While students and teachers take the summer off, facility owners and maintenance crews are busy making repairs and improvements. But the work doesn’t stop once school is back in session: It is a year-round effort to ensure educational buildings are in tip-top shape. This means much more than making buildings functional. Facility owners are interested in renovations that will help save money and increase student enrollment. Let’s explore three essential areas to focus school time and resources.
In 2014, more than $3 billion was spent on renovating K-12 schools and $1.5 billion was spent on updating existing colleges, according to the 20th Annual School and College Planning Construction Reports. Of these renovations, plumbing upgrades such as replacing flush valves, faucets and showerheads are one of the most frequently undertaken projects. This is not surprising, especially when you calculate the reduced maintenance costs and additional benefits a facility can experience simply by retrofitting fixtures.