Looking after your bollards

A quick and brief guide in bollard maintenance

Bollards can be the central tenet to protection of property. They prevent ram raiding, protect customers, and offers demarcation, protection and security for many a property. However, as with all things, when exposed to the elements, bollards run the risk of being corroded. As a business owner, you need to be aware of the state your bollards are in and take the steps necessary to keep them functional. There is plenty of maintenance that you can undertake without enlisting professional help. This post has been created to help you understand the needs of your bollards, catching any problems early.

Why might your bollards be damaged?

Bollards are exposed to humans and the environment, both of which may cause a problem. If monitored you can stop these problems in their tracks, sorting them out. Although bollards are specifically designed to withstand poor outdoor conditions, inevitably, the weather will eventually take effect. Humans can cause problems through driving, scrapes and bumps are common, especially with parking bollards. Equally, graffiti can be a problem for bollards and to add to the ugly appearance, it can cause erosion.

What damage to look for.

It can be hard to know what damage to look for when inspecting your bollards, we recommend looking out for the following:

• Vandalism
• Loose part of the bollards
• Reduced movement in telescopic bollards
• Breakdown in surface finish
• Build-up in residue
• General wear and tear
• Any vehicular impact

Any dents, breaks, cracks, or a build-up of rust should be looked at quickly to reduce any need for paying for a professional to fix the bollards. These can almost destroy your bollards if not looked at.

How to maintain steel bollards?

When you have steel bollards installed they will probably be galvanised for extra protection. It is commonly accepted that galvanised paint can almost heal itself when scratched. If you notice a scratch, keep an eye on this to see whether it is permanent or not. If you happen to notice a chip that will not budge, there are plenty of ways to fix this such as investing in repair paint or paste.

When you clean the bollards, it is vital that you use non-abrasive cleaning products so not to chip away at the paint. You should test all of you cleaners on a small area of your bollard before using them to make sure that they do not erode your paint. Try to avoid solvent cleaning products as these can have a negative effect on your paint.

We recommend logging all inspections, cleaning, and maintenance of your bollards. If you do need to call in a professional, such as Unison, this will really help to sort the issue. Use a table like ours below.

We hope that we have given you a few more pointers on how to look after your bollards, saving you money and time in the long run. Please note that our methods work for both telescopic and static bollards. If you are looking to install new bollards contact us via email at sales@unisoncctv.co.uk or phone us on 0121 544 8470.