Planned servicing and maintenance

Why planned beats reactive

A door closer that is losing oil gives months of warning. A floor spring that has started to weep will keep working until it does not. The cost of attending on a planned visit and adjusting it is a fraction of the cost of an emergency call-out, a failed entrance and a building you cannot secure.

For a facilities manager the other benefit is budget certainty. A planned schedule turns an unpredictable reactive spend into a known annual figure, and the condition report tells you what is coming so it can be put in next year's budget rather than this year's emergencies.

What a service visit covers

• Operation check on every leaf — swing, latch, lock engagement and closing speed
• Closers and floor springs adjusted to the correct closing and latching speeds
• Hinges, pivots and patch fittings checked for wear and play
• Locks, cylinders and panic hardware tested and lubricated
• Gaskets and weather seals inspected for perishing and shrinkage
• Drainage slots cleared, which is the single most common cause of water ingress
• Automatic operators run through their full cycle, with safety sensors checked
• Threshold and floor finish checked for wear that affects the door

Condition reports

Every visit comes with a written report: what was adjusted, what was replaced, and what is showing wear and will need attention within twelve months, with a budget cost against each item. That is the document that lets you plan rather than react.

Frequency

Most commercial entrances want servicing twice a year. A high-traffic entrance — a retail unit, a school, a busy office reception — is better on quarterly. Low-traffic doors and screens are fine annually. Automatic doors have their own considerations and are covered on the automatic doors page.

Who this suits

Facilities managers, managing agents, schools and academies, care homes, retail estates and industrial landlords. Anywhere a failed entrance means a building that cannot open or cannot be secured.