Small Investment Yields a Big ROI

Why a yearly building inspection is the smartest investment to make.

Everyone remembers playing with dominos. You lay them out carefully, making sure they line up and stay standing until it’s time to tip one over starting a chain reaction of fun. If someone accidentally bumps the table or hits a piece before it’s time, the whole thing is ruined, and you have to start over. The same can be said for your property. It’s carefully laid out and erected, but one small bump during a planned repair can cause the chain reaction that wasn’t planned, and more importantly, wasn’t in the budget. 

A simple way to ensure your property remains at its best is through a four-point yearly inspection. An experienced company, like The Project Company (TPC), will inspect your roofing, exterior coatings and paint, masonry and sealants. Inspecting these four components of your property yearly will detect small issues before they become major repairs. In other words, it makes financial sense. TPC has the experience and knowledge to do it properly.

“Most significant problems start as small issues then balloon into expensive repairs,” Jason Everhart, The Project Company, stated. “The most important thing owners can do in my opinion is to have yearly inspections of the facade and roof because they are major repairs. Having them inspected yearly will ensure small problems are fixed in a timely manner.”

1. Roof Inspection
It all starts at the top, aka the roof. Roofs are so important there is a multitude of expressions dedicated to them. A roof over your head. Cat on a hot tin roof. Raise the roof. Even a major hotel chain named itself after a red one. It is your building’s first line of defense from any form of precipitation. 

There are many kinds: TPO, EPDM, PVC, Modified Bitumen, Built-up and Gravel, Shingle and Metal (Standing Seam). Each type has its own special needs, and shows wear in different places. TPC’s qualified inspectors not only know where to look but what signs of wear to look for, how to fix them, and how to do so in a timely manner.

2. Masonry & Carpentry Inspection
Brick, mortar, concrete, wood and steel are the materials that make up the foundations and framework of most buildings. If a building is not structurally sound, it is not safe for you, your workers, or your guests. It can cause your property to close until the repairs are made, and meanwhile, you are not generating income from that property. 

Masonry is a beautiful and sturdy building product, and with proper maintenance, it can last centuries. An inspection will show where the mortar may be crumbling, if there are bricks that need to be repaired or replaced before they become a major repair and expense. “Carpentry is defined as the way in which something is structured. During a 4-point inspection, an inspector will thoroughly scrutinize your entire building,” explained Everhart.

3. Sealants Inspection
The Midwest’s weather is unpredictable, to say the least. It will be 75 degrees on a Monday and -4 by the end of the week. This may seem like an exaggeration to prove a point, but this happened during a January this decade. Fluctuations like that put undue strain on sealants causing them to crack or break, which lead to gaps. Those gaps allow moisture to get in and hot (or cool) air to escape.

During an inspection, TPC checks all the seals. If there is one that needs to be replaced, they make a note of it and how to proceed.

4. Coatings & Paint Inspection
It’s natural to have wear and tear on the exterior of your property, but a fresh coat of paint or a facade overhaul may not be in the budget this year. In the hospitality industry, buildings are large and painting the facade is more complicated than picking up a gallon of paint and a roller at the local hardware store. It requires access (i.e., lift, swing stage or scaffolding) and skilled labor. 

Coatings and paint protect the exterior of properties. TPC’s inspectors check for chips, cracks and places that may need a patch as opposed to an entire facade overhaul. 

The exterior of your building is the face your company presents to the world. Properly maintained and cared for, it will weather the years wonderfully, increasing the ROI on your property without costing an arm and a leg. A simple yet thoughtful yearly inspection will keep you ahead of the game. By keeping up with the small repairs in a timely manner, the major renovations won’t be as comprehensive, and the dominos will stay in place.  

At The Project Company, we are the area’s most qualified inspectors to conduct a 4 Point inspection on your property. We understand even the smallest investments can improve your guests’ experience and can increase your ROI. We work with companies on projects from big to small with our dedicated project management staff and team of skilled laborers. We can handle the project management to the procurement and virtually everything in between.