The absence of pupils for a six week period in the summer provides the ideal opportunity for schools to carry out much needed maintenance work, with everything from routine repairs to more extensive building works scheduled into just a few short weeks. It’s worth remembering that schools up and down the country are all going through a similar exercise, making this time of year the busiest period for contractors. We’re also seeing the first ‘green shoots’ of recovery within the construction industry, meaning this summer is likely to be much busier than last year – don’t assume your contractors will be desperate for whatever work they can get come July!
In short, if you don’t plan early for the work that you want to be carried out in the summer there may not be the labour available, or the quality of labour and installation may have to be compromised. This can be a particular problem where specialist contractors are concerned, as trying to replace skilled workers with more general building contractors can often lead to issues further down the line. It certainly pays to book the best people for the job as early as possible, both in terms of ensuring a high quality of work and your peace of mind.
The increase in construction work at this time of year also leads to higher demand for building materials and manufacturers are also put under pressure. It is essential that you plan early to ensure that you have allowed adequate lead times for sourcing the right materials. Remember that not all materials are manufactured in the UK. European manufacturers often benefit from lengthy summer shutdown periods themselves, so any orders need to be placed early to ensure they are scheduled into the production runs at the right time to avoid disappointment and last minute panic. This is even more crucial when looking at more specialist or bespoke products, such as sports floors, which are often manufactured to order.
“It certainly doesn’t pay to leave your bookings to the last minute,” agrees Richard Bullivant of Hygienic Finishing Systems, a firm which specialises in providing design, installation and maintenance work to the education sector. “There is a lot for schools to take into account. You may need to seek specialist technical advice on areas such as design, sustainability and energy efficiency; and with product choices, ensuring availability of materials and scheduling of contractors to be completed, you’ll be surprised how time will fly.”
When it comes to making the right materials choices, it goes without saying that there are a lot of practical and aesthetic factors to take into account, and it’s important that you don’t lose sight of long term objectives. You want to be assured that the products you select will stand the test of time – beware of cheap imitations which claim a range of features at tempting bargain basement prices, but all too often, result in reduced in quality and reliability. It makes sense to go for products that are proven to perform over time and come from a manufacturer you can trust.
Whilst the summer holidays may still seem a long way off, don’t delay. Get product choices confirmed and agreed with suppliers and the work scheduled in with contractors as early as possible to ensure work on your school is carried out as planned.
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