Keep Your Tenants Safe and Happy This Winter: Apartment Complex Winterization
With the weather getting colder and the days getting shorter, Fall is your last good chance to prepare your apartment complex for Winter. Happy tenants stay longer, so it’s important to keep your property running smoothly so you can keep as many units occupied as possible. There are some basic steps to make sure that your complex is ready heading into Winter in order to keep everything functioning properly and to avoid any catastrophic failures.
Exterior Inspection
Take an in-depth look at the exterior of your building(s) to look for any damaged areas or spots that might be leaky or drafty. This includes your roof, walls, doors, windows, carports etc. If you find any issues, then make any repairs or seal any leaky spots promptly. It’s better to get these issues taken care of before the onset of Winter. Also look for any places that need cleaning. Common areas that need cleaning are roofs, walls and carports. Keeping your property clean will increase its longevity and curb appeal.
Take Care Of Your Trees
The combination of our steady Pacific Northwest rain and cold temperatures can wreak havoc on trees. Pay attention to and remove any trees or branches that are vulnerable to winds, freezing or snow. Falling trees or branches will damage anything below it, keep your property, your tenant’s property and your tenants safe and take preventative measures early. It’s important to get on this early, once trees begin to get damaged it can be hard to get tree services out there to take care of it in a timely manner.
Chimney Cleaning
If there any wood-burning fireplaces in any of your units or common areas, then it’s best practice to get them cleaned annually. Any obstructions, soot or creosote buildup can be health and fire hazards. Have a professional clean and inspect your chimney to find any obstructions, clear out soot and creosote, make sure your flue damper is working properly and see if there are any damages to address.
Insulation
Increasing the insulation in your common areas is a good idea for comfort and reducing your utility bill. Common places for heat loss are windows and doors, look into weather stripping, sealing drafty areas with caulk, and using door sweeps. Insulating vulnerable pipes is another thing to consider. A burst pipe is no fun and can cause serious damage. Wrap your pipes that are in common areas and in exterior walls to help prevent freezing.
Get Your Gutters Cleaned
Clogged gutters are bad news. They can cause water to back up and damage your roof, walls, foundation and interior, and they attract pests to take up residence on your property. It’s recommended to get your gutters cleaned twice a year, including the fall in preparation for winter. Water is your structure’s worst enemy, it’s best to make sure that it drains to the proper designated areas. While getting your gutters professionally cleaned, have them look out for any needed repairs like sagging gutters or leaks, and get those taken care of as well.
Maintain Your Furnaces and Boilers
Your boilers, furnaces and HVAC systems are critical to keeping a well-maintained property when the temperatures start to drop. Make sure they are in working order, are clean and replace filters when they get dirty. A malfunctioning heating system will make your tenants unhappy, and repairs will be more costly than taking a preventative approach.
Take A Quick Look At Your Irrigation System
Although we generally don’t get really cold weather in the Pacific Northwest, it’s important to check that your freeze sensor is working on your irrigation system and to turn off the water supply to the system when not in use for the Winter. Draining the pipes is even further protection against any issues with freezing.
Prepare For Snow
We do occasionally get snow, so it’s best to be prepared. Make sure you secure contracts in advance for snow removal to avoid long waiting times for service. When the snow falls everyone will be trying to schedule services at the same time, preparing early will put you and your tenants in a good position for getting services earlier. It’s also a good idea to stock up on ice melt.
Communicate With Your Tenants
It can be difficult to see all of the problems that need addressing when you have lots of units. Encouraging tenants to communicate any issues that need addressing is important to keeping your property well maintained. Communicate with them when you have any maintenance services that may cause them inconvenience as well.
For any exterior cleaning, chimney cleaning, gutter cleaning & repair, or snow removal, SNUGS has you covered. Schedule any time, day, night or weekend, to minimize inconvenience to you and your tenants!
Snugs Pro Wash, Inc, dba SNUGS Services, has been providing high quality Pressure Washing Services in Portland, OR since 1995. Started as a residential pressure washing and roof cleaning service, SNUGS is now one of the leading exterior cleaning companies in the Northwest. From our humble beginnings as a man with a truck and a trailer we have grown to become a multi-million dollar company serving corporate customers, name brands, and mom and pop companies alike.