Dear Maintenance Men:

By Jerry L’Ecuyer & Frankie Alvarez
 www.JLE1.com

Dear Maintenance Men:
I’m redoing my building’s landscape and want to be “Water Wise” as they say.  Where do I start?  I typically have a burnt orange thumb, but I want to give it a go anyways!
Sally

Dear Sally,
As they say in real estate: Location, Location, Location!  Locate the proper plants in the proper place, such as shade plants in the shade and direct sun or drought resistant plants in the sun.   Group the shade plants together and the drought resistant plants as another group.  Try not to mix the two groups together.   Add mulches, peat moss and other water-retention soil amendments to your dirt. This will help your soil retain moisture. 

You might consider cutting back on the amount of lawn your building has and employ crush stone areas and larger drought resistant plant beds.  Use silvery or grey colored foliage, as these plants tend to be more water wise. 

Sure way of cutting back on water usage is to automate your sprinkler valves. Use drip irrigation where possible and schedule watering times in the evenings, night or very early mornings.  

Talk your favorite nursery for specific plant advice.

Dear Maintenance Men:
I have an opportunity to buy a small power snake for cleaning out kitchen & bathroom drains.  At the rate my tenants block their drains it should pay for its self in no time.  Is this a good idea?
Dale

Dear Dale:
We understand that almost any excuse is a good reason to buy a power tool.  But… most bathroom and kitchen drains can be cleared with a three-foot hand snake.  The tub or shower will typically have a hair stoppage just past the tub shoe and the bathroom sink will have a toothpaste and hair stoppage in the trap before the wall.  The kitchen sink will typically be stopped on the garbage disposal side because of improper usage of the disposer.  If both sides of the kitchen sink are blocked, then it may be necessary to use the power snake. 

Power snakes can be very dangerous.  Most operate with a ¼ to ½ horse motor, which packs quite a punch, especially if your finger or arm gets caught!  If you buy this snake, we highly recommend that you get some training on your machine.  Power drain cleaning is very much an “art” when done well.  Knowing when you hit the stoppage and when the snake is snagged comes with experience.  A broken snake cable in your drain system will be far more expensive than simply calling an experienced plumber when needed.   Another thought is; most kitchen stoppages are caused by grease.  Your snake will only temporarily clear the stoppage.  Getting a company to “Hydro-Jet” your drains every two years may help cure your chronic grease stoppages. 

Dear Maintenance Men:
I have a parking area at my building with concrete bumper stoppers.  The problem is that when the cars touch the stopper, they move.  How do I attach them to the parking lot?

Bill

Dear Bill:
If you have an asphalt parking lot, it is quite easy.  Most concrete bumper stoppers have two holes that go through from top to bottom. These holes are just the right size to fit a piece of rebar metal. Pick up two 12 to 18 inch pieces of rebar for each stopper.  Place the rebar through the holes in the stopper and then use a sledgehammer and pound the rebar into the asphalt.  

 

If your parking area is concrete, use a hammer drill with a ½ inch concrete bit to drill a hole in the parking lot.  Use your existing parking bumper as a guide.   Either drill down through the holes in the bumper stop to the concrete below or use powdered chalk poured down through the bumper stop’s holes to mark the concrete. Then drill.  Hammer your rebar into the bumper and concrete.  If the fit is loose, pour some concrete into the parking lot holes and then insert the rods. 

Dear Apartment Owners:

Halloween, Thanksgiving and other holidays along with winter are coming up. This means more people than usual walking on your property.  Is your property safe?  What are some of the liabilities to worry about?  Check trip and fall hazards. Sprinkler heads sticking up above the grass or landscape near sidewalks. Use pop-up heads to solve this problem.  Look for sidewalks that have been pushed up by tree roots. This can be solved with a concrete grinder or replacement of the section and removal of the tree root.  Cut any low hanging tree branches and look for branches that may break in heavy winter wind or rain. Check your decking for cracks or damage and inspect the exterior stairways for wear and tear. Inspect all your garage door springs, winter wind and rain may make them heavy causing the door to close or fall unexpectedly.  As a precaution, always replace both garage springs at the same time and throw away any used springs. Never install used garage springs.  Check all property lighting and timers.  Remember: Preventive Maintenance is cheaper than Emergency Maintenance!

The Maintenance Men

Maintenance Tip: Install a spring or motion timer on your laundry room light switch.  This will cut down on unnecessary electrical waste. 

 Bio:

Jerry L'Ecuyer is the owner of JLE Property Management & Buffalo Maintenance and is a licensed contractor & real estate broker.  He is currently on the Board of Directors and Chairman of the Education Committee for the Apartment Association of Orange County.  Jerry has been involved with apartments as a professional since 1988 and can be reached at (714) 778-0480 or jerry@JLE1.com. Frank Alvarez is the Operations Director for Buffalo Maintenance. He has been involved with apartment maintenance for over 14 years. Frank can be reached at (714) 956-8371 or visit the office at, 202 E. Broadway in Anaheim, CA 92805. Please view our web site at: WWW.JLE1.COM