Remember that time around AD 79 when Mt. Vesuvius erupted and buried that city under a massive and deadly blanket of ash and pumice?

Of  course not, we’re not zombies! But we do remember learning about it! Those who sat through Latin class will know that the reason this historic eruption is renowned is that the same elements that wiped out most of the city also preserved it for thousands of years underground. When people discovered this site around 200 years ago, they unknowingly began to destroy the city again.

According to a recent Departures.com article, damage due to the elements, tourists and poorly funded conservation have left the city in shambles once more. Even with all of these problems, the most important point of preservation for the city right now is basic maintenance (weed pulling, patching, draining).

The current re-destruction of Pompeii accentuates the value of preventive maintenance. In order to keep things at their peak, preventive maintenance needs to be a recurring factor of upkeep. If constructions that survived thousands of years can be taken down by lack of timely and systematic maintenance in a few decades, imagine its effect on today’s average commercial real estate building.

Preventive maintenance not only protects a chapter of Roman history it also helps keep property management costs down, tenants satisfied and asset value high. A comprehensive maintenance program starts with automating and reporting on all aspects of the maintenance process. Don’t wait for the weeds to start growing in your building.

Just remember, defer maintenance today, Pompeii the price later.

Check out best practice resources for Preventive Maintenance:

Article: Misconceptions About Preventive Maintenance

Microsite: Supercharge Your Preventive Maintenance Program

Video: Preserving the Health of Your Building

Blog Post: Maintenance Deferred is NOT Preferred