Whatever types of hospital awnings you want, the right commercial awning company can build them to your exact specifications. They’ll ensure you get the best structural design and materials for your location, so you never have to worry about whether your hospital awnings can withstand the kind of harsh winters we experience in NYC and surrounding areas. But that’s just the beginning.
Although top-quality hospital awnings shouldn’t need a lot of ongoing attention, there are things you will need to do to take care of them so they remain safe and secure in spite of harsh winters. Regular cleaning and preventive maintenance will keep your hospital awnings looking attractive and ensure they continue to perform as you expect – providing protection from the elements that assures a superior customer service experience for patients, visitors and employees year round.
Here’s how to take care of your hospital awnings.
Think of it as an ongoing regimen that boosts awning health and longevity, because clean awnings are strong awnings. Good care also supports your customer service goals, because dirty or worn awnings do not send a positive message about your hospital or clinics – places people expect to be scrupulously clean in every regard, inside and out.
Regular cleaning. Dirt happens in an outdoor environment. Over time, your hospital awnings will be exposed to airborne dust (and possibly sand, if you’re near the beach), urban grit and grime, blowing leaves and other debris. It’s important to brush these things off your awnings as soon as possible, because they can cause stains and other damage.
In warmer weather, periodically clean your awnings using a soft cloth or brush and a mixture of mild soap and lukewarm water. Rinse them well and allow them to air dry. In winter, focus on removing debris and snow, so it doesn’t build up and put undue stress on your awnings.
Annual inspection. Small problems are easy and least expensive to fix. Ignore them, though, and they could escalate into costly repairs that will make your CFO cringe. You can inspect the fabric and framing of your hospital awnings as you clean, looking for tiny tears, holes or worn spots.
These tasks can be performed by your hospital’s maintenance crew, or you may choose to hire a company that specializes in cleaning commercial awnings. They can perform a visual inspection for you at the same time, just as your own crew would do.
Does your facility have enough hospital awnings?
Awnings and canopies provide a unified, professional and welcoming appearance for your facilities, whether you have a single large building, a multi-building campus and/or satellite outpatient clinics or specialty offices. You can use hospital awnings to cover:
- Porticoes and walkways, to keep vehicles and their occupants as well as pedestrians dry in inclement weather and cool when it’s hot outside.
- Ambulance docks and emergency egress areas, protecting staff as well as patients from the elements.
- Double doors and other key entrances, ensuring protection from the wind as well as rain, snow and hot sun.
- Windows, with custom-designed systems that provide both shade and privacy and also offer distinctive indoor or exterior marketing opportunities for your hospital.
Hospital awnings can enhance and augment other types of signage, making wayfinding easier for patients and visitors. They expand your hospital’s visibility and magnify your branding, reinforcing in everyone’s mind exactly where you are located. If you have recently undergone a merger or acquisition – or there is one in the offing – new hospital awnings enable your facilities to take on your new name and look as quickly as possible.
Whether you have a full complement of hospital awnings already or you’re planning to add more, creating a simple care and maintenance plan will ensure harsh NYC winters are never a problem.
