Owner’s Maintenance Manual

Now that our building is complete we recommend that you follow our simple maintenance schedule. By following our recommendations you will be assured of the maximum trouble free lifespan of your building.

Periodic maintenance of the exterior will depend on the location of your building.

The following table gives recommended periods but can be varied to suit particular environments based on local or practical experience.   

Sr	Building location	Maintenance Period
1	Up to 5 km from the sea	1 month
2	High pollution industrial area	1 month
3	Medium pollution industrial area	2 months
4	Low pollution industrial area	3 months
5	Areas of high humidity	3 months
6	Dry desert area	6 months

Exterior Maintenance Procedure

Preventive maintenance should commence immediately after a project is erected, modified or period.

1. Check for any debris that may have been left on top of panel or trim. Examples of this are ferrous items such as screws, pop rivets, nails, drill, swarf, sheet metal off cuts, tin cans etc. large or heavy items should be removed by hand to avoid damaging the paint of zinc layer on the panel. The remaining smaller items may be swept off with a soft nylon brush. Please note, this check should be made after any trade has worked on the building, e.g. electricians, plumbers, air conditioning technicians and steel erectors.

2. Check for sand or dirt build up. These retain salt and moisture and will rapidly breakdown the paint and zinc layers resulting in corrosion of the base metal.

3. The most vulnerable areas of the building are:

• Gutters
• Roof sheets
• Sheltered areas under eaves or canopies
• Top portion of walls sheltered by roof overhangs or gutters.

Sand and dirt should be washed off with clean desalinated water and soft nylon brush. Clean from top to bottom and give a final rinse with desalinated water when completed. Ensue no water is trapped anywhere.

4. If the building is in an area of high industrial pollution or close to a marine environment then water alone may not be enough. Salts and other deposits build up at the formed corners of panels and quickly breakdown the paint and zinc layers and finally corrode the base metal. As such deposits build up, the hardness of the layer increase making removal more difficult. In these cases, the period between maintenance operations should be shortened and a mild detergent should be added to the initial washing water.

The following is a suggested solution:

• 1/3 cup detergent (e.g. Tide)
• 2/3 cup tri-sodium phosphate (e.g. Soilex)
• 1 quart sodium hypochlorite – 5% solution (e.g. Chlorox)
• 3 quarts water.

Wash down the panel with the above solution and a soft nylon brush. A final rinse with clean desalinated water should follow.

5. Caulking compounds, oil grease, tar wax, or similar substances can be removed with mineral spirits. Follow this by cleaning with the detergent solution and clean desalinated water rinse.

Warning: Avoid solvent and abrasive type cleaners as they can do more harm than good by wearing away both the paint and zinc layers.

Check the base of wall panels to ensure the ground level is at least 150 mm below the bottom of the panel. If wind blown – sand has built up at the base of the wall, it should be removed. If plants/ shrubs etc are around the building, make sure they are not touching the wall panel, particularly thorn-type bushes.

6. Check all equipment which is located through or adjacent to any panel (roof or wall). Ensure there is no moisture build up on or near the panel. If there is, then corrosion is inevitable. If this condition exists, then make modifications to avoid it.

7. Standard gutters and valley gutters.

• Regular checks should be made and all rubbish and sand should be removed. Flush the gutters with water. Check that downspouts are clear.
  
• Check that downspouts have adequate drainage away from the building

8. If minor damage occurs to the sheeting or trims, and paint touch-up is required, then the following procedure should be followed

• Abrade the affected area.
  Clean down with a solvent (e.g. Sigma 9053)
  If base metal is exposed, apply one coat of zinc chromate primer. If base metal is not exposedthen the primer is not required.
  
• Apply one coat of touch up paint available from Zamil steel.

Maintenance of Accessories

Personnel doors

a) Occasional lubricate the hinges and remove any dirt from the threshold
b) Make sure the door is not allowed to swing back against the wall, this can sprain the hinge and damage the panel 

Sliding doors

a) Regular cleaning of the bottom door guide to remove stones and sand will ensure smooth
running.

Roll-up-doors

a) Occasionally clean and lubricate chain and reduction drive gears.
b) Lightly grease the vertical guides.
c) Operate with caution.

Power vents

a) Periodically clean blades to avoid build-up of dust and dirt.

Building with cranes

a) Every 3 months check that diagonal rod bracing is tight.
b) After one month of operation check if high strength bolts on the crane beams are tight.
c) Every 6 months check the high strength bolts in the crane beams and mainframe
connections.

Safety of Maintenance Personnel

Roofs
Extreme caution should be exercised when working on roofs.

a) Only use ladders that are long enough to reach one meter above the step off point.
b) Always secure the ladder to the building and make sure it is on a firm base.
c) Do not step on skylight panels.
d) When walking on the roof, step on the low portion of the panel not on the hi-ribs, stepping on the high corrugations can damage the sheets. Walk along the screw line where possible.

 Overhead cranes

a) While maintaining overhead cranes or associated parts, immobilize the crane before commencing work.