Steel is the most popular construction material. This is mainly due to its strength and durability. It also requires minimal maintenance. Nonetheless, no building lasts a lifetime. The exposure to the vagaries of the weather results in wear and tear that gradually weaken the structure of a steel building.
It may not be easily noticeable, but the reality is that every material deteriorates over time. While steel can outlast most construction materials, it still needs to be properly maintained for it to remain strong and sturdy for a long time. The following maintenance tips can keep your steel building strong and sturdy for a long time.
1. Protect the Surface
The surface of your steel building should be adequately protected. Depending on your steel structure and the environment your building is in, you can apply various methods to protect the surface of your building. You can choose from the most popular metallic coating, which involves hot-dip galvanizing to cold galvanizing or metalizing to protect the surface of your steel building. This process involves projecting molten metal at a high velocity on to your building surface.
2. Insulate Your Building from Heat
To maintain the right temperatures inside your steel building, you should insulate it appropriately. When the insulation is damaged, there is a risk that moisture will build up over time. This can eventually damage your steel structure. Besides, a compromised insulation increases the energy costs of your building since it affects the cooling and heating systems. Rust build-up as a result of increased moisture can also damage your steel building.
3. Repairing and Replacing Fasteners
Regularly check fasteners such as rivets, nuts and screws to make sure your steel building stays in pristine condition. Tighten any loose fasteners and replace those that are worn or damaged. You should also replace the rivets to prevent moisture from corroding the steel surface. For uniformity, you should consider painting fastener heads with the same colour.
4. Painting
With time, paint on a new steel building starts to wear off. Scratches and dents begin to appear. Other unseemly damages include corrosion and rust. It is therefore important to regularly refill such areas with a metal filler before repainting them. If you can, have on hand a small amount of matching paint for doing minor spot repairs whenever necessary.
5. Annually Clean Your Steel Building
Once every year, thoroughly clean your steel building to get rid of harmful blemishes and fungi that could inflict more damage to your structure. To do this, mix warm water with ammonia or use any other general cleaning detergent and thoroughly clean your structure using a low-pressure power washer.
6. Conduct Annual Maintenance Checks
Conducting a yearly maintenance inspection helps you in noticing and arresting problems before they become cost-intensive maintenance problems. These checks are important in ensuring that minor problems are rectified before they cause serious damages to your building. To do this effectively, have a maintenance schedule, and file all maintenance records for easy reference and follow up. To be certain that you have every angle covered, consider using a professional contractor to do the annual checks and recommend a cause of action depending on what they will find.
Although steel buildings are built to last, they do not last a lifetime; nothing does. However, with proper purposeful maintenance, a steel building can serve you for a very long time. Chances are that a properly maintained steel building can outlast most, if not all, other buildings in the vicinity. For this to happen, you will need to be purposeful and intentional about having a maintenance programme that addresses problems as soon as they occur.
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