11 Simple Ways to Spruce Up Your Building

Do your outside areas and parking lots look soiled, damaged, or old? This should be expected and not a surprise.

After a harsh winter, many properties may be looking worn. The effects of the brutal weather are evident everywhere. Take a walk outdoors and keep your eyes open. Sign posts have been knocked down by windy conditions. The striping on your parking structure has been obliterated by storm water and snow plows. The salt that was spread eroded the speed bumps and curb edges. All of this, combined with signs covered with graffiti and hedges squashed by negligent drivers, ensure that the property certainly needs some comprehensive spring time renovations.

Where's the best place to begin? The following is a checklist for Spring Spruce Up so that you can start making sure the parking lot and outside space is visually appealing as well as clean and safe.

1. Put in new sign posts when old ones are twisted or rusty. Consider sign posts that are flexible so they bounce back to standing if hit. It's worth your while as you will not have to replace them over and over again with new posts.

2. Stop signs or parking signs that are faded need to be replaced or renovated. Install bright fresh signs.. Buy the ones that are highly reflective and you'll increase night visibility when headlights shine on them.

3. Protect yourself from those who would vandalize the property. You'll spend a lot in time and effort if you have to replace signs that have been vandalized. When you are going to replace the signs, do so with an upgrade to those that have a protective coating. With this special coating, sunlight will not cause fading and graffiti will be easy to clean.

4. If curbs or speed bumps are cracked, it's time to replace them. If you use rubber or plastic, you'll never have to repaint again and they won't fade or chip.

5. Redo the stripes in the parking lot. Hire a professional painting company to put fresh stripes back on your parking lot.

6. Go over the safety measures for the parking lot. In the warmer months, more folks will go outside. Put in signs at the crosswalks so people will know where they can safely walk and so drivers will know if certain areas are restricted to vehicles.

7. Fix the sidewalks where they have cracked. Take out the sealer and fill in any crack wider than 1/4". Mend the little holes that appear as soon as you see them. This will prevent water from being absorbed which will consequently transform small potholes into bigger ones.

8. Make sure areas that are restricted because they're not safe, cannot be easily accessed. Restrict access to vehicles or pedestrians by using traffic cones or tape to barricade some areas.

9. Perk up the outside grounds. Replace dying plant life with newer, healthier landscaping. Then put in some bollards for protection. Use security posts, called bollards, to make sure cars don't mar the sidewalks and your landscaping efforts.

10. Take things off your property that have been damaged or are no longer in good shape. Fix tables and repaint them, and do the same with trash cans, bike racks, and other things, returning them when they are new looking and clean.

11. Put a reminder out regarding the smoking policy for your property. Put signs up that say whether smoking is allowed or not outside the doorways of buildings and in the outside areas where breaks are taken. Put out receptacles to catch cigarette butts so the sidewalk isn't messy.

A Spring Spruce Up can make any outside space look new again, even if it is in really bad shape. Just use your checklist. Once you have new signs, a parking lot that is neat, and fresh landscaping, your grounds will provide a clean, secure environment that is also visually appealing.