WINTER MAINTENANCE WHAT HAS SUMMER LEFT BEHIND?
After months of dry, hot weather, a winter preparation strategy should consider the hidden damage that may have been left behind by extreme summer heat, says Aspect.
After the UK’s hottest summer on record, buildings are heading into another significant change in conditions. An unprecedented El Niño is developing, with forecasts pointing to wetter, stormier weather later this autumn and into winter.
For facilities managers, preparing for this change shouldn’t simply mean working through the usual autumn maintenance schedule. After months of dry, hot weather, a winter preparation strategy should also consider the hidden damage that may have been left behind by extreme summer heat.
Chris Savaker, Managing Director and Head of Flood Response and Reinstatement Services at Aspect, says: "Extreme conditions can put materials and components under stresses they wouldn’t experience in a typical summer, but the consequences aren’t always immediately visible. A building can appear to have come through the summer relatively unscathed, only for weaknesses to become apparent when temperatures fall and sustained rainfall returns."
Inspect heat-stressed building fabric Prolonged heat, UV exposure and changes in temperature can affect building materials in different ways. Roofing membranes on flat roofs can blister or distort, while some sealants and caulking can dry, crack or shrink. Repeated expansion and contraction can also place stress on joints and interfaces between different materials.
The important point is not to assume that extreme heat has caused damage, but to recognise where it may have contributed to deterioration or exacerbated an as originally intended.
Flat roofs, flashing, expansion joints, exterior doors and windows are all areas where small changes can create vulnerable points. Attention should be paid to gaps, cracking, lifting or other signs that a previously weather- tight interface may no longer be performing as intended.
And not everything will be apparent during a dry-weather inspection. Savaker continues: “A visual inspection won’t always reveal everything. When it rains, use this as an opportunity to see how effectively the building is managing water. Overflowing gutters, water tracking down elevations, pooling at ground level, slow-draining gullies or new internal staining can all indicate that something isn’t working as intended.”
Where water becomes visible internally is also not necessarily where it entered. Water can travel through the building fabric before appearing elsewhere, making it important to establish the source rather than simply repairing the visible damage.
Follow the water Roofing, gutters, downpipes, gullies and below-ground drainage may be maintained separately, but during
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heavy rain they operate as one connected water- management system.
“A clear gutter achieves little if the gully beneath it is obstructed. Equally, functioning below-ground drainage cannot prevent water ingress if damaged flashing allows rain into the building before it reaches the gutter,” Savaker adds.
Looking at the complete route water takes through a site can therefore reveal vulnerabilities that may be missed when each element is considered independently. It can also highlight potential pinch points before heavier or prolonged rainfall puts the whole system under pressure.
Consider what is happening below ground The transition from prolonged dry weather to heavier rainfall also makes below-ground infrastructure worth considering.
Dry conditions can affect some soils and ground conditions, potentially placing additional stress on underground pipework and joints. Tree roots searching for moisture can also exploit existing weaknesses, entering cracks or displaced joints and contributing to blockages.
Be alert to warning signs such as slow drainage, recurring blockages, unexplained water loss or areas where surface water is taking longer than expected to clear.
Seasonal maintenance schedules exist for good reason, and the fundamentals don’t change because the summer was unusually hot. What has changed is the weather the building has just experienced.
After an exceptional summer, going beyond the standard checks can help identify and address minor defects before wetter, stormier weather exposes them and they develop into more significant repairs or cause disruption to daily operations.
www.aspect.co.uk twitter.com/TomorrowsFM
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