Incorporating technology into property maintenance makes sense, especially when it saves time and money while improving results. Aerial drone inspections accomplish all of that for property managers, owners, and stakeholders.

Now in their second decade of mainstream commercial use, drones have become more efficient and effective than ever. Commercial property managers have come to rely on recorded video surveillance of their assets from all angles for maintenance, asset protection, owner reports, and insurance.

Easier access to previously challenging viewpoints means that property managers can view and identify potential maintenance problems in the early stages. Managers can reduce operating costs through preventative maintenance that might otherwise go undetected. Facilities can be inspected from better vantage points or perspectives not previously available.

With cloud storage options, drone video footage can be viewable by any authorized user anywhere in the world, at any time. This enables raw footage to be viewed for a closer, focused viewing if desired. It can also be edited for presentation. Regularly scheduled drone inspections can provide a video log of the progression on a particular area of interest or trouble spot.

Rooftop drone inspections are an obvious favorite. Seeing HVAC, utilities, and rooftop equipment from an overhead angle or the entire topography of a roof can reveal previously unnoticed problems. Accessing hard to reach positions can reveal new hazards.

Upper levels are easier to inspect with a drone. Storefront facades and sign cans are other examples. Even further up, consider the benefits of inspecting the vertical face of a multifamily or office high-rise tower to review windowsill gaskets, paint, cracks, and other structural items. Problems not seen at the ground level or even from a ladder come into focus with a drone inspection.

Drone inspections are also great for covering wide areas, high and low. Property perimeters, parking lots, alleyways, common areas, and landscapes can all be inspected and recorded to address concerns about maintenance, repairs, safety, security, and liability.

Another common use of a drone inspection is for incident response. Damage from trespassers, vandalism, graffiti, theft, or natural disasters can all be addressed and documented accurately. Regularly recorded inspections can provide a critical before and after record.

Periodic inspections of unoccupied or low occupancy properties can provide an elevated level of security for out-of-town owners through high definition video of property conditions and 24/7 access to archived video recordings.

Commercial properties are valuable assets. It makes sense to maintain a comprehensive and accurate insight into the physical condition on a regular basis with aerial drone inspections. Owners can monitor their assets from afar, managers can gain new perspectives, problems can be prevented, and issues can be diagnosed.

Today drone inspections are performed on all property classes such as shopping centers, industrial, office, government, retail, and multifamily properties. They are used by facilities that require visual inspections as part of regular maintenance or digital recordings of assets.

The best option for ordering a drone inspection is with someone who already knows and understands your property. Your facility maintenance provider is a good place to start, but many do not offer such services.

If you are interested in aerial drone inspections for commercial properties in California, you should call upon CAM Property Services. They have been providing the best facility services in California since 1987. Their “one call does it all” approach makes it easy for property managers to get nearly everything they need from a single source. Their team of skilled professionals offer drone inspections tailored specifically for the needs of commercial facility managers.

To learn more today call 800-576-3050.

A federal district court in Northern California has determined that landlords need to be more proactive when it comes to the accessibility of their tenant spaces. Historically, commercial landlords have not concerned themselves with areas outside of their own exterior common area because their leases state that the tenant is responsible for ADA compliance. In this case, the court agreed that although the ADA allows landlords and tenants to allocate the responsibility for compliance between themselves, both parties are liable for violations in leased spaces with respect to persons with disabilities who are denied access. Both the landlord and tenant were made to pay the entirety of the plaintiff’s attorney’s fees and costs awarded by the court.

Landlords should make themselves aware of whether or not their tenants are meeting the accessibility requirements, even if their leases put the burden of compliance on the tenant. Be proactive to avoid costly litigation and court fees. Here are a few things you can do to reduce your risk:

• – Ensure that lease agreements include a stipulation requiring all tenants to obtain a CASp inspection and that the results must be submitted to the landlord
• – Require all Tenant Improvements or exterior renovations to be reviewed by ADA consultants employed by the landlord
• – Have vacant spaces inspected prior to signing new tenants
• – Always be sure to have common areas inspected

What do valves get stuck?

Plumbing valves help maintain water flow into landscaping irrigation, sinks, toilets and more. These valves are not used often because once they are turned on, they are left on. In an emergency such as a broken water pipe, it is essential that shut-off valves are working properly to limit the damage and water loss. Water conservation from damaged valves is the main concern because the drought is putting a strain on consumption, and excessive water leaks can lead to heavy fines. Shut-off valves, also called stop valves or angle stops, are usually placed in hidden areas, making them easy to ignore over time. By not regularly maintaining shut-off valves, minerals in the water accumulate around the base of the valve and harden. Over time, the valves stiffen and eventually stick, making it harder or impossible to operate. Most people discover this problem when they have a broken pipe and need to use the shut off valve to stop an excessive water leak.

How to fix stuck valves:

Preventing shut-off valves from hardening is simple with these guided steps: first, check all valves on a semi-annual or annual basis. To do this, turn the valve to make sure it’s working properly with all its functions.  If the valve is shut and won’t budge, do not use excessive force to open it; the valves are made up of a chromed brass and can possibly break or even bend with applied force when using pliers or a wrench to loosen them. Our suggestion to this problem would be to loosen the bonnet nut with a wrench instead; this will cause the handle and stem to loosen up. If you do experience water leak from loosening the bonnet nut, start to re-tighten the bonnet nut slightly, where you have movement in the valve. It is important to monitor your valves to prevent any unnecessary water loss due to the severity of the drought and to watch your bottom line (huge water bill!). Making sure your valves are not stuck is an avoidable precaution to help conserve as much water as possible.

Maintaining a luscious, green lawn cannot be accomplished with watering and mowing alone. Healthy turf depends on many factors including nutrients, which are essential elements (nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium) that are absorbed by the roots of the grass from the soil.  When the soil does not provide adequate nutrients for your lawn to be in healthy shape, fertilizer is necessary to fill the void and help maintain that potent green color of the grass.

When is a good time to fertilize your lawn? It usually depends on the color of your grass. A proper fertilized lawn will be a homogenous, dark green all over. When applying fertilizer on a lawn, it is always better to start with a dry lawn. Apply the fertilizer using either a drop spreader or a broadcast and use the recommended amount over the lawn. Following directions when fertilizing your lawn is extremely important because over-fertilizing can burn your grass. After completing the fertilizing process, it is necessary to water your lawn because material needs to wash off the grass and into the soil for the fertilizer to start working. Depending on the size of your lawn, fertilization should be used four times a year on average.

CAM Services has nearly 30 years of experience in landscape services on properties throughout Southern and Central California; contact CAM Services at 800-576-3050 for a landscape inspection by our proven staff.

Accessible routes for pedestrians are an ongoing debate for commercial and office retail spaces,  although the requirement for a property owner to have accessible routes from the public walking path to connecting all buildings on the site is part of the 2013 California Building Code. The question arises when a site only has a vehicular access point from the building entrance to the facility, and whether or not there should be pedestrian access.

Most property owners believe that if a concrete or asphalt path is the access point between buildings in a facility, they are not responsible for providing a pedestrian route of travel. These property owners come to the conclusion that they do not have to provide pedestrian accessibility because the property was originally built without such connections, exempting them from providing access – don’t believe this myth because these property owners are wrong. The law¹ {1991 ADA standards sections 4.1.2(1) & (2)} states that if it can be anticipated that the route between access points will be used by pedestrians, property owners must provide an accessible route.

In some situations, the investment of installing connections to public sidewalks can be done without destroying the property, reducing landscape areas or creating financial burdens on ownership². Depending on the city/county, building codes require certain amount of landscape to be maintained which makes it harder to create these access points for pedestrians. CAM Services has ADA + CASp experts and can manage all types of different situations regarding access points on a property. Call CAM at 800-576-3050 for an inspection today!

Protecting your pavement against issues stemming from natural causes can save you time and money in the long term. Asphalt naturally deteriorates over the years and it’s important to keep up with maintenance. Small cracks can lead to potholes, which are expensive to fill. After a year of new asphalt, the dark black color will fade into a lighter black and the asphalt will lose some of its elasticity, which causes the cracks to appear. There are three types of repairs that can be done on asphalt: filling cracks, seal coating, and power washing.

Determining what type of repair your pavement needs will save you a lot of time. Water and other moisture trickle into the cracks making it easier for the cracks to expand¹. If untreated, the asphalt starts crumbling and becomes brittle. Crack filling will prevent any moisture from seeping through the environment and into the pavement. Common causes for cracks to form on your pavement include tree roots, fuel, oil, heavy vehicles, and installation of sewers or electrical wiring. Filling cracks on pavement usually occurs after 2-3 years of normal wear and tear from traffic and environment².

After new asphalt has been paved, it is important to seal coat it after 6-12 months when the pavement begins to wear down. Seal coating provides a clean, polished black surface to prevent erosion and oxidation to occur. Power washing a pavement should be done before any cracks appear because power washing will widen the cracks if they’re not filled. Power washing removes debris, dirt and moisture that have built up with regular use. Also, power washing gives your property a fresh clean look adding curb appeal which customers really appreciate!

CAM Services Construction & Hardscape divisions address all issues regarding your pavement. Our staff is experienced and handles these types of issues on a regular basis. Call us at 800-576-3050 for an inspection today.

Summer is here and the longer, warmer days greatly affect the environment of your office. Even though people don’t always look forward to working in a cubicle with noisy coworkers, studies show that the addition of indoor plants, water fixtures, and access to a garden can increase alertness, longer attention spans, and lower blood pressure, leading to reduced employer’s health expenses. A happy and healthy staff will be even more productive and appreciate the brighter environment. Landscape design is crucial to an appealing property and thus requires the right balance of plants. Drought-resistant landscape is low maintenance and limits water usage, which is important due to current water restrictions in California.

Adding areas for outdoor meetings and work breaks will appeal to the health and well-being of your employees and surrounding community. More importantly, customers appreciate curb appeal when it’s clean, healthy, and in prime condition. Repurposing outdoor walkways with high and low vistas creates a better view and image for the company.

To encourage a healthy, active lifestyle, repurposing an outdoor space will give employees a reason to stay on-site after a long day of meetings. Additionally, it increases the social interaction between employees and brings a positive atmosphere back into the office. If you are interested in improving your property for the summer months, CAM Services has the right staff and expertise in design to get the most out of your property. Call us at 800-576-3050 and schedule a meeting today!

Day porters commonly work in areas of heavy traffic where debris, dirt, and trash build up. They keep these areas spotless and appealing for those passing through. A specialized service maintains the professional appearance of a commercial property. In addition to cutting costs and ensuring a positive experience for customers, a day porter greatly improves cleaning efficiency and keeps a property looking professional.

High concentrations of people allow bacteria to spread through dirty surfaces. Offices and shopping centers are a few of the main culprits, where multiple employees work and interact with customers. The more foot traffic an area has increases the amount of spills that occur and leads to the creation of more garbage. To make matters worse, wind or foot traffic can lift debris and pollutants up into the air we breathe. Airborne dust usually travels indoors, which may cause employees to fall ill and creates a negative customer experience. We can’t resolve the problem with just a broom and picking up the obvious trash. A day porter is able to clean and disinfect lavatories, windows, carpets, remove graffiti, and empty trash.  Sweeping and mopping is a start but a day porter can go a step further. Regular cleaning with professional equipment ensures that a building is as clean as it can be.

In addition, research shows that hiring a day porter on a regular basis can prolong the lifespan of a floor. A day porter has the skill set to fix and prevent areas from bubbling or cracking. Moreover, slip and fall lawsuits have increased over the years, mainly due to poor care of cleaning spills and safety hazards. It is an accidental injury that is common in the work area and a nightmare for property owners and managers to deal with.

At CAM Services, we can help prevent dirty surfaces related issues by our experienced and knowledgeable day porter staff. Our staff can handle litter clean-up, vacancy preparation, set up a program to prolong your floors, maintain the safety of employees and customers, and assure you that your property is being taken care of. Call us at 800-576-3050 for an inspection today!

Have you considered the steps involved in switching landscape vendors? Oftentimes, a switch is made to achieve budget savings or service quality. Whatever your goal is for making a switch, keep these best practices in mind to ensure a seamless transition that meets both parties’ expectations.

• One-time cleanup to ensure a fast transition
• Weeding
  • Control overgrown plants and create favorable growing conditions
  • Remove dead brush and plant material
• Mulch installation
  • Improve appearance instantly and inhibit weed growth
• Trimming
  • Cut back shrubs, trees, and hedges
• Irrigation audit
  • Optimize water schedule
  • Ensure all valves, lines and timers function properly
  • Repair broken sprinklers