Bollard Maintenance: Taking care of bollards

Bollards are an important safety feature, whether in parking lots or in pedestrian areas. They serve as a physical barrier, preventing collisions between buildings, pedestrians, and vehicles. However, in order for them to continue doing their job effectively, you need to make sure you properly maintain them. This blog post covers bollard maintenance and care for indoor and outdoor bollards, as well as automated bollards. Yes those that you can be raise and lower without you getting out of your car – typically using a remote control or smartphone!

Bollard Maintenance for Fixed Bollards

First, let’s look at fixed bollards. These are permanently fixed to the ground and intended not to be removed. They can be made of any material, including steel, concrete, and plastic. In order to keep them in good condition, keep them clean and free of debris. A quick sweep or wash should suffice. If your bollards are made of steel or concrete, you may need to clean them with a mild detergent or degreaser. Remember to inspect for any damage or wear and tear and make any necessary repairs or replacements.

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Protecting Bollards designed for the Outdoors

It is critical to protect outdoor bollards from the elements as bollard maintenance is very important step for better long term performance. You can do this generally by coating steel bollards with rust inhibitor or weather-resistant paint and sealing concrete bollards to keep moisture out. Look for any signs of rust or corrosion, and deal with any issues as soon as they come up. It’s one of the key lessons for bollard maintenance – keep them rust-free.

Caring for Manual folding bollards

It’s easy to care for your manual folding steel bollards, if you follow a few simple guidelines. Just like for fixed bollards, keep your manual folding bollards clean and free of dirt and rubbish. Every now and then, just simply sweep or hose them down. If they’re really filthy, again use a mild detergent or degreaser to give them a bit of a rub down. Follow the manufacturer’s cleaning instructions, as different products may require different applications.

Remember to keep the hinges of your bollard lubricated, so they keep on moving smoothly. A quick spray with WD-40 or a similar silicone-based lubricant will do the trick. You can easily pick that up at most supermarkets or hardware stores. It’s really easy to do and it’s the best maintenance tip for your manual folding bollards 

You should regularly check that the locks on your bollards are in good working order if they can be locked with a key or a padlock. Keep keys and padlocks clean and free of rust or corrosion, and replace them if they become damaged or worn out. It’s also a good idea to keep a spare key or padlock on hand in case something goes wrong.

Overall, caring for manual folding steel bollards is fairly simple. Adhering to these guidelines will keep your bollards in good working order for many years.

Maintaining Automated Bollards

Now let’s talk about automated parking bollards. These are the ones that you can raise and lower automatically, typically using a remote control or smartphone. Most often, building managers and owners will use them to manage individual parking bay access, by keeping unauthorised vehicles out of parking bays, and only allowing authorised cars access. (eg. Disability bays, privately owned parking bays, EV charging bays) 

Now when it comes to automated bollards, you should always remember that the key bollard maintenance issue is battery. Most automatic bollards are powered by a rechargeable battery which needs to be charged on a regular basis. How often you need to charge the battery depends on the model of the bollard and the type of battery. But on top of that, how often you use, or in fact how often you don’t use your automated bollard, affects the battery life and how often you need to recharge it. Be sure to follow the charging instructions provided by the manufacturer, as overcharging or undercharging can shorten the battery’s life span.

Every rechargeable battery has an end life. Again it depends on how often you do or don’t use it, and what type of battery it is, but our lead acid batteries at thatsmyspot last 2-3 years. You’ll find that when you try to recharge it at the end of its life, it won’t hold charge for very long. And all that means is you’ll just need to replace it with a new battery.

Overall, bollards for parking bays are an highly useful tool for the functionality of your parking lot. At Thatsmyspot, we use high-quality materials in the production of all of our products. So we deliver superior aesthetics and long-term durability. If you attend to your bollards with proper maintenance and care, you will ensure years of use with minimal wear and corrosion in most environments, like in the Gold coast, Melbourne, Perth and in Adelaide.