By Mel Schultz Property Maintenance snow removal

Winter Maintenance and Snow Removal Tips for Minnesota Commercial Properties

Is your Minnesota commercial property ready for winter? September is a good time to put together your snow removal and winter maintenance plan. Clarity Commercial can help you learn what your property needs and arrange a snow removal vendor so you know your property will remain accessible and safe through the winter months.

Prepare Your Snow Removal and Deicing Plan

Work with your property management company to determine your snow removal and deicing plan. Getting your contract in place now means you won’t need to scramble and arrange service when the first snow falls. Clarity Commercial can recommend a snow removal vendor who can serve you and your property all winter long.

When you set up a contract with your snow removal company, be sure to clearly define your expectations for their service, including when snow is cleared and deicing frequency. Identify your high-traffic areas and ask your snow removal company to prioritize them. Don’t forget to include your ramps and handicap parking spaces to ensure your building remains accessible to everyone.

Put Snow and Ice Removal Equipment in Place

Most snow removal companies bring and use their own equipment, but having a few shovels and some salt at your property can be helpful for those unexpectedly slippery mornings or surprise dustings of snow. Inspect last year’s equipment for wear or damage and replace it if necessary. Visit your local hardware store to purchase salt or sand and keep it in your building’s vestibule for ease of use. Or, ask your snow removal company to provide salt for you to use.

Protect Your Investment by Deicing Regularly

Deicing not only makes it safer and easier for your tenants and their guests to enter and leave your property, it also protects you against slip-and-fall risks. Slips on ice can lead to some hefty hospital bills. Regular and thorough deicing of your property through the colder months is a part of any property owner’s risk management plan.

Inspect Your Outdoor Lighting

Winter days are short, and you and your tenants will rely on your outdoor lighting to stay safe entering and leaving your building. Test the bulbs in your outdoor lights now to ensure they are in good working order, and consider upgrading to LED bulbs, which work great in the cold, last much longer than conventional bulbs, and save you money on your utility bill. If the exterior of your building is looking dim, add more outdoor lighting to improve visibility and reduce slip-and-fall risks.

Prep Your Roof, Gutters, and Storm Drains

Roof clearing should be part of your snow removal plan, especially if you have a flat roof. Clear gutters and storm drains now to ensure melting snow and ice have a place to go during thaws. During these preparations, decide on where you’d like your snow removal company to pile your snow and communicate that with them.

Communicate Your Snow Plan with Tenants

Once your winter snow removal plan is in place, let your tenants know what to expect for snow and ice removal. Encourage your tenants to report slippery spots or other snow-related hazards so you can deal with them quickly. Watch the weather forecast and warn tenants when bad weather is coming.

Winter is right around the corner. Now is the time to prepare your snow plan and hire your snow removal company. For professional commercial real estate management support, contact Clarity Commercial today.

Minnesota Commercial Snow Removal Service

For more information or to request a free estimate, visit their website at https://myclaritycommercial.com/ or give us a call at (952) 370-224-2699.

Affiliations & Credentials: We are proud members of IREM, CCIM and MNCAR along with various professional organizations and hold relevant certifications in the real estate management field. Our affiliations and credentials demonstrate our commitment to excellence and our ongoing efforts to stay up-to-date with industry best practices.

March 25, 2023

By Mel Schultz Property Maintenance exterior maintenance, HVAC maintenance, parking lot

Commercial Property Spring Cleanup Tips

It may not look like spring out there yet after our record-breaking winter, but it is time to start thinking about spring cleanup. Here are five commercial property spring cleanup tips from the professionals at Clarity Commercial. Our crews will be taking care of these tasks for our clients over the next 60 days.

Commercial Property Spring Cleanup Tips: Tune Up HVAC Systems

While you will likely be heating your building for at least another month, schedule your HVAC maintenance appointment now. Early spring is an ideal time to inspect your furnace or boiler, clean your ducts, and prepare your air conditioning units for the warmer months.

Fill Potholes in Your Parking Lot

This winter’s severe precipitation and freeze-thaw cycles have created massive potholes on roads and parking lots. For commercial property managers like Clarity Commercial, March is the month for cold-patch asphalt and power sweepers. Now that the asphalt plants are open, our partners are able to properly fill those nasty potholes with the proper hot patch. While the mountain of snow in your parking lot may persist until summer, you need to fill potholes and sweep your parking lot to remove salt and sand now. We partner with reputable asphalt and paving companies to keep our clients’ parking lots clear and safe.

Inspect Roofs for Damage

This winter is at least the eighth snowiest on record in the states. All that snow puts strain on your commercial roof. If you haven’t done so already, we recommend you have a professional remove the snowpack from your roof to avoid a cave-in. Once the snow has melted, have your roof inspected for damage. Clarity Commercial hires professional commercial roofing companies to perform roof inspections at the properties we manage. If we uncover damage, we work with our clients to have it repaired to keep occupants safe.

Clean Out the Gutters

Gutters on commercial buildings can become blocked with leaves and other debris over the winter. Heavy ice and snow also put strain on gutters and can cause damage. A commercial roofer can inspect your gutters while they’re looking at your roof. Or, you can hire a gutter specialist to give your gutters a thorough cleanout. Work with Clarity Commercial for vetted recommendations for both.

Schedule Window Cleaning for Late March

The busy season for window cleaners runs April through September. While there’s still snow on the ground now, we’re hopeful that by late March or Easter, it will be warm enough to give the windows on our clients’ properties a deep clean. Cleaning windows early means our buildings look their best while their neighbors are waiting for their spring refresh. Clean windows also let the warm spring sunlight to brighten offices and atriums, a welcome change from the long winter we’ve had.

Believe it or not, patio weather is right around the corner. Get your commercial property ready for sunny days with a little spring cleaning. Clarity Commercial is here to help. Contact us today for help with regular commercial property maintenance.

• Spring 2023 IREM Property Manager Professional Development Events
• Commercial Property Spring Cleanup Tips
• Upgrade to Cloud-Based Access Control
• Weather.com
• Minnesota Department of Natural Resources
• HomeAdvisor
• Energy.gov
• National Roofing Contractors Association

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• MyClarityCommercial Blog

October 13, 2022

By Mel Schultz Property Maintenance landscaping, snow removal

Fall Cleanup for Commercial Properties in Minnesota

Have you noticed the uptick in landscaping crews out and about recently? It’s go time in Minnesota for fall cleanup for commercial properties in Minnesota. October and November are the prime months for getting your commercial landscaping cleaned up and ready for winter. Here is what you can expect from your landscaping company when they perform fall cleanup at your property.

1. Fall Cleanup for Commercial Properties in Minnesota – Remove Leaves

Raking leaves is an autumn ritual in Minnesota, one that homeowners and commercial landscapers alike will perform several times before the trees stop dropping their leaves. Expect your landscaping crew to remove leaves from your property every two weeks through October and November. Removing leaves from your property improves soil health, reduces the chance of a slip and fall accident on walkways, and ensures your gutters and drains remain clear throughout the season.

2. Mow and Fertilize Your Grass

After they remove your leaves, your commercial landscaping crew will mow your grass. Grass grows until the first hard frost, which usually happens in October. At some point in October and November, they will also fertilize your lawn. They may overseed and aerate it to encourage fuller growth. This prepares your grass for a healthy season next year.

3. Prune Perennials

One of the last fall cleanup tasks your landscaping company will perform is pruning back your property’s perennials. Deadheading flowers and removing dead foliage increases airflow to the soil and reduces the chances of disease. Environmentally savvy landscapers may choose to keep some of your perennials intact during pruning to create habitat for bees and other beneficial insects to overwinter.

4. Tree and Shrub Care

Your landscaping crew will give the larger plants on your property some attention, too. Fall is a good time to prune many species of shrubs and trees. Your landscaping crew may trim back branches that are obstructing walkways or electrical wires or are getting too close to your building. If a tree on your property requires removal, they may bring in a tree removal team to safely and expertly remove the tree.

5. Prepare Your Property for Winter

Once their last fall cleanup task is complete, don’t be surprised if your landscaping company drops off snow shovels, ice melt, sand, and other snow and ice removal supplies. You may see snow plow markers show up along the edges of your parking lot to guide plows when the first flakes arrive. When you see these items appear, it is a good time to confirm that you’re on your snow removal company’s schedule for the upcoming season.

As the winter season approaches, it’s important to prepare for potential snow and ice on your commercial property. While you may be used to seeing your landscaping company taking care of fall cleanup tasks, it’s important to also keep an eye out for additional supplies and preparations that indicate they are ready to handle snow removal as well.

Snow shovels, ice melt, sand, and other winter weather supplies may start appearing at your property once fall cleanups are complete. This is a clear sign that your landscaping company is prepared for the upcoming snowy season. Additionally, you may notice snow plow markers being placed along the edges of your parking lot. These markers help guide plows when the first flakes start falling.

Landscaping and fall cleanup are just a few of the services Clarity Commercial can coordinate for you as your property management company. To partner with us and our landscaping vendors, contact Clarity Commercial today.

For more information or to request a free estimate, visit their website at https://myclaritycommercial.com/ or give us a call at (952) 370-224-2699.

Commercial Maintenance - Fall Cleanup for Commercial Properties in Minnesota

April 17, 2022

By Mel Schultz Property Management, Property Maintenance building inspection, manage ex[enses, Property Management, site inspection

The Economic Value of Regular Site Inspections in Property Maintenance

We’ve all heard the saying, “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” This is especially true for commercial property management and property maintenance. Not only do regular site inspections help property owners avoid expensive emergency repairs, they can also help property owners plan for capital improvements and other big-ticket investments. At Clarity Commercial, we perform regular site inspections of all of our clients’ properties to help them plan expenses and save money.

Regular site inspections are a vital aspect of property maintenance, playing a significant role in preserving the value of your investment. By conducting frequent assessments, property owners and managers can promptly identify and address maintenance issues, preventing minor problems from escalating into more costly repairs¹².

Regular Exterior Site Inspections for Property Maintenance

Exterior site inspections help property owners quickly address any emergent issues with the exteriors of their buildings, their parking lots, and their grounds. Clarity Commercial performs regular exterior site inspections. We understand that drive-by inspections are rarely effective, so our managers always get out of the car and walk around the building and parking lots to look for potential repairs or maintenance issues.
An exterior site inspection should include a close look at the building’s windows and siding to look for damaged or weathered trim, missing bricks, clogged gutters, and other issues. Managers should check the building’s doors and locks to ensure they are working properly. They should also pay attention to the condition of the walkways and driveways to make sure there are no trip-and-fall hazards. Lighting should be on and in good working order, too.

A quick look at the landscaping will identify whether the grass and flower beds are being maintained on an appropriate schedule. Long grass, weeds, or dead plants may prompt a call to the landscape company.

Regular Interior Site Inspections for Property Maintenance

Regular and frequent interior site inspections can keep surprises at bay. On our regular interior site inspections, the Clarity Commercial team will check the interior lighting to ensure hallways and tenant spaces are adequately lit. We will check doors to make sure they are working properly and inspect walls for dents, scrapes, and other damage.

An interior site inspection should also check the building’s heating, cooling, and air ventilation systems to ensure they are working properly. In many cases, we ask our HVAC partners to perform this specialized inspection. During our interior site inspection, we may also meet with tenants to ensure any maintenance and repair requests get handled promptly.

Regular site inspections are an integral part of the commercial property management process. The Clarity Commercial team learns a lot from the site inspections we perform. Sometimes, there are maintenance and repair tasks we can perform immediately, while other inspections uncover future maintenance and upgrade costs. Anticipating these costs helps property owners plan for future investments and avoid paying for emergency repairs.

An Essential Tool for Expense Management

By identifying maintenance issues early, regular site inspections help prevent small problems from becoming larger, more expensive ones². For example, a minor leak can turn into a significant water damage issue if left unattended. Regular inspections allow for the prompt discovery and repair of such problems, thus managing expenses effectively.

If you haven’t had your commercial property inspected in a while, get in touch with the Clarity Commercial team. We can work with you to ensure your buildings are in good working order and help you manage your maintenance and repair expenses.