Winter is coming back!

We keep repeating ourselves year after year, but remember, building owners, that you should keep an eye on the following components of your building:

Windows

Windows include multiple parts working together: frame, stool, sash, sill, pane, seal, cross member, track and apron. Various window types include: slider, double hung, picture, garden, casement, bay, skylight, and awning. Common window problems include: rotten sills, moisture and water damages, broken seals. When windows start falling apart, repairs can be almost as costly as replacement options. In every project, the quality, size, type and installation method need to be assessed to ensure cost but also energy efficiencies.

Roofs

Regular maintenance of your roof and gutters is highly recommended to prevent water damage. A roof can vary in many ways: materials (minerals, asphalt, wood, tiles…), shape, slope and efficiency. Ensuring that your roof is clean, without broken tiles or apparent damages will help your business stay afloat (!). Water is your worst nightmare, let us help you by maintaining your surroundings clear and free.

Rain Gutters

Similarly, gutters need to be cleaned up and maintained. Gutters are made of galvanized iron, aluminum, copper or plastic, materials all subject to oxidation or tempering. Cleaning up seeds, leaves, twigs, dirt, roof residues is a mandatory maintenance required to ensure good water drainage.

Without proper cleaning, water will not drain to and through downspouts, and year over year debris will decompose to dirt, which in turn will clog and eventually close downspouts. This creates situations where water will overflow causing seepage onto the house and the formation of wood rot, but also will dislodge nails holding the gutters, increasing chances of bigger damages.

Beyond windows, roofs and gutters, exterior doors and their weatherstripping deserve the same attention. Worn thresholds, cracked caulking around door frames, and gaps in weatherstripping let cold air and moisture in, driving up heating costs and accelerating wear on flooring and finishes near entryways. Parking lots and walkways also need a look before winter: cracks that seem cosmetic in October can widen with freeze-thaw cycles and turn into trip hazards or drainage problems once temperatures drop.

Timing matters as much as the inspection itself. Scheduling these checks in the fall, before the first hard freeze, gives you room to line up repairs on your terms rather than reacting to an emergency during a storm. A small roof leak or a clogged downspout is a straightforward fix in October; the same problem discovered mid-January, with ice already in the mix, is a far more expensive and disruptive one.

For building owners managing multiple properties, coordinating these seasonal walkthroughs across a portfolio can be the hardest part. Steady Solutions works with facilities teams to schedule pre-winter inspections, prioritize the repairs that carry the most risk, and get crews on site before conditions make the work harder and costlier.