When maintenance professionals perform this service, they not only make existing buildings easier to maintain, but they may also see potential to repair some of the older components on the building’s framework and will often find opportunities to perform repairs or upgrades.
And while total productive maintenance is very time-consuming, many of the benefits listed below can help reduce the need for time-consuming or potentially dangerous full-scale repairs later.
What is total productive maintenance?
In brief, total productive maintenance means efficiently performing work and making the most out of your machines and equipment so that they do not suffer from daily wear and tear.
This includes:
- Atmospheric conditions
- Working conditions
- Maintenance of materials
- Maintenance of staff
- Maintenance of equipment
- Environmental conditions
- Maintenance of training
- Maintenance of tools
- Maintenance of process control
The importance of efficient maintenance can be explained by an experiment from the 19th century.
In the 1860s, a farmer was given a time period in which to put an engine on his farm to produce beer.
His average life span was 24 years. After 10 years, the engine had failed.
The farmer decided to keep the engine, and he invested a lot of money in repairing it.
During the next 20 years, he made other investments, and after 30 years the engine was still running.
Now, take a look at his engine. Compare its condition to that of the one that was replaced.
The older engine was less productive than the replacement engine, which produced more beer than the other.
The farmer was going to receive more money for the old engine than for the new one.
It’s easy to see that continuous technical advancement improves production efficiency and thereby increases profits.
Total productive maintenance involves making investments in machinery and equipment that will improve the efficiency of your production.
The cost of implementing this type of maintenance program is often smaller than putting new equipment in place and replacing existing ones.
Clean windows and other exterior windows
Cracks and other defects in a window’s exterior may not be a concern for a small investment, but the damage can add up over time and take the roof off the building.
When a building has large expanses of glass in its facade, it creates an exposure point.
A window may not seem like a big deal until the window starts to leak, which causes a drain.
This drains into a wall where it can cause considerable damage.
If there’s an issue with a glass seal, it’s usually relatively easy to repair this damage.
However, if there is a crack or split in the exterior pane, it is much more difficult to repair.
This can lead to significant time-consuming and expensive repairs to the exterior structure and an expensive basement cleanup, if something leaks.
This is where the opportunity to completely prevent or seal cracks or splits from occurring exists.
If a building is new, then every window should have an efficient window seal; otherwise, it should be at least set to the industry standard.
This will take time but will save the building a lot of headaches in the future.
Leaky roofs
Roof leaks can result in everything from water seeping through walls and destroying internal insulation to other building problems.
When a building’s roof is leaking, there’s usually a lot of damage involved, including wood rot, mold, and other environmental concerns.
You might be able to see from the outside that there’s water damage in the roof, but it can be very difficult to determine how much damage there really is.
A leaky roof can create significant problems in terms of both aesthetics and reliability.
A leaky roof can create a lot of damage and cleanup, but it can also cause additional problems.
For example, if a person is living in the building and a leaky roof occurs, the entire roof needs to be replaced to keep the building inhabitable.
This is a great example of when a complete total productive maintenance program can come into play.
If a roof is leaking, then the entire roof needs to be replaced to keep the building livable and prevent further damage and contamination.
However, this is only the case if the roof is completely saturated with water and there is nothing that can be done to repair or repair it without making the entire building uninhabitable.
Recommended tools for complete productive maintenance
Professional cleaners are usually the best option to perform the removal of mold and mildew.
As mentioned above, these items can be very destructive if left behind in a building.
Cleaning products and other chemicals are available that are not only safe but will also help remove these undesirable conditions.
Depending on the type of mold or mildew, you might need to perform additional de-molding treatments to remove the outer layers of the mold.
A good power washer will help get rid of mold and mildew and remove grease and grime.
If a building is in a flood zone, then you may need to have a professional contractor complete the cleaning process.
With large amounts of water rushing through a building, there can be a lot of debris that can cause significant damage to the structural integrity of a building.
This debris can come from normal construction dust, but sometimes debris can also come from other sources, such as roof leaks.
If you don’t have the ability to remove the moisture that is leaking into your building, you should have the building professionally sealed.
If you can make these repairs, then sealing your building can be a quick and relatively easy step to preventing future problems.
