Your Guide to Winterize Your Landscaping

Winterizing your landscaping is crucial for the health and longevity of your plants and the overall appeal of your property.

In this guide from Omnia360, we’ll share the steps to ensure your landscaping thrives despite the cold temperatures.

Pruning and Trimming

One of the first tasks in winterizing your landscaping is to prune and trim your plants and trees. Remove any dead or diseased branches. They are more susceptible to breakage under the weight of snow and ice. Proper pruning promotes healthier growth in the spring and reduces the risk of winter damage.

Omnia360 recommends scheduling pruning sessions in late fall or early winter to allow plants to enter dormancy without the stress of recent cuts. 

Mulching for Insulation

A layer of mulch around the base of trees, shrubs, and perennial plants provides insulation and protection during winter. Mulch helps regulate soil temperature, preventing extreme fluctuations that can harm roots. A 2-4 inch layer of organic mulch, such as bark or compost, is ideal for retaining moisture and providing a buffer against freezing temperatures.

Related Post: Commercial Landscape Maintenance Guide

We want to emphasize the importance of keeping mulch a few inches away from the base of trees and plants to prevent rot and discourage pests.

Watering, Hydration, and Sprinkler Systems

Hydration is crucial for plant survival during winter, especially evergreens that continue to lose moisture through their leaves. Before the ground freezes, ensure your landscaping receives a thorough watering. Well-hydrated plants are better equipped to withstand winter stress and are more resilient to freezing temperatures.

Pay attention to the moisture levels throughout the winter, providing supplemental water during dry spells when the ground is not frozen.

Winterizing a Commercial Sprinkler System

This step is crucial to protect your system from freezing temperatures, which can lead to costly damage. 

Follow these steps to winterize your commercial sprinkler system:

Shut Off the Water Supply

Locate the main shut-off valve for your sprinkler system and turn it off. This valve is usually in a heated area like a utility room or basement.

Drain the System

After turning off the water supply, drain the water from the sprinkler system. Open all the drain valves and low-point drains, allowing water to flow out. Ensure that water is completely drained from the mainline, lateral lines, and all the sprinkler heads.

Open Drain Valves

Open all the drain valves and test cocks on backflow preventers. This step is crucial for preventing water from freezing inside the components.

Use Compressed Air

Connect an air compressor to the system using a proper fitting. Gradually increase the air pressure, starting from the furthest sprinkler head from the compressor. Blow out each zone separately until no water comes out of the heads. Repeat this process for each zone in the system.

Check Pressure

Monitor the air pressure during the blowout process, ensuring it stays within the recommended range for your sprinkler system. Excessive pressure can damage the system.

Inspect and Clean Sprinkler Heads

While the system is depressurized, inspect and clean all sprinkler heads. Remove any dirt, debris, or mineral buildup that may affect the system’s performance.

Protect Backflow Preventer

Wrap the backflow preventer with insulation or a thermal blanket to shield it from extreme temperatures. This is especially important as backflow preventers are sensitive to freezing conditions.

Store or Protect Components

Remove and store above-ground components, such as backflow preventers and controllers. If removal is not possible, consider insulating these parts.

Clearly label shut-off valves, backflow preventers, and other critical components. This documentation will be helpful during the spring start-up.

Monitor Weather Conditions

If unseasonably cold weather is predicted, take additional precautions, such as adding insulation or scheduling an extra blowout.

If you’re unsure about any aspect of the process or lack the necessary equipment, contact the team at Omnia360 for a thorough winterization process.

Protecting Vulnerable Plants

Some plants, especially newly planted or tender varieties, are more susceptible to winter damage. 

Protective coverings such as burlap wraps or frost blankets provide insulation while allowing air circulation, preventing heat buildup, and reducing the risk of diseases. Remove the covers during milder days to allow the plants access to sunlight and fresh air.

Snow and Ice Removal

Heavy snow can lead to bent or broken branches, especially on evergreens. Safely remove excess snow from branches using a broom to prevent damage.

Related Post: What are ‘Hard’ and ‘Soft’ Facility Management Services?

Ice accumulation is another concern, weighing down branches and causing breakage. We advise against using salt-based de-icers near plants, which can harm the soil and roots.  Environmentally friendly alternatives such as sand or calcium magnesium acetate can improve traction on icy surfaces.

When to Call in the Professionals


Winterizing landscapes may be efficiently addressed by outsourcing to a facility management company. 

Related Post: Why Your Landscaping Business Needs Facility Management

One of the primary challenges businesses face is a lack of expertise in crafting a tailored winterization plan. Omnia360 brings in professionals who can conduct thorough assessments, ensuring a customized winterization strategy.

Our team possesses the right tools and equipment for the job and prioritizes safety. We’ll address concerns about handling potentially hazardous tasks during winterization. 

Additionally, businesses deal with time constraints, making finding the necessary hours for comprehensive winterization challenging. By outsourcing this work, companies can focus on priority work without compromising their landscaping. 

Contact Omnia360 Facility Solutions for Landscape Maintenance  

Winterizing your landscaping is an investment in the long-term health of your property.  Contact us at (833) 360-6642. The team at Omnia360 provides around-the-clock, comprehensive services that work with your in-house team.

What’s the Difference – Preventive vs. Predictive Maintenance

Routine maintenance services ensure the smooth operation of facilities, from commercial buildings to industrial complexes. Incorporating maintenance checks into your facility provides a productive business. 

Two key strategies are preventive and predictive maintenance. In this blog, Omnia360 explains the differences between these two approaches and how they can maximize efficiency.

What’s the Difference? 

Preventive maintenance is a strategy that prevents problems through regular inspections and scheduled maintenance. Predictive maintenance takes a data-driven approach, using technology to monitor equipment and facilities in real time and then using that information to plan.

Understanding Preventive Maintenance

Preventive maintenance is a proactive approach where maintenance activities are scheduled regularly, regardless of apparent equipment issues.  

Related Post: 5 Preventative Maintenance Tips for Commercial Buildings

These tasks aim to prevent potential problems before they occur, ensuring that equipment and facilities remain in working condition with the aim of preventing expensive breakdowns and equipment replacement for as long as possible. 

A preventative maintenance strategy includes steps like: 

Scheduled inspections: Creating a detailed maintenance schedule, including routine inspections, cleaning, and minor repairs. With a structured timetable, potential issues can be identified and addressed before they escalate. 

Cost control: Preventive maintenance helps control costs by minimizing unexpected breakdowns and expensive emergency repairs. By regularly servicing equipment and facilities, companies can extend their lifespan and reduce the need for replacements, ultimately saving money.

Enhanced safety: Regular inspections can uncover safety hazards, allowing for timely remediation. This proactive approach ensures a safer environment for occupants and employees within the managed facilities.

Understanding Predictive Maintenance

Predictive maintenance takes a more data-driven and condition-based approach. It uses technologies, such as sensors, IoT devices, and data analytics, to monitor the condition of equipment and facilities in real time. 

Related Post: Top 5 Facility Management Trends in 2022

This approach enables maintenance teams to make informed decisions based on the actual health and performance of assets.

A predictive maintenance strategy includes steps like: 

Data-driven insights: A comprehensive FM company should use sensors and monitoring systems to collect equipment and facility conditions data. This data is analyzed to identify trends and anomalies, enabling maintenance teams to predict when maintenance is needed. For example, an HVAC system has certain parameters based on how long the system runs and under what conditions. Based on these parameters, coupled with sensors that monitor energy consumption and output, the data 

Reduced downtime: Predictive maintenance aims to minimize downtime by scheduling maintenance activities only when data indicates a potential issue. This approach optimizes the use of resources and reduces disruptions to facility operations.

Cost efficiency: By addressing maintenance needs precisely when they arise, companies can minimize unnecessary expenses associated with over-maintaining equipment. This can lead to substantial cost savings over time.

Improved asset performance: Predictive maintenance allows for the early detection of equipment degradation, enabling maintenance teams to replace or repair components before they fail. This leads to improved asset performance and longevity.

How to Choose the Right Approach

The choice between preventive and predictive maintenance depends on factors like the type of facility, equipment, budget, and goals. In most cases, though, a hybrid approach that combines elements of both strategies is ideal.

Omnia360 uses both preventive and predictive maintenance strategies in facility management.  

Examples of a Blended Approach 

Equipment importance: Critical equipment that, if it fails, could significantly impact facility operations or safety benefits from a predictive maintenance approach. Less critical equipment can still be maintained preventively.

Budget constraints: Budget considerations play a crucial role in the decision-making process. While predictive maintenance may require an upfront investment in technology, it can yield substantial long-term savings.

Facility complexity: The complexity of the facilities can influence the choice between preventive and predictive maintenance. Predictive maintenance can offer a more granular approach in environments with numerous assets.

Contact Omnia360 for Comprehensive Maintenance Services

Both preventive and predictive maintenance approaches have advantages, and the team at Omnia360 considers both to create a well-balanced system. 

We provide around-the-clock, comprehensive, integrated facility management services that work with your in-house team. Contact us at (833) 360-6642.

Integrated Facility Solutions for Eco-Friendly Buildings

A major trend in the facility management industry is using eco-friendly, “green” practices when maintaining buildings. This move follows on the heels of the national and worldwide motivation to reduce the carbon footprint. 

 

In today’s blog, Omnia360 explains how integrated facility solutions can work to promote eco-friendly buildings. 

 

What does Sustainable Facility Management (SFM) Mean? 

It’s a process that involves implementing operational or structural changes that incorporate efficiency, comfort, safety, and productivity to ensure more environmentally friendly practices at a facility. 

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Implementing sustainable facility management involves taking action on multiple fronts: 

  • Regular maintenance to your building’s infrastructure (HVAC or Plumbing)
  • Utilizing eco-friendly products, tools, and materials at work 
  • Promoting energy-efficient practices and behaviors, like recycling

Using energy-efficient equipment, alongside environmentally-friendly maintenance practices, is part of what makes a facility eco-friendly and promotes a lower carbon footprint. 

Regular maintenance, especially from cross-trained industry professionals like those at Omnia360, helps to mitigate against wasteful energy usage, whether it’s an ineffective plumbing or HVAC system that’s causing it.  

Monitor Eco-Friendly Improvements and Goals

What gets measured and tracked, gets improved. Setting up a plan to monitor performance is done in order to ensure your facility is minimizing its carbon footprint, while still operating productively. 

 

Here’s an example. You might account for all the paper printing at your office, then decide on which documents can be shifted into strictly digital assets, avoiding unnecessary paper printing. 

 

Utilize Eco-Friendly Cleaning Solutions

If your office needs cleaning, you can choose to have “green” cleaning products be used to get the job done. Many industrial cleaning products contain hazardous chemicals that, if not disposed of properly, end up causing environmental harm. 

eco friendly facility solutions with iPad, charts and data sheets on green background

Sustainability Analytics 

A facility management team can identify and track progress on key metrics that pertain to the eco-friendly performance of your facility. What gets measured and tracked, gets improved upon. This includes your building’s carbon footprint. 

Leverage the Help of a Management System

A CMMS (Computer Maintenance Management System) can improve internal operations and lend to developing a more sustainable method of updating and maintaining your building. You can read our related article about the top facility management software products.

 

Preventative Maintenance 

Omnia360 offers a trained staff of handymen and trade professionals who provide 24/7 maintenance to ensure your facility is running optimally and is the most eco-friendly possible. 

 

Update Infrastructure 

Let’s say your HVAC system is outdated and is underperforming, this costs your company more money on monthly energy bills. As a green solution, you might decide to install cool or green roofing, or even solar energy panels, if your budget allows for it. 

eco friendly facility solutions with iPad, charts and data sheets on green background

Hiring a professional all-in-one third-party contractor like Omnia360 allows you to get up-to-date infrastructure installed quickly and easily. 

Lighting systems

Use natural light as often as possible. Opening the windows more creates more natural light around the office, as well as sparingly using lights in adjacent, low-occupation rooms in your building. Installing LED lights can help save both on your monthly bill and lower your energy consumption. 

 

Heating and Cooling Systems

Your building’s HVAC is an important part of what makes it an eco-friendly facility. Having the right equipment and the right repairs being completed by a skilled facility management company will not only save you money but offer you a more eco-friendly building. 

 

Efficient Use of Office Space 

Restructuring how your office workspaces are laid out to reduce space leads to less energy consumption. This is even more so the case today, with the advent of people working remotely from coffee shops or homes rather than office cubicles. 

employees typing on computers in efficient, small-scale workspace

Efficient Water Irrigation Systems 

Making good use of your building’s water management is also important when attempting to be eco-friendly. Water-efficient lawn care for your business can often mean growing vegetation that is native to your local climate. Even creating indoor spaces for moisture-absorbing plants can aid in promoting fresh, breathable air and lower humidity levels for employees and customers to enjoy. 

 

Contact Omnia360 for Eco-Friendly FM Solutions

Our company can work with you to make your facility more environmentally friendly and efficient all the way around. Think of us as an extension of your workforce that is there as a resource to support you expand your business operations. Contact us today for more information about our bundled services and management solutions.

Utilizing Integrated Facility Solutions in Spring Cleaning: Omnia360 Explains

Spring is upon us and just like flowers and plants emerging from winter, it’s a time for your business to grow, expand and achieve a more streamlined efficiency. It’s time for some spring cleaning. 

Work orders might have piled up over the winter, and there may even be plenty of maintenance or repair work needed at your office. Integrated facility management solutions can make your company’s spring cleaning a breeze. 

In today’s blog, our team at Omnia360 explains how using integrated facility solutions services allows your company to quickly and thoroughly complete its spring cleaning.

Have a Single Point of Contact for Third-Party Contracts

You don’t have to juggle work orders, emails, and phone calls for dozens of third-party contractors just to get some spring cleaning done. Streamline the entire process by getting any spring cleaning maintenance or repair service from one firm, with the ease and simplicity of one phone call.  

At Omnia360, we host a network of industry cross-trained professional technicians who serve as an extension of your own workforce; on call 24/7, our technicians can show up to your business location and fix whatever issue you might be faced with. 

Some of our specialties include (but aren’t limited to)

  • Landscaping 
  • Electrical repair 
  • HVAC maintenance, installation, and repair
  • Pest removal
  • Landscaping 
  • Plumbing and general handyman services

Outsource to Save Time, Money and Energy 

As a business owner, you know that your company needs to stay competitive in a tightening market. Omnia360’s facility management solutions helps you to do just that. 

By outsourcing your maintenance and repair needs to a single third-party provider, you’ll not only be able to cut down on your expenses, but you’ll gain the opportunity to reallocate your finite time and energy towards optimizing your business’s internal operations

Teaming up with Omnia360 saves your company time and manpower that is better used for increasing your profitability, making internal management shifts, reprioritizing your marketing efforts, or, perhaps, expanding into new markets for the coming quarter.

Preventative Maintenance and Securing your Investment

They say prevention is the best cure. We make sure your facility, and the equipment it runs on, are running smoothly. We analyze your business’s specific needs and hand-select a custom team of cross-trained professionals who can best manage your facility’s grounds. 

We offer comprehensive, mobile, and integrated maintenance duties, including lawn care, cleaning your ductless HVAC system, or sanitizing your offices.

Find the Best Facility Solution Services Today

For information about how Omnia360’s integrated facility management service options can help simplify, streamline and energize your company’s internal and external operations, give us a call today at 833.360.6642, or fill out a contact form on our website. 

How Omnias360’s Approach Connects With Integrated Facility Solutions

Outsourcing is becoming more popular by the day because of the efficiency involved with paying money to a company for a job that the primary service provider might not specialize in. In the world of facility management, outsourcing is crucial, especially for our team at Omnia360. In today’s blog, we’ll explain how we embrace integrated facility solutions for our clients. 

 

We are the Integrated Facility Solution

As a company, we specialize in being the company our clients outsource their facility management needs to. We focus on providing a one-stop service solution experience for all of our clients so that they can focus on day-to-day operations. 

 

Project Management

Our team that focuses on project management will consult your company to execute onsite projects or find the best service solution for you. If you’re facing a staffing shortage or transition, we have your facility management solutions in mind and will work with you. Our team is full of industry experts who are data and results-driven in their decision-making. 

 

Site-Based Solutions

If you require a team of highly skilled service technicians, HVAC techs, or groundskeeping team members, we can have them there quickly. Our team can stay on-site for as long or as little as your contract requires. We also offer a service line so that we can be there anytime. 

 

Mobile Solutions

If you’re not quite settled on an onsite team, we’re happy to provide our mobile solutions line to your business. Our team of mobile technicians provides onsite staff expertise with the convenience of a mobile solution. We are available and just a call away.

 

Omnia360 Integrates Facility Management With Efficient Operations

Our data-driven team of industry experts focuses on the most efficient pathway to helping your business achieve the most optimal facility solutions possible. 

 

If you’re interested in receiving a collaborative solution, project management, mobile, or site-based solutions, we’d love to hear from you! To learn more about our products and services, please get in touch with us online, or give us a call at 833.360.6642. We’re looking forward to hearing from you.

Outsourcing is becoming more popular by the day because of the efficiency involved with paying a company money to do a job that the primary service provider might not specialize in. In the world of facility management, outsourcing is crucial, especially for our team at Omnia360. In today’s blog, we’ll explain how we embrace integrated facility solutions for our clients. 

 

We are the Integrated Facility Solution

As a company, we specialize in being the company our clients outsource their facility management needs to. We focus on providing a one-stop service solution experience for all of our clients so that they can focus on day-to-day operations. 

 

Project Management

Our team that focuses on project management will consult your company to execute onsite projects or find the best service solution for you. If you’re facing a staffing shortage or transition, we have your facility management solutions in mind and will work with you. Our team is full of industry experts who are data and results-driven in their decision-making. 

 

Site-Based Solutions

If you require a team of highly skilled service technicians, HVAC techs, or groundskeeping team members, we can have them there quickly. Our team can stay on-site for as long or as little as your contract requires. We also offer a service line so that we can be there anytime. 

 

Mobile Solutions

If you’re not quite settled on an onsite team, we’re happy to provide our mobile solutions line to your business. Our team of mobile technicians provides onsite staff expertise with the convenience of a mobile solution. We are available and just a call away.

 

Omnia360 Integrates Facility Management With Efficient Operations

Our data-driven team of industry experts focuses on the most efficient pathway to helping your business achieve the most optimal facility solutions possible. 

 

If you’re interested in receiving a collaborative solution, project management, mobile, or site-based solutions, we’d love to hear from you! To learn more about our products and services, please get in touch with us online, or give us a call at 833.360.6642. We’re looking forward to hearing from you.

Examples of Digital Facility Solutions, Omnia360

Data informs all decisions in the modern world, and why wouldn’t it? Currently, there are thousands of analytics companies that specialize in providing informational data to consumers and businesses for digital facility solutions. 

 

This is a significant plus in the facility management world because it mitigates the need to collect this information from specific units. It somewhat streamlines the process using: Big Data Analytics, Machine Learning/AI, and the Internet of Things. 

 

These terms can be complex concepts to understand, but our team at Omnia360 Facility Solutions is happy to assist in today’s blog. 

 

Digital Facility Solutions & Big Data Analytics

In the field of Facility Management, data-driven decision-making exists in the use of digital facility solutions. This means everything from wireless internet to the use of electronic management systems. 

 

Big data analytics has been used to track click patterns on websites to the movement of employee tags in organizations. It all connects to big data analytics as a method of improving efficiencies. 

 

Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence

The ability for machines to self-regulate by learning patterns of behavior associated with their operators is highly effective in facility management. Big data analytics helps with this. 

 

Take an HVAC unit, for example. An HVAC without machine learning technology will run on the settings directed to it and provide analytics on daily run-time. However, if machine learning were to be included in the building of an HVAC unit, the unit would be able to self-optimize run time, the output of air and provide analytics on that information all on its own. 

 

This behavior pattern would begin when the operator first programs the unit to self-run. Then with daily monitoring of production, it would self-optimize and begin developing altered behavior patterns for different external stimuli.

 

Internet of Things (IoT)

So, if this were the case, if an HVAC can learn how to self-optimize, the next question would be to ask how? That would be from a concept called the Internet of Things (IoT). IoT is the name given to any physical device embedded with sensors and software technology that allows that device to communicate with external devices and software systems. 

 

Our example is how HVAC ties into this. Suppose an HVAC is embedded with machine learning technology that utilizes IoT. As the HVAC learns how to self-optimize, it can then transfer information stored outside of itself into a database. 

 

This is where big data analytics comes into play. The information of that particular HVAC systems optimization patterns can be collected over time and built into charts to monitor the machine’s behavior. This can be used for maintenance, reviewing the average output, and much more. 

 

Omnia360 Provides Progressive Facility Solutions 

Omnia360 works to provide progressive facility solutions for all of our clients. We are your third-party facility solution provider that utilizes data to inform our decision-making process, so we can best provide for your company’s needs on all matters. 

 

To learn more about our products and services, please get in touch with us online, or give us a call at 833.360.6642. We’re looking forward to hearing from you.