The Ultimate Guide to Industrial Workshops: Construction and Maintenance Tips

Industrial workshops are crucial for many different Kiwi businesses. Whether storing equipment or hosting manufacturing facilities, constructing a purpose-built industrial space can help ensure smoother operations and enhanced productivity. The key is to do it properly.

At Durasteel, we’re Canterbury’s long-standing experts in all things to do with industrial sheds. In this guide, we’ll explore essential construction and maintenance tips for industrial workshops, helping you to create and utilise the space your business deserves.

Tips for Constructing Your Industrial Workshop

Step Carefully in the Design Stage

When building a custom workshop, the design stage is your chance to answer problems before they arise. Consider the location of the workshop on your site, its proximity to other important buildings, and where you might want to expand it in future. Make sure the site is carefully assessed for potential hazards and ease of access.

From there, you can design a layout that promotes maximum efficiency. Consider the purpose of the workshop. Is it simply to store equipment? Will there be manufacturing? Is it meant to work as a multi-functional space? Bring these considerations to your designer so they can help you to lay out an appropriate floor plan.

Plan for Power and Plumbing

Begin with an accurate catalogue of your current and potential future machinery and lighting needs. From there, you can plan for an adequate electrical supply to handle all machinery and lighting needs.

Make sure to think about safety features at the same time. Where is the best place to put circuit breakers and emergency shut-offs in case workers need to get to them? Is there proper on-site drainage? Does any preliminary electrical or plumbing work need to be done on-site before it’s ready for the foundation?

If your business deals with hazardous chemicals, you might also consider installing water/oil separators along with your industrial shed.

Stay On Top of Compliance

In the course of designing and building, make sure to stay knowledgeable about which building codes apply to the industrial shed and which ones are irrelevant. Continued compliance will ensure you don’t encounter any roadblocks. It can be a major help to work with experienced builders who can guide you through this piece of the puzzle.

Tips for Maintaining Your Industrial Shed

Once your new workshop is built, there are a few industrial shed maintenance tips that will help it last for decades. Here are our top three:

Set Up Regular Inspections

Even the strongest industrial sheds can fall victim to wear and tear, so it pays to set up regular inspections with an experienced team that can help you navigate any maintenance needs. This means you can catch small issues before they progress, saving you plenty of money and stress down the line.

Establish Safety and Maintenance Protocols

Industrial sheds are just like any other part of your business: they need protocols put in place to ensure operations run smoothly. Take the time once the shed has been set up to establish and post safety maintenance protocols in accordance with the regulations that matter for your business.

Include the creation of a maintenance schedule in this step. Something as simple as setting up a time to wash the exterior of the building can go a long way toward helping it last for as long as possible. If you’re unsure about what your shed needs, make sure to talk to your build team about it once they hand over the keys.

Some of our general recommendations include setting up a cleaning schedule and a visual inspection schedule and incorporating anything relevant to specific materials you keep on-site.

Build to Expand

Finally, consider building your shed with the possibility of a future expansion in mind. While this may not fall under maintenance, it is an important future consideration. If your business grows and you need more space, it pays to have a workshop that is already designed with an expansion in mind.

Overall, constructing a high-quality industrial shed workshop comes down to knowing what you need from the space and thinking about the future as you build. Leaving places to expand, investing in a solid foundation, and establishing any safety parameters the new space needs are all a big part of making sure your new workshop will go the distance. Keeping these tips in mind, you’ll be able to convey what you need in an industrial workshop to your provider.

Build a top-shelf industrial shed with the experienced team at Durasteel.

If you need guidance, a smart move when constructing an industrial workshop is to embark on the design stages with a professional on your team.

No matter what style of industrial shed you need, Durasteel have got you covered. As Christchurch’s steel shed experts, you can expect the widest range of available options, all manufactured from the best materials to our exacting standards.

Ready to get started? Get in touch with us today for a free quote for your industrial shed.