A new lighting system at a Wisconsin elementary school involved replacing all the incandescent fixtures with either fluorescent, mercury vapor, or high-output fixtures. Group lamp replacement procedures instead of spot relamping are expected to save labor costs. (MLF)

Schools in Wilton (Connecticut) cut electric consumption 39 percent by replacing existing lamps with new types of energy saving lamps. Fuel oil consumption dropped 53 percent largely through attention paid to the operation of boilers and oil burners. (Author/MLF)

Describes how one university's facility managers use Nextel communications technology in conjunction with a Famis Software maintenance management system to improve the productivity of its maintenance technicians. The system uses a wireless Internet connection to automate the flow of work order information to and from technicians. The key to these…

Describes a motivational program in the Fairfax County (Virginia) Public Schools that caused a dramatic improvement in custodial staff professionalism and school building cleanliness. The plan emphasized the importance of clean schools, teamwork, and accepting responsibility for one's work. (MLH)

Argues the importance of regularly inspecting thermoplastic roofs to avoid costly repairs. Preventive measures such as access restriction and the use of protective mats and pads to prevent third-party accidents are discussed as is the importance of checking for drain blockages. (GR)

Provides decision-making tips when selecting facilities management software for colleges and universities. It advises to get a program that fits a prepared plan, pay attention to user friendliness, negotiate for changes and modifications in the vendor contract, test run the program before buying it, and determine a vendor's service level…

Discusses the issues to consider when selecting floor-care chemicals, including the floor-finish systems for hard-surface floors and the care of carpeted floors. Provides thoughts on cleaning chemical usage and environmental awareness. (GR)

Discusses the creation of an effective carpet vacuuming program by combining area usage assessment and vacuuming requirements with a scheduling plan. Also explains vacuum cleaner suction and filtration and how it makes custodian work more efficient. A complementary article discusses creating an effective floor-maintenance plan for resilient…

Provides guidelines to help schools maintain hard floors and carpets, including special areas in schools and colleges that need attention and the elements needed to have a successful carpet-maintenance program. The importance of using heavy equipment to lessen time and effort is explained as are the steps maintenance workers can take to make the…

Discusses school preventive maintenance and the variables associated with maintenance staffing standards that address a zero-based budgeting environment. Explores preventive-maintenance measurement for staffing requirements, defines staffing levels and job descriptions, and outlines the factors to consider when creating a maintenance program and…

Explains how well-defined cleaning and maintenance standards helped a community school system resolve problems with custodial staff apportionments. Cleaning time, frequency, and cleanliness levels are combined to create a formula that helps economize custodial care. (GR)

Effective measures to decrease vandalism on the Oswego campus include replacement of damaged items with more resilient materials, the maintenance of communication between campus police and residence hall personnel, and a variety of measures to encourage community ownership and pride. (MLF)

Reviews the snow clearance procedure at Northern Michigan University in Marquette, Michigan. (MLF)

Discusses how an emphasis on student recruitment, combined with deferred maintenance backlogs and maintenance budget cuts, suggest that further study needs to be done on the intrinsic value of campus maintenance. (EV)

Contract management of school maintenance and operations is a growing trend. In-house departments need to be prepared to justify their positions. Describes a Texas school district's request for proposal for contract management and includes the specifications for bidding with comments about the wording of the document. (MLF)