We Know A Thing Or Two ON How To
Maintain Your Facility Envelope

Both exterior and interior walls are subject to the wear and tear of material transport and heavy equipment operation including forklifts and delivery trucks. Best safety practices such as high vis bollards and guardrails will minimize these damages. 

Installing or re-designing of the landscaping around the building’s exterior can be beneficial in reducing climate loads on the exterior walls as well as acting as a barrier to prevent building damage.  

The exterior covering on the walls, be it a brick facade, metal clad siding, engineered siding etc. are subject to a host of issues especially if water or moisture should penetrate the barrier and cause buckling, warping or the siding materials to fall off. Yearly inspection to ensure envelope tightness is strongly recommended to avoid major repairs.

Most common work order issue is the door does not close or open easily. Hines technicians inspect all typical aspects such as door closer adjustments, insulation, alignment problems ie. latch not entering the strike plate, jamb not plumb, warped door, hinge fatigue etc. 

Air gaps typically point to  a structure or installation issue and compromise the interior environment and result in taxing the hVAC system and increasing your heating and cooling costs. Leading edge gaskets and insulation products properly installed will address the problem. 

On most exterior doorways, a threshold is installed at the bottom of the door to ensure a safe  transition between spaces and prevent moisture or cold air from getting in. Temperature shifts and wear and tear can result in alignment issues that can typically be fixed when initiating a service call work order.

A door closer or power operator is designed  to smoothly open, close and latch the entry door. Continuous use and lack of ongoing maintenance result in the door closer failure. A work order inspection will confirm the need for adjustments, cleaning and lubrication or replacement and installation of the operator. 

Back entrance and dock doors are often damaged from lifts and carts. To protect the door from damage, aluminum, stainless steel and plastic plates can be installed to better protect and address damage and security concerns.

Damage to the window whether a crack or actual break requires immediate action as it  compromises your building’s security and results in liability issues and impact your insurance coverage. This will also impact the operation of the HVAC system regulating the interior environment of  your premises. Hines provides emergency hoarding and glazing expertise to remedy the issue. 

When double or triple insulated commercial windows show signs of fogging it points to the seal being compromised and broken. Taking quick action will result in significant maintenance savings where by an insulated glass panel is replaced and the also refilled with the insulted gas compound, ie. argon. 

Slider windows are often subject to a host of issues especially when it doesn't close properly and results in water accumulation in the window track. Typically a maintenance work order will remedy the issue. 

Drafts from window cases lead to higher heating and cooling costs due to lack of proper insulation from the elements, compromising the interior environment for your employees and customers. Usually a service work order will address the problem and typically points to the replacement  of the window weather stripping. 

Windows won’t stay open or close properly. Often the issue points to hardware components breaking down. A work order will usually address these problems and allows for additional preventive cleaning maintenance and the lubricating of moving parts.

Cracks or gaps are usually a leading indicator of foundation failure. If you find gaps in your foundation or on the wall exterior, cracked floor or separation of window frames of your commercial property, it's time to have an assessment to identify the problem. 

Interior drywall cracks and gaps where moldings or beads are  separating from the walls is a signal for an assessment of the foundation to identify the problem.