09/16/2016
Power Sweeping Vs Power Blowing
In an effort to bring down costs and consolidate expenses it sometimes makes sense to utilize your landscaping vendor to clean your parking lot. On the surface this looks like the right approach. Let’s look at the pros and cons.
Pros
• Manage one vendor vs two.
• One point of contact.
• Both services are done the same day.
• Accounting pays one vendor for multiple services.
Cons
• Landscapers will only use power blowers.
• It takes longer to clean a parking lot with just power blowers.
• It takes more man power.
• The service is done during business hours.
• The core service “landscaping” will get less time.
Let’s look into some of these pros and cons in detail.
Vendor Management
It’s always easier on the property manager to have to make one call or send one email to resolve multiple issues. The problem that may arise is that since one of the services that the landscaping vendor is offering is not their main line of work, calls or emails to this vendor will increase when issues come up regarding the cleanliness of your parking lot.
Time
It may seem that you are saving money when using one vendor but in the long run it may cost you more. Parking lot cleaning with the wrong equipment is time consuming. It will take twice as long to clean a parking lot with power blowers than it takes a driver using a sweeper truck. Often when using power blowers, you need two people, doubling the labor costs. During the spring, fall and winter months the cleaning time may even triple, meaning the landscaping vendor may end up spending more time cleaning your parking lot than doing their “core” service of maintaining your landscape. This of course can lead to more expenses down the line.
Time of Service
One aspect that is often overlooked but becomes an issue once service starts is the time of service. Landscaping is traditionally done during regular business hours. This means that the time your parking lot is being cleaned is while the parking lot is full of cars. This brings up three main complaints.
The debris underneath cars will not be picked up.
• The reason for this is that the power blower cannot reach underneath the car unless the operator gets on the floor to direct the aim of the blower.
This brings up the second issue, property damage.
• If the operator is not careful, he can end up scratching or denting the vehicle behind him.
Complaints
• You will start to receive complaints from customers or tenants that their cars are dirty and will often times demand reimbursement for their car wash or detail. Noise complaints will also be a factor.
Power Sweeping avoids all of these issues by providing the service after hours. Since the parking lots are mostly empty, all the debris are swept up and liability and complaints go down.
Equipment
The main Con to using your landscaping vendor for parking lot cleaning is the equipment that is used. Like the old saying goes “The right tool for the job”.
Power blowers are great for separating debris from corners, curbs, landscaping beds, sidewalks, fences and tire stops. In fact, power blowers are an essential tool sweepers use. The issue comes when it’s time to pick up the debris. I already mentioned the time factor. The other issues are the sand and dirt that is left behind when not using a power sweeper. Dirt and sand are abrasive elements that can erode the seal coat of your asphalt. Simply using power blowers will not do the job of picking these elements up. You need a power sweeper to pick up as much of these elements as possible on every service to extend the life of your hardscape. Asphalt repairs and seal coat are costly and can be avoided with proper maintenance.
COVAC Group is a locally operated and family owned business. We have a combined 45 years’ experience in this industry. Call us today to find out how we can help you maintain a clean and presentable parking lot for your customers and tenants.
408-915-4402
