Summer can be unbearable, the heat and humidity can turn your office building into an oven even with a cooling system in place. Additionally, your employees are more susceptible to dehydration, which can significantly affect productivity. Not only that, but the heat can also end up decimating your office’s outdoor landscape, turning it into something short of a desert. That said, you must consider the following tips to prepare your office for the summer heat to minimize and mitigate its effects
HVAC Inspection, Cleaning, Maintenance
Even before the first heat wave strikes, you must hire a professional to take a look at your HVAC system. A dusty, damaged, and poorly-maintained cooling system can result in higher electrical bills, poor performance, and the increased risk of it shutting down in the middle of operations — and the last thing you’d want is to have is an office without air conditioning in the summer. So, have your HVAC professional clean out dust, detect and repair any damages, and maintain the system before summer arrives.
Summer Shade
On most days, you’d want natural light to permeate through your office to give it a natural and open ambiance, but in the summer, you’d want to minimize the sunlight that’s coming in. Not only would it increase the heat and humidity in the office building, but it can cause your HVAC system to work harder to keep the ambient temperature at a comfortable level which, subsequently, would rack up your building’s electricity bill. So make sure to close windows, curtains, and blinds, whenever the cooling system is on.
Provide Access to Water
One of the worst effects of the summer heat is dehydration, which is why your entire office building should have enough filtered water coolers to cater to employees as well as clients, customers, and visitors — you definitely wouldn’t want anyone fainting from heat and exhaustion inside your office building.
Limit Appliance Use
You shouldn’t ignore the heat produced by various office equipment and appliances such as PCs, data banks, photocopying machines, shredders, and lighting fixtures. As such, any unused appliance must be unplugged and switched off to prevent them from contributing to the ambient heat. You should also limit the use of ovens in pantries and encourage using the microwave instead.
Don’t Forget Your Greenery and Landscape
Remember, the summer heat and sun won’t only affect the inside of your office building, but the outside as well, causing brown spots in the grass, and may even cause plants and trees to wither and die due to lack of water and/or extreme heat. This would turn your office building’s otherwise beautiful landscape into an arid and dying terrain, which can affect employee morale as well as make the office exterior look unappealing to customers and clients. You’ll want to invest in irrigation, plant, and grass maintenance to ensure that your office landscape stays in shape even in the heat by hiring local commercial landscaping services in Vicksburg.
Conclusion
Summertime can be a very difficult time for your employees and customers alike, which is why it’s important to take all the necessary steps to ensure that your office building stays cool and comfortable. It’s also just as vital to maintaining your office’s landscapes and greenery to make sure it stays aesthetically pleasing. Whichever the case, it’s best to be prepared and make the necessary adjustments before summer arrives.
