Why Bollards Are A Must-Have for Every Commercial Property
Protecting your commercial building is one of your highest priorities, and bollards play an essential role in ensuring safety and security in commercial areas.
What Is A Bollard?
Bollards are vertical posts that are embedded in sidewalks, parking lots, streets, or other surfaces, typically around the perimeter of a building. They can be made of concrete, steel, aluminum, plastic, or other material. They create a barrier that keeps cars from crossing into restricted areas and protects pedestrians and businesses.
Commercial Building Owners Use Bollards In Several Different Ways
Protect storefronts – Research shows that every day, there are up to 100 incidents of a vehicle crashing into a storefront causing injuries to workers or customers. These incidents can also result in significant property damage. Bollards can reduce this risk by serving as a visual and physical barrier for drivers. Their purpose is to stop drivers from driving up onto the sidewalk or, even worse, into the storefront or restaurant.
Restrict access – Businesses use bollards to restrict access to specific areas such as loading bays, pedestrian areas, or emergency vehicle areas around hospitals. Whether you choose permanent bollards, or you opt for retractable or removable bollards, you will be able to close off access to the areas you need to restrict.
Protect pedestrians – Just as you desire to protect your commercial building, your customers also count on you for their safety. In addition to keeping pedestrians safe, bollards can also act as a guide to show pedestrians where they are allowed to walk.
Control traffic flow – Bollards can control the flow of traffic around places like parking garages or high-volume entrances and exits such as zoos or museums. Many building owners place retractable bollards in these areas so they can raise or lower them as needed.
Enhance appearance – Businesses choose decorative bollards when the primary goal is curb appeal rather than security. There are numerous styles available to enhance the look of your commercial property. Decorative bollards may look modern and sleek, or they may be chosen to match the architecture of surrounding buildings. Though they are often chosen for their aesthetic apparel, some can also serve as decorative coverings for more sturdy security bollards – enhancing both the security and the attractiveness of a building.
Provide lighting along walkways – Many bollards now include lights making them the perfect solution when more light is needed along a walkway or outside of a building to aid visibility or discourage crime.
The Cost-Saving Advantages Of Bollards For Commercial Properties
Unfortunately accidents happen. If a driver hits the gas instead of the brakes and crashes into your building, staff or customers could be injured. In addition to the cost of building repairs, this could also open up the building owner to possible litigation.
Another costly threat to commercial building owners is the rise of ram-raids – the term for the type of burglary in which thieves use a car as a battering ram to crash through doors or windows of storefronts, warehouses, banks, or other businesses to steal electronics, equipment, or other valuable goods. These incidents tend to be highly destructive resulting in large amounts of property damage, sometimes even impacting the structural integrity of the building. Along with costly repairs, building owners could also face a loss of revenue if the damage results in the building being closed while repairs are made.
Many commercial building owners are realizing that it is better to invest in bollards as a security feature now than to wait until after an incident has occurred.
Proper Bollard Installation Is Critical
Installing bollards requires special knowledge and equipment, which is why it’s best to hire professional bollard installers. Our experts have the experience and technical skills you need to make your bollard installation process a breeze.
Requests for our bollard installation services became so high, Meckley Services established a multi-state division to meet the demand. Our six branches spread throughout the Mid-Atlantic and the South include top-rated experts in bollard installation. With each and every job, our priority is to exceed our customer’s expectations. Our dedication to excellence means you can rest assured your project is in capable hands.
Contact us today with any questions or to request a quote.
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