Building Maintenance
Regular maintenance programs and costs. El-Eman Office provides maintenance contracts for buildings.
Regular Inspection and Early Detection of Defects
Effective maintenance begins with organised inspection. A small leak or surface crack can be treated cheaply if found early, whereas neglect turns it into damage to reinforcement or ceilings that needs major repair. It is therefore recommended to prepare an inspection checklist for each building element, reviewed periodically, with notes and repair dates recorded.
- Inspect roofs and drains before the rainy season.
- Monitor wall cracks, recording their width and any change.
- Check safety equipment such as firefighting, alarm and emergency lighting.
- Follow the condition of facades, projecting parts and balconies.
Telling Cosmetic Cracks from Structural Ones
Not every crack is dangerous, but some indicate a structural problem. Fine hairline cracks on the plaster surface are usually caused by material shrinkage and need only cosmetic treatment. Wide or diagonal cracks at the corners of openings, cracks that widen over time, or those accompanied by level differences in floors call for inspection by a structural engineer. A useful method is to place markers or monitoring gauges across the crack to follow its development.
In some cases a precise survey is needed to measure settlement or tilt of the building at intervals, to verify that it is stable.
Organising the Maintenance Budget
It is better to include maintenance as a fixed item in the building or owners' association budget, instead of waiting for failures. The main items are recurring routine work, an emergency fund, and major scheduled works carried out at long intervals, such as renewing waterproofing and paint. It also helps to divide the building into systems (structure, electrical, drainage, lifts) and assign someone responsible for each.
- List the building elements and their expected lives.
- Set priorities according to risk and the effect of delay.
- Get several offers for major works and compare them on the same items.
- Keep inspection and repair reports to track the building's condition.
Structural Maintenance and Waterproofing
Waterproofing of roofs and bathrooms needs the most follow-up, because its failure leads to damp and corrosion of reinforcing steel. Roofs are inspected after rain to make sure water flows to the drains without pooling, and waterproofing joints at the edges are reviewed. Exposed rusting steel and falling concrete should be treated quickly, since delay makes the repair larger and more costly.
Frequently asked questions
Does a new building need maintenance?
Yes. New buildings can show workmanship defects in the first years, and preventive maintenance from the start preserves the value of the building and stops problems building up.
Who is responsible for maintaining common areas?
This is set by the contracts and the shared-ownership rules or the owners' association. It is best to have responsibilities and funding clear and in writing to avoid disputes among residents.
When should I call a consulting engineer to inspect?
When wide cracks, settlement or tilt appear, when leaks keep recurring, before buying an old building, or when structural alterations are planned. Early assessment saves a great deal that might otherwise get worse.
