Most of the time, church leaders associate spring with Easter and all the special activities that come with celebrating the resurrection of Jesus. As church building experts, however, we know spring also brings the need for church maintenance.

With the snow melting and leaves budding, it’s easy to forget that every church property needs attention year-round. Therefore, we want to remind you about various maintenance items to assist you in taking good care of your church and surrounding property.

Begin with Church Building and Roof Maintenance

We’ve already posted an article with suggestions for regular maintenance of your building and roof. Given the serious damage that water intrusion can cause to a church building, we suggest you begin by reviewing the facts and checklists found in that earlier post before moving on to the information below.

Yard Maintenance

Once winter is past, you will often find it has left damage behind. As spring brings new growth, plants and landscaping will need your attention—and the nicer weather can make this church maintenance feel like a pleasure. Here is a list of yard items that might need your attention:

  • Clean and trim flower beds. Watch for bulbs emerging and place new ones where bare spots become obvious. Once perennial plants have started to sprout new leaves, remove plants that did not survive the winter. Plant new annuals as needed.
  • Trim trees and bushes. Trimming encourages new growth, so don’t do this until the danger of frost has passed.
  • Clean benches and other outdoor seating areas and remove any trash. Also, now is a good time to re-varnish your wooden benches.
  • Check any watering systems for leaks and make sure all sprinklers and drip systems are fully operational.
  • Run a complete safety check on all children’s playground equipment.
  • Add mulch as needed.
  • Begin your weed-spraying regimen.

Parking Lot Maintenance

Parking lots take a lot of abuse during the winter months. Here are some ways to restore your parking lots and preserve them from further deterioration:

  • Survey paved parking lots and fill in any potholes, cracks or depressions more than 1/4 inch deep. Remove debris such as rocks, gravel, mud or sand. Note where debris is coming from and, when possible, use landscaping material to block further intrusions.
  • Rake gravel parking lots, if any, and re-level them. Add additional gravel as needed to keep a firm base.
  • Check tire stops for deterioration, which can create rubble and tripping hazards. Replace deteriorating tire stops and repaint all tire stops in a contrasting color. Make sure to anchor all stops with fully inserted steel reinforcing rods. Keep at least three feet between tire stops.
  • Inspect curbing and repair any pitted, crumbling or settling portions. Repaint curbing around building entrances with a contrasting color to avoid tripping.
  • Repaint handicap signs on pavement and curb cutouts to ensure handicap access points are obvious. Check for any damage in handicap parking signs.
  • Clear parking lot drains and check that grates are firmly and safely installed.

General Church Maintenance

There are many smaller church building items that will need your attention as well. Here is a general church maintenance checklist:

  • Service HVAC systems for spring and summer use. This includes changing furnace filters, checking water lines, lubing fan bearings and moving parts, resetting thermostats and replacing batteries (if you didn’t do that in the fall).
  • Oil door hinges and any automatic opening/closing devices.
  • Check pew braces and supports and tighten or replace as needed.
  • Replace smoke detector batteries if this was not done in the fall.
  • Check for any carpeting snags or other tripping hazards.
  • Clean all indoor and outdoor lighting fixtures and replace burned-out bulbs.

Find Out More

Your church building, and property is a big investment. Proper care will extend its life and allow you to focus on your church vision rather than addressing emergencies.

If you have any questions about maintaining your church building, contact us today. Also, you can learn more about church design and building by visiting our home page and registering for our free i3 webinars.