An interior fit-up makes good business sense. Instead of doing every individual job piecemeal, getting it all done in one sweep will keep your business closed for the shortest amount of time and interrupt the fewest number of days for you and your employees. Even business owners facing new construction benefit from this business-building plan. If your fit-up included electrical installation, and most do, you’re probably left with a large mess to deal with before you can reopen your doors. It’s not just a matter of throwing out the trash. This mess needs special attention.
Disposing of the Dust
If you think dust is just an annoying film that coats your store shelves, you’ve never dealt with the aftermath of an electrical installation. This dust will coat every surface, and stays suspended in the air until you get rid of it. Begin by changing the air filters in your HVAC unit. This is the first line of defense against redeposited dust. Check the filter each day and change it again as soon as it’s needed. Walls are just as likely to harbor dust as floors or shelving. Moisten a towel and wrap it around a broom head, and use the broom to wipe dust from wide expanses of walls. Keep the towel just barely moist to avoid damaging any fresh paint that may have been added.
Livening up the Light Fixtures
The light fixtures are sure to be coated in dust and debris, even if they’ve been newly installed. Use a three-step ladder or other safe device to reach the top of each lighting fixture to remove the dirt. Any soil you knock free will fall onto the dirty room interior, so don’t worry about collecting this or using special tools.
Freeing the Floor of Debris
By this time, you’ve got a floor covered in dirt, dust, and broken materials. Work your way in from the outer edges, picking up the heaviest and bulkiest objects first. This is when the most danger lurks; broken glass, bare wires, and bent nails can be hiding among bits of wallboard or insulation. Use heavy work gloves when picking up discarded objects, or push them outside with a broom or shovel. Once the major pieces of garbage have been removed, sweep the floor. Do it once with a commercial push broom to get rid of the most obvious mess, then move on to a smaller broom or soft dry mop to pick up any remaining dust. Mop the floor, paying close attention to the corners, to finish the floor job.
Inspect Furniture and Appliances
Even if you’ve covered the furniture, a fit-up with electrical installation is such a major piece of work that dust and debris are likely to have worked their way into multiple odd places. Vacuum all the couches, side chairs, and desk chairs. Open all desk drawers and filing cabinets to make sure stray nails or debris haven’t fallen inside. Make a thorough search of the interior of any coffee makers, microwave ovens, or other small kitchen appliances you may have. While dust on the floor is annoying, dirt in your coffee maker can be physically dangerous.
Final Inspections
Once the interior of your business is clean, it’s a great idea to walk through and make sure all the electrical renovations work like you’d planned they would. Turn switches on and off, check every wall outlet with a lamp or other small appliance, inspect lighting fixtures or exit lights that may have been installed to make sure they are cleanly finished and work as expected. Turn on any large equipment such as air compressors or freezers to make sure the power is flowing to them and that they work.
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