floors must have a standby backup generator in the state of Maryland. The code calls for an emergency generator for specific locations where you must maintain power at all times, like: Airports Government buildings Nuclear power plants Hospitals Nursing Homes Generators are fueled by natural gas or diesel. Importantly they are equipped with
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You wouldn’t drive your car without regular maintenance inspections like checking and changing the oil, air filter, and belts. So, to maintain efficiency, building systems may have to run constantly. And, the only way to keep them running at their best is to do regular inspections and maintenance service checkups. The Importance of Regular Inspections Performing regular maintenance inspections can identify minor problems before they turn into significant and costly issues. Also, inspections can minimize equipment downtime and ensure systems and machines are working properly. Hospitals, nursing homes, and apartment complexes are just a few of the buildings that we
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The Impact of COVID-19 on Commercial Real Estate There’s no denying a change in the landscape of how we do business after the impact of COVID-19. The pandemic’s effects on commercial space and commercial real estate overall leave many wondering what’s next and how to proceed from here. During shutdowns and lockdowns, we experienced a constriction in demand for building engineers. Now, with the subsequent reopening of businesses everywhere, building engineers are in critically short supply. Commercial Office Space and the Impact of COVID-19 When the lockdown began, so did the mass exodus from office space to remote working from
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Energy Star Certification has been around for a while… I know you’ve seen the labels on your washing machine and refrigerator. But do you realize that your building can receive an Energy Star certification as well? When a building becomes Energy Star certified, it has an Energy Star score of 75 or better. The EPA Energy Star scale goes from 1-100, with 100 being the best. A score of 75 means that your building is protecting the environment and saving energy better than 75 percent of similar buildings in the U.S. This certification is awarded yearly, so your building must
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According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment growth for engineers is expected to continue trending upwards through 2026. Interesting to note, from the 2016-2026 decade, close to 140,000 new jobs are expected for engineers. And, these jobs are available in a variety of building engineer job titles. In Washington, D.C., as in most metropolitan areas, the need for skilled labor is at an all-time high! For that reason, it’s an excellent time for you to consider a career in building maintenance engineering. Also, the ability to grow in this occupation is an added bonus. Remember, your career can
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When you work as a building maintenance engineer, you’re in a unique position. By that we mean, you’ll have the opportunity to use your brains and your physical strengths. You’ll find that becoming a successful, sought-after building maintenance engineer requires training and experience. In fact, you must be knowledgeable in the field to compete for the best jobs and to be competent and qualified for assignments as they come up. A strong background in math and science can help. But, the specialized building engineer training you receive from the industry itself will help you build your reputation. Before you know
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Winter’s officially behind us in the Washington, D.C. metro area. So, it’s time to think about switching from heat to air conditioning in your commercial buildings. Of course, temperatures will continue to rise during the day and stay warm at night. And when that happens, tenants will expect a comfortable temperature in each unit. In commercial settings, it’s not as simple as hitting a button on your thermostat to switch from heat to air conditioning. Depending on your HVAC system, it likely requires maintenance before making the switch. What Maintenance Do Commercial HVAC Systems Require? For efficiency and lifespan, it’s
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The rooftop chiller on your commercial building serves HVAC systems by ensuring they deliver the proper humidity level, temperature, and ventilation while minimizing operating costs. To keep your tenants comfortable and happy, your rooftop chiller must work properly at all times. Preventative maintenance is key to keeping them up and running. Still, you’ll need to repair even the most well-maintained rooftop chiller at some point. If you experience any of the following, it may be time to service your rooftop chiller: Uneven cooling or heating Inconsistent airflow throughout the building System efficiency loss Unexpected high cooling or heating bills Unfamiliar
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So, you want to become a building engineer? Keep in mind, there are several disciplines building engineers can go into. Moreover, it will require specific skills and certifications to move from an apprentice or intern to an engineer. Education to Prepare for a Job in Building Maintenance While requirements vary by state and employer, all building engineers must have a high school diploma or GED. So, if you’re still in high school and planning to work in building maintenance, make sure you take advanced math and science classes. This will help to prepare yourself for future degrees and certification exams:
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Are you a building engineer in between contracts or unemployed? Do you need a temporary or permanent work solution in the District of Columbia, Maryland, or Virginia? At Building Maintenance Systems, Inc. (BMSI) in Washington, D.C., we offer job security and variety. It doesn’t matter if you are a seasoned building engineer, or interested in pursuing a career as a building engineer. Why struggle with the unknowns of contract work or stay in a dead-end job when you can thrive instead? Why Choose BMSI? At BMSI, we offer temporary and long-term engineering and maintenance staff to building owners, real estate
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With the type of work building engineers and maintenance staff have to complete, work-related accidents are more common than in other industries. Whether it’s on or off the job, an accident could be devastating to your business. Suppose you’ve ever dealt with an injured engineer or maintenance staff member. In that case, you know how hard it is to keep your business going after an accident happens. Plans may need to change, you miss timelines, and you’re left scrambling to stay on track or risk losing valuable time and money. Suppose you’re dreading the thought of having to replace a
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With warm weather coming to Washington, DC, building engineers will plan vacations. They might want time off to spend with family and friends. If they haven’t already, the time off requests will likely start rolling in any day now. When you work in commercial real estate with a building engineering and maintenance staff, scheduling can be difficult. You might not be able to honor all time-off requests. If you know you’ll be short-staffed, you may tell someone that you can’t give them their requested days. This can put you in a tight spot. You can’t run your building without an
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Are all building engineers in the Nation’s Capital operating under the same certification and requirements? No, not at all. In fact, some jobs and situations require an advanced certification under District of Columbia Municipal Regulations. Let’s talk about the DC 3rd Class Engineer Certification. Why Is a DC 3rd Class License Necessary in Some Jobs? It’s a matter of safety. Consider that Boilers and Chillers are pressurized vessels. Without proper handling, the risk of explosion is significant. Therefore, monitoring and maintaining these pieces of equipment cannot be left to an apprentice. Understandably, an experienced DC Class 3 Engineer with the
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You Don’t Have to Hire a Full-Time Building Engineer Many industries are looking for ways to cut expenses without cutting corners. The property management industry is no different. If you’re struggling to keep your mobile engineering force on payroll or affording to hire much-needed help, there’s another way forward. At BMSI in Washington D.C., we can provide your mobile engineering force, so you don’t have to worry about hiring a full-time engineer. Why throw a permanent solution at a temporary problem when you don’t have to? A Customized Solution for Your Staffing Needs If vacancy problems have you scrambling to
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For better or worse, the building engineer demographic is changing. The baby boomer generation of engineers is looking to retire, paving the way for younger generations to take their place. The pandemic has slowed down the need for building engineers in some areas temporarily. The projections are that technology and reshoring efforts will create an even more significant demand for new talent. This will require not only workers but skilled workers. Building the Next Generation of Engineers At BMSI in Washington D.C., we’re prepared to welcome the new generation and help to bridge the skills gap through education. When you
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Whether you’re new to being a building engineer or you’re a seasoned pro, I’m sure you’ll agree. It can be frustrating to deal with the realities of working in this industry. Jobs come and go, sometimes with little to no warning. You just get in the groove with a new crew. Suddenly, the project gets sidelined or they decide to go another way. This leaves you without a job or crew to work with. Or maybe you’ve been on the job too long and you’re frustrated with the lack of progression in your career. You’ve been the building engineer for
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While some industries have fared well during the pandemic, the commercial real estate industry has struggled. Between rent freezes, shutdowns, and capacity restrictions, landlords and property owners have had to make some hard decisions. For many real estate investors and property management companies, that means having to make sacrifices. Cutting work crews and putting off projects are common survival tactics. However, buildings still need to be maintained whether rent checks are coming in or not. What’s a property owner or management company to do if they’re no longer able to support their full staff due to pandemic realities? If you’re
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If you’ve chosen a career as a building engineer, you know what you like best about it. Getting exposure to a lot of different trades can be a real resume builder. Let’s look at some of the challenges the building engineer faces on his career path. We think you’ll like the solutions BMSI can offer you! Chances for Advancement as a Building Engineer If you’re working as part of a small crew, the ladder to the top may be non-existent. If you only have one or two people over you on the job, you may have to wait a long
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Whether you’re a commercial building owner or a property management firm, you’re going to need a dependable, experienced building engineer. This key team member is responsible for the seamless operation of your building or facility. Have you had trouble finding the right person to fill these work boots? Let’s review hiring options that might help you run your buildings with ease. Have Your Building Engineer Vetted for You When you hire an engineer through standard practices, it’s hard to know what you might find in a person. When our staffing company, BMSI, sends an engineer to you, we have thoroughly
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When you invest in your first commercial property, you may find your task list overwhelming. As Commerical Real Estate Investors, you’ll enjoy the income potential, steady cash flow, and low vacancy rates, but where can you turn for help? When you need help managing and maintaining your property, turn to the experts for the help you need. Here’s what you’ll need to consider. Building Management for Commercial Real Estate Investors As an investor in commercial real estate property, there will be plenty to do. You’ll need to focus on big-picture priorities. Partner with a specialist company who can take care
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