Challenges a Severe Winter Poses
The way the winter of 2010-2011 is unfolding has made it painfully clear how much of an impact a severe winter can have on a community's operation and budget. Below are a few thoughts and highlights from the Property Manager's standpoint
Perhaps the biggest challenge to respond to and most frequent topic of our incoming phone calls is ice damming, a phenomenon quite common in the Northeast when we get heavy snows, thawing and refreezing. Unfortunately, there is not much that can be done to alleviate an ice dam once it occurs. As a preventative measure we encourage communities to consider regular roof raking (pulling the first 2 or 3 feet of snow off the roof above the gutter) or consider the used of heating coils, which melt the snow on that same area. The latter however requires the cooperation of the homeowner to ensure heating coils are plugged in and properly working and requires the use of the homeowner's electricity. The Association needs to ensure that any heating coils are installed per local building codes by a properly licensed and insured individual. Care needs to be taken to monitor the use that the heating coils are only on when necesary. These two preventive measures are particularly important on north facing sides of buildings.
The other challenge with ice damming is the cost of repairs to the interior damages. It is common practice today for the insurance carriers to treat each unit as a separate claim and therefore it becomes subject to your community's insurance deductible. This can take its toll on the maintenance and repair portion of your operating budget. There was a very well written and easily understood article on ice damming on the front page of the Hartford Courant on Saturday, January 22. A link to the article is provided in the Condominium Homeowner Association News section of this newsletter.
Secondly, even with a "cost per season" snow removal contract, the cost for a pay loader to move excessive and oversized snow piles is typically not included in the snow removal contract. You might want to consider a "snow extra" item in your next budget or establishing a snow removal reserve line item to protect cost overruns in winters of excessive and frequent snowfalls.
Overflow parking also creates a challenge both with excessive snow piles on the ground and during the snow removal process. It is a good practice to work with your snow removal contractor prior to the snow season to discuss both where they would like the vehicles parked during snowstorms as well as the clean-up process afterwards to address surface parking spaces throughout your complex.
During periods of extreme cold temperatures such as we've recently experienced, it's a good idea to reach out to homeowners who are either "snow birds" or owners of vacant units to ensure that heat is maintained and the water is properly turned off. This is of particular importance when sinking temperatures rise again which is when frozen pipes will thaw and break, potentially causing extensive damage to the unit(s).
Finally, as part of the spring reminder, unit owners should check and test the outside water spigots for leaks prior to turning them on. Even frost-free outside water spigots can split and flood basements. It is a good practice to do quarterly letters with reminders of the maintenance and safety nuances that come with each season. These maintenance issues should also be part of your maintenance and repair policy practices and expectations. Your Imagineers Property Manager can ably assist you in putting these documents together for distribution.
Thank you for reading the Imagineers Board Newsletter. If you have any question or need any additional information on any articles provided in this newsletter, please contact us at 1-800-560-7268.
Imagineers LLCEmail: Gpassacantando@imagineersllc.com
Phone: 1-800-560-7268
Fax: 860-236-3951
Web: http://www.imagineersllc.com
