Are you planning an office renovation? If so, you understand you have your work cut out for you. There are many things that go into creating office space that’ll boost morale in your employees so you can have a functioning work environment. Create a space that’s comfortable, aesthetically pleasing, and safe so that your staff has high morale and looks forward to coming to work every day. Here are some useful tips for planning an office renovation.
Create a Safer Parking Area
Before your staff reaches the office they have to park their cars and need to do so in a safe area. Begin by creating a smooth surface for people to drive and walk on. Call on local asphalt paving professionals to update existing or install new pavement. If there are superficial cracks or small holes in the surface, these professionals can fill those in. However, if the surface is too worn down they may need to do a complete overhaul and install a new asphalt surface. One of the good things about asphalt paving is that it’s very recyclable, so it’s still eco-friendly while being convenient. By creating a smooth surface for people to drive and walk on you’re creating a safe space, so they don’t trip over cracks or potholes. You’re also protecting the safety of their tires, since tires won’t end up bumping into potholes or other cracks that can damage them. Then employees are less likely to have additional car repair bills due to a bad work parking lot. In addition to smoothing out the pavement, you can further make things safer by utilizing parking lot striping.
Employees shouldn’t have to worry about car theft at work. Further make the parking area safer by installing an automatic or guarded gate. With a gate before the parking lot, you can ensure only people who are allowed to be in that space should be there. Therefore you’ll reduce the liability that cars may be stolen or broken into.
Keep the Air Comfortable
Planning an office renovation should always involve good air conditioning or heating. Can you imagine working in the freezing cold or sweltering heat? Regardless of the type of work an employee does, they should always have comfortable conditions to work under. So whether it’s winter or summer, your office should be at a temperature that won’t fatigue people or make them sick. According to the CDC, over 11,000 Americans died from heat-related illnesses since 1979. If people are stuck working in freezing conditions, it can also affect their health since they’re likely to catch a cold or flu. By not having a comfortable HVAC unit, you can hurt the health of your employees not only by having freezing or hot air, but also by having improperly filtered air. If you have an old unit, those filters may be outdated and breed mold and mildew. As dirty air circulates, it can get into employees’ lungs and create several types of respiratory problems, allergic reactions, asthma, and other conditions. By having comfortable air, you boost employee morale since they understand you care about their health and comfort level.
Update Your Floors
Planning an office renovation should include good flooring. If you decide to install hardwood flooring in your office, you’ll have a surface that’ll last for about a hundred years with good maintenance. Most people love the look and feel of hardwood floors as it’s symbolic of nature, elegance, and beauty. If you don’t like hardwood, you can always go for colorful tiles which may help the aesthetic and theme of your office. Planning an office renovation should involve floors that are clean and durable. If you have carpeting, keep your carpets clean to prevent them from affecting employees’ health. Unfortunately, carpets can harbor dirt, mildew, pet dander, and anything that people bring in from wearing outside shoes. While vacuuming can clean the surface of a carpet, it may not always get down to the surface level. So if you’re going to keep carpets in your office, you may need to reinstall ones made from better materials and enlist the services of carpet cleaning professionals nearby.
Another good type of flooring to consider is epoxy floors. Whether you have stone, hardwood, or tile, epoxy sealing can reduce the likelihood of slips and falls. You’ll easily boost employee morale by installing a surface tol protect them from injury. In addition to protecting the employees, you’ll also reduce your liability since people will be less likely to injure themselves while on that job.
Prevent Vermin
Can you imagine pests running around your office? No one wants to deal with rats, roaches, or other pests that can affect their health, property, and morale. One of the best ways to reduce employee morale is by keeping an unsanitary environment that’ll attract various types of pets. Look for the best pest control options when planning an office renovation. Keep pests out of your office space so you can also protect your property. Rats and mice have sharp teeth that can cut through various surfaces like drywall, wood, wiring, and so on. Even if you did a very beautiful renovation, it could be ruined in a short amount of time with an infestation. Termites aren’t just a problem in residential property; your commercial property can also suffer from these destructive insects.
Plus certain tests like rodents, roaches, and mosquitoes can also bring health and sanitation issues. If there are any standing bodies of water on your commercial property, it can attract mosquitoes who are known to lay as many as 100 eggs at one time, according to the CDC. Let’s not forget about bed bugs. While bed bugs aren’t considered contagious, they’re considered a nuisance that no one wants to deal with. If someone has bed bugs at home and they bring them to work, they can affect the office space and anyone else there. So be prepared to call local pest control if someone reports seeing a bedbug.
Hire a Manager
Just because you own a residential property, it doesn’t mean you won’t need help managing it. Planning an office renovation should include hiring a rental property manager to help you out. Such a manager can make sure that small problems are resolved quickly before they develop into bigger ones. For example, this person can be the point of contact if there are any maintenance issues in your building. They can handle things like pest control, elevator issues, floor safety problems, problems with pavement, so on. Your rental property manager can also ensure your lease is paid regularly and do any administrative work you need to run your building. A good property manager ensures your building is always safe and problems are efficiently handled.
Update Plumbing Fixtures
Can you imagine a building with poor plumbing? Plumbing matters just as much for your commercial property as it does for your home. So planning an office renovation should include making sure that you have access to a reliable plumbing professional. Boost employee morale by ensuring you always have clean functioning bathrooms and an employee kitchen. A good plumber can update all the fixtures in those areas so employees always have access to clear drains, clean water, and functioning toilets. In addition, they can ensure people aren’t always dealing with clogged pipes. Regular plumbing services can prevent toilet backups or toilets from being out of service. If you have employees concerned about the eco-friendliness of your business, assure them you reduced water consumption by updating your fixtures. Boost morale by showing that you’re concerned about the environment.
Accessorize Floors
Once you finish your hardwood or carpet installation, that doesn’t mean you’re done with your floor renovation. You can further enhance employee morale and the beauty of your floors by adding some rugs. If you already have rugs, you can update their look with local rug repair. The benefit of using rugs for your commercial space is that they protect your expensive floors underneath. It can also keep the area warmer in the winter months. Plus, rugs are always nice to walk on. These floor accessories add beauty color and style to any room. Depending on the type of rug you have, you can create an elegant feel and improve the style of your office. In addition to the aesthetic and insolation qualities of a rug, did you know they can also help with your safety? When you have rugs that have non-slip backing, it can help reduce falls so that people can walk and run around efficiently and safely while doing their job.
Fix Old Pipes
Is your commercial property in an older building? If so, then planning an office renovation should include a new plumbing installation. Your plumbing installation can help reduce leaks which can prevent the rest of your building from developing water damage. A reduction in water damage can ensure your building remains safe since your foundation would be protected. You can avoid a weakened foundation and reduce the likelihood of mold. Mold can grow anywhere in a building. It can result from leaky pipes and if those pipes break, it can create a wet surface anywhere that’ll be a breeding ground for mold. It only takes mold 24 to 72 hours to sprout in a wet environment, according to Qipa. If employees breathe that in, it can greatly affect their respiratory health and lower their morale by working for a company that would have such an environment. As you can see, there are several reasons to fix those old pipes to ensure they’re not causing leaks that can endanger people and the building structure. The installation can also include new sinks and dual-flush toilets that use less water. By fixing all pipes, you may also install employee showers, which can go a long way in helping employees who may be working long hours and doing lots of overtime.
Add Parking Lot Lines
As mentioned earlier a safe parking lot is a must as you are planning an office renovation. In addition to having a smooth surface, you should also make sure that you have the right amount of parking lot lines. If your existing parking lot lines are faded it can pose an issue in finding specific parking spots for employees. New parking lot lines also help guide drivers through the lot and even make it safer for pedestrians. Newly drawn Lines are more aesthetically pleasing and show professionalism at your business. It also will help keep your business within fire code compliance as fire trucks will have in a science base for emergencies. In addition, you’ll be able to prevent liability since you’re providing clear direction that can reduce accidents.
Update Electricity
Any modern business needs electricity to thrive. Can you imagine if the electrical grid in your building went down? You need electricity for lights to operate elevators and to operate your internet. If the electrical source of your business went down, you wouldn’t be able to host conference calls or video chats. If that happened because of frayed electrical wires or an outdated grid, you wouldn’t look very professional to other clients. You also wouldn’t look professional to your employees and they may feel unsafe in an environment that has outdated electricity. So make sure as you’re planning an office renovation that you contact a local electrician to make sure that your building electricity is in compliance with vocal regulations and safety precautions
As you can see, planning an office renovation has many steps to follow. However, you don’t have to stress out as long as you have a plan. There are many local contractors you can contact during the renovation process. Hire floor installers and commercial pavers to create a safe and beautiful commercial property where your employees are working. When you take the time to renovate your property, you boost employee morale and reduce the turnover rate. As a result, you can have a strong team for years to come.
