If you’re the owner or manager of a Colorado office building, you’re responsible for how that building appears to the building’s tenants and their clients. Simple measures can be taken by you to improve the appearance of the building and its offices. With the recent approval by the Colorado Air Quality Control Commission of the State’s first mandated building performance standards, managers of buildings are now considering building upgrades that will improve energy efficiency. Here are some measures you should consider when you upgrade your building’s appearance and energy efficiency to match your business lifestyle.
1. Upgrading the Paint in Your Office
Try painting the walls in two colors to upgrade the appearance of the walls in a vacant office and give offices a bright appearance. Using contrasting colors for the walls can bring a spark of life to an older office wall. The other advantage of applying fresh paint to your office is that it will cover any scuffs or patching imperfections. According to Wheelhouse Connections, you shouldn’t paint over wallpaper; you should remove the wallpaper and sand the walls before painting them.
2. Upgrading Energy Efficiency
According to Webinar Care, over 33 million American homes now have smart thermostats, which may help you understand how to transition to innovative technology for your building. Look at the appliances your business uses to ensure they have energy-efficient settings. If your computers and other office machines have “power save” switches, using them will help you to use the minimum amount of energy with those machines. Ensure the air filters in your HVAC systems are changed at least quarterly to ensure the system is running correctly.
3. Upgrading Your Cleanliness Level
If you’re trying to attract tenants to your building or to help your current tenants make a good impression on clients, maintaining the cleanliness of your building and its rooms is essential. When you talk to those responsible for keeping your yard and building exterior clean, be sure they remove all visible trash and weeds. Ask your indoor janitorial staff to keep the common areas clean, as prospective tenants and clients will see this. Consider using welcome mats near the entry of your building to minimize the amount of outdoor debris tracked into the building.
4. Upgrading Your Lighting Levels
The lighting in the rooms of your building can have a significant influence on its appearance and your use of electrical energy. Upgrading to LED light bulbs will improve your lighting, and the bulbs will last longer. In addition, if you choose cellular shades for the office rooms, you will have more attractive windows and be able to control the lighting level in those rooms. According to the Department of Energy, buildings with cellular shades can save up to 20% of the energy it takes to heat your building and up to 15% of the total energy from heating and cooling compared to windows without shades. Consider automatic lighting, as they may be more suitable for your business lifestyle.
5. Upgrading Your Firearm Permits
Although it may not affect the condition of your building, as a citizen of Colorado, you should be aware of state regulations regarding firearms. If you are interested in owning a gun, you must be at least 21 to get a firearm permit. You may be interested to learn that according to the World Population Review, just over 45% of Colorado residents owned a gun in 2023. Within the State of Colorado, just over 18 out of 100,000 citizens were killed by guns during 2023.
According to Axios, the Colorado Business Economic Outlook released in late December 2023 projected the addition of almost 42,000 jobs to state businesses during 2024. Some of those jobs may be in one of the offices in your building. If you want your building to be attractive and comply with the new state energy requirements, it’s imperative that you consider some of these upgrades.
