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Sustainable Practices for Commercial Buildings

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Our negative environmental impact can be reduced if only we used sustainable practices for commercial buildings! More importantly, these practices can ensure the health and comfort of the building occupants. Moreover, with increased concern regarding global warming, maximizing sustainability has become a priority. 

If you are the owner of a Florida commercial property, new measures have been taken on commercial buildings to limit the effects of climate change. 

image of interior of commercial building using sustainable practices

Sustainable Energy Initiatives

Sustainable energy initiatives have been in higher demand focusing on “high-performance buildings.” This concept emphasizes commercial building practices that are energy efficient, durable, functional, and maintainable. For example, builders will focus on setting minimum requirements for material selection, site usage, water conservation, and energy consumption, enhancing indoor air quality, and optimizing operational and maintenance practices. 

Following the Energy Policy Act of 2005, 19 government agencies signed a Memorandum of Understanding committing to federal leadership in designing, constructing, and operating High-Performance Sustainable Buildings.”

Then, all states were required to review and consider adopting a new model of energy efficiency standards, marking a renewed emphasis on energy initiatives. 

Top Practices For Sustainable Commercial Buildings

Here are some of the many sustainable practices for commercial buildings: 

1. Air Sealing & Insulation 

Air sealing reduces leaks in the windows and doors, preventing cool air from escaping and warm air from entering. Sealing saves you money on your AC and heating bills. Insulation in your attic, HVAC ducts, basement foundation, and crawl space prevents pollen and insects from entering your home.

Insulation also offers humidity and noise control while keeping your home cooler and saving you money on your utilities. However, both insulation and air sealing work best when used together to maximize your savings.  

2. Sustainable Roofing

With frequent heat waves, sustainable practices for commercial buildings have switched to cool roofs (high heat reflectance) and green roofs (made of vegetation) to provide shade, reducing heat by about 72%. Other lightweight materials, like clay or concrete tiles and metal shingles, are also used in hot climates to reduce heat absorption in commercial buildings.

3. Reduce HVAC Carbon Emissions

In the U.S., HVAC systems emit approximately 117 metric tons of carbon dioxide are emitted into the atmosphere each year. Regular air/filter quality, ventilation, and insulation maintenance limit the system’s strain and decrease CO2 emissions. 

Builders also address this issue by using smart thermostats to optimize their systems using a smart hub, which adjusts temperature based on a person’s schedule and behavioral patterns.  

4. Smart Building Energy Management Systems

Smart technology for commercial building management is becoming highly beneficial because it allows owners to monitor energy and assets from a single device. 

Using these systems helps limit costs and risks while maximizing performance and safety across your operations. Furthermore, smart energy management improves energy efficiency along with the comfort and productivity of commercial building occupants. 

5. Use Recycled Materials

For commercial structures, using recycled materials saves on costs for new construction. As a result, this extends the life of each item. Common reused materials include reclaimed wood, brick, plastics, and glass. 

6. Water Conservation

Since the water used in office buildings accounts for 9% of total water usage in commercial and institutional facilities, measures have been taken to conserve. One way to conserve water is to install WaterSense shower heads, toilets, and urinals where needed. 

For instance, these alternative faucets use about 1.5 gallons per minute from the standard 2.2 gallons, which reduces that fixture by roughly 30% during its lifecycle. 

7. Waste Reduction

Waste reduction is a multifaceted approach that includes increasing the amount of recycling for each facility and tracking the amount of waste for each commercial property. You can reduce the waste by monitoring it. Therefore, builders can introduce alternative measures to prevent excess waste. 

Commercial Inspection Services in Tampa, Florida

Divinity Inspection Services specializes in commercial inspections to ensure that your properties are built and maintained sustainably. The technicians at Divinity are highly trained to provide detailed information to address any of your questions or concerns.

Connect with an expert, call us or schedule an inspection today!

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Commercial Building Inspection: Accessibility Issues

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Commercial building accessibility issues are a hot topic in the United States right now.

With new laws and regulations popping up all the time on a national and state-wide level, it’s more important than ever to ensure your business is accessible to everyone. This is not only from a legal standpoint, but also so you can open your business to customers from all walks of life.

This guide will take you through everything you need to know about accessibility in commercial buildings, from the most common issues to keep an eye out for and how to ensure your commercial building is as accessible as possible.

What does commercial accessibility mean?

Accessibility, in a nutshell, refers to the ease with which people of all abilities can access and use a space.

That means accessibility issues could include things like a lack of wheelchair accessibility, Braille signs for the visually impaired, and audio assistance that’s clear and easy to understand for people with hearing impairments.

The goal of accessibility is to make sure that everyone can enjoy your commercial space equally without having to worry about obstacles getting in their way or the environment disabling them.

Why is addressing accessibility issues so important?

There are a few key reasons why accessibility is so important in commercial buildings and why it’s something you need to consider.

For one, and perhaps most importantly, it’s the law. 

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requires that all commercial buildings be accessible to people with disabilities and that accessibility issues are addressed, so people aren’t discriminated against.

But accessibility isn’t just about following the letter of the law. It’s also about ensuring your business is open to everyone, regardless of their ability level.

Think about it this way: if your building is inaccessible, you could miss out on a whole group of potential customers who simply can’t enter your space.

What’s more, accessibility can also make your business more efficient. If you have a well-designed accessibility plan in place, it can actually help you save time and money by streamlining things like customer flow and traffic patterns.

What are some common accessibility issues in commercial buildings?

There are a few accessibility issues that tend to crop up more often than others in commercial buildings.

One of the most common accessibility issues is a lack of wheelchair accessibility. This can be anything from a lack of ramps or lifts to a failure to provide adequate wheelchair-accessible bathrooms.

To resolve this, you don’t have to conduct a large-scale project to install ramps around your building. Instead, investing in removable ramp equipment, such as the ramps trains use, is both functional and budget-friendly.

To address the accessibility issue of a lack of Braille signs or other accommodations for the visually impaired, simply researching where the key parts of your business is and installing signage is all it takes to become accessible. 

How to improve your commercial building accessibility?

With all this in mind, it’s worth remembering that every commercial building is different, and what you need in your building may vary from another business. This is why it’s important to consider using a property inspection service.

A professional service will be able to identify any accessibility issues in your commercial building and help you create a plan to address them.

Here at Divinity Inspection Services, our team of experts, who are familiar with all the latest accessibility laws and regulations, will thoroughly inspect your space and identify any potential accessibility issues. We’ll then provide you with a comprehensive report detailing our findings and outlining recommendations for how

Don’t wait to get started on improving your commercial building accessibility — contact us today to schedule your inspection!

 

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Commercial Building Inspection: How do I Get My Tampa Business Building Inspected?

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A commercial building inspection is a longer process than a residential building inspection: There are more complex systems and generally a larger area to cover than in a residential home. Getting your building inspected in Tampa will require you to do your research into the most important aspects of identifying and selecting the best inspectors in the area to do the job right.

What Should I Look for in a Commercial Building Inspector?

commercial building inspectionCommercial building inspectors should be certified by several boards of inspection located in the United States and, if applicable, in your home state. The following inspection associations help to standardize the building inspection process to ensure that all member inspectors are performing high-quality work.

These are good options to look for when deciding on an inspector. If your inspector isn’t part of any of these groups or associations, look elsewhere.

Additionally, when choosing an inspector, you’ll want to ask them the kinds of things they’ll be looking for during the inspection. Make sure they list all of the following: utilities, heating and plumbing systems, roof, ventilation systems, fire protection, interior and exterior, electrical systems, paving, and landscaping. Ask to see a sample inspection they’ve done in the past to make sure that they have included all of these things in their previous reports. They should also include in their reports their recommendations for repairs and improvements to the buildings they inspect.

How Much Do Commercial Building Inspectors Cost?

Because of the size and scope of the work they do, commercial building inspectors will charge more than a residential home inspector. That’s because the buildings are generally larger and the complexity of the building calls for a more intensive process. Oftentimes, commercial building inspectors will subcontract out parts of the inspection. One reason for this might be that the building they are inspecting has complex systems such as HVAC or plumbing. In that case, they will ask for professional HVAC inspectors or plumbers to oversee those sections of the building. This adds hefty fees to the inspection bill.

Inspectors may choose to price out their commercial building inspection via a percentage of the sale price of the building. They also may multiply the size of the building by square feet times the number of hours they think it will take times their rate. All of this depends on the commercial building inspector of your choice.

Divinity Inspection Service offers both residential and commercial inspections in the Tampa area. We pride ourselves on being the best in the region, with great rates and quality inspections performed every time for our business customers. Trust in our 29 certifications, including Certified Master Inspector, to help you get the job done right the first time. Contact us today for your commercial building inspection!

 

References:

https://www.crestrealestate.com/commercial-building-inspection-checklist/

https://ccpia.org/how-to-price-a-commercial-building-inspection/

 

 

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What is the Difference between a Commercial Building Inspection and a Residential Building Inspection?

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inspector doing residential building inspectionWhether you hire an inspector for a commercial building inspection or a residential building inspection (home inspection), you want to make sure the inspector is up to the task. Both types of inspections require a level of knowledge that differs from the other: Commercial building inspectors typically understand a bit more about larger, more complex buildings than a standard home inspector. Understanding what goes on during both the commercial building inspection process and the residential building inspection process can help you choose the right inspectors for the job.

Residential Building Inspection/Home Inspection Process

During a home inspection, a certified home inspector will take a look at a variety of things in and around your home. This is to ensure that things are up to code and people are safe to live in the home as it is. It includes checking not only the structure of the home – including the foundation and the basement – but also

  • the heating and cooling systems
  • the water and fuel supply systems
  • the plumbing systems and drainage
  • and insulation and ventilation throughout the home. 

The home inspection will usually take about three hours, depending on the size of the home. It will conclude with a report given to you that details any and all inadequacies the inspector found in the home. The reports can be as short as a few pages or 100, with pictures included that document the deficiencies. These reports are often used by prospective homeowners to ask the old homeowner to make repairs before they purchase the home. They are private documents provided to the person who purchases the service, and no one will have access to the report save for those who allow it to be viewed. 

Commercial Building Inspection Process

One big difference between commercial building inspections and home inspections is the size and scope of the inspection. A commercial building is typically much larger than a typical home and will take longer than a home inspection to get through. The inspector needs to cover more space, which will take up more their time. This means more of a cost to the person who purchases the inspection. 

Commercial inspections also come with more variety. These types of inspections can include anything from

  • apartment buildings
  • grocery stores
  • restaurants
  • and warehouses, among others.

That means different shapes, sizes, and types of exhaust and ventilation systems will exist, as well as just the general designs of each building. Many inspection companies might employ whole teams to inspect the entire area of a building. Some may even subcontract out subject matter experts such as plumbers and HVAC specialists to ensure that all aspects of each system are inspected properly.

Regardless of whether you need a home inspection or a commercial building inspection, hiring the right people to do the job is important. Make sure that the company or contractor you hire has experience in performing the tasks at hand and can show you previous examples of their work, and know all the regulations and standards set by your state’s Building Code.

Contact us to schedule your own commercial or home inspection in Tampa, Florida!

 

Sources and further reading:

https://home.akitabox.com/blog/commercial-building-inspection-101/

https://www.nachi.org/performing-commercial-inspections.htm

 

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What Is Your Home Inspection Worth?

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Despite the convincing argument of not skipping your home inspection, what is your home inspection report actually worth? We dive into the value of a home inspection and identify the difference between a good report and a soft report.

The difference between $100 and $100 value

I recently purchased a few different dollar bills. Once of which is a $100 bill. However, this bill is valued 4x face value because it has a reverse water mark. It may seem like a simple, almost unnoticeable difference. But that difference changes the value of the bill. In fact, if I hadn’t told you there was a difference you may never have noticed!

A good report vs. a soft report

A good home inspection report vs. a soft home inspection report may be hard to spot if you don’t know what to look for. A soft home inspection report can have 20 pictures on it and only 5 comments. It’s like a fake $100 bill. It looks full, but in reality, it’s pretty empty.

A good home inspection report is like the $100 bill with the reverse watermark. It may look only like a $100 bill, but it’s worth far more. Your inspection report should educate you about your home. A home inspection is to find any issues or concerns with your home, but it’s also more than that. Do you want to know the life left in your roof so you can be prepared to replace it when the time comes? Do you want to know the condition or your A/C or plumbing? These are all things you’ll learn about during your home inspection.

 

The value of your home inspection report is far more than its face-value. What is your home inspector providing you? What is your home inspection report providing for you. At Divinity Inspection Service, we make sure all of our reports are thorough, detailed, and answers all of your questions. Give us a call to schedule your home inspection now.