Dear Maintenance Men:

By Jerry L'Ecuyer & Frank Alvarez

July 2001 

Dear Maintenance Men:

I have a laundry room problem. I am forever repairing drywall holes that have been kicked in.  How can I stop the tenants/kids/visitors etc. from abusing my laundry room?

All Washed Up.

Dear Washed Up:

Since many people use the laundry room as a meeting area and keeping a guard is not reasonable.   The quick and easy answer would be to install a security door and give keys to all the tenants. This works to a point, but over time the door will still remain open. So, we have tried to beat the vandals at their own game.  We now install “T-111” plywood along the lower four feet of the laundry room walls.  T-111 plywood comes in a 4x8 sheet and has vertical lines running through it. Typically T-111 is used for garage door sheathing and building siding.  Installation is fairly straight forward. We cut the plywood in half producing 4x4 sheets. These are then screwed to the wall at every 16” or at each wall stud. The lines should be vertical. Then install a 1x4 plank to trim the top of the sheet along with a plank at the bottom as replacement for the base coving.  Caulk all seams and edges, paint with primer and enamel paint of choice.  If you two tone the trim board and T-111, it looks very nice and it will be a lot tougher on your little vandal’s toes than your wall!

Dear Maintenance Men:

Now that school is out, my sprinkler heads are taking a terrible beating. Every weekend I’m fixing stepped on, broken or missing sprinkler heads or risers. I don’t want to cement the heads in place as I have seen at other buildings. It is too difficult to repair.  Any suggestions?  Leaky in the Valley.

Dear Leaky:

First, make sure you have good quality sprinkler heads. Either metal or plastic, don’t buy the cheapest. Next, the heads should be level to the ground and not sticking up as a target. If the spray does not reach over the grass or other obstacles, buy a long-throw pop-up head.  To protect these new heads; go to Home Depot or other plumbing supply store and buy an appropriate number of 3” black ABS sewer pipe. They typically come in 10’ lengths.  Cut the pipe in 4 to 5 inch lengths for as many heads as you have. Dig a hole around your sprinkler heads and insert the black ABS pipe over the sprinkler & riser.  The top of the pipe should be level or even with the sprinkler head. Back fill the dirt around the outside of the ABS pipe and pack the soil in place.  Do not let the bottom of the ABS pipe touch the white plastic pipe feeding the sprinkler head.  Allow a minimum of one inch of soil between the end of the black ABS pipe and the sprinkler line.  Not only will this protect your sprinkler heads from kicking feet and prying fingers, it will also keep the grass from growing over your heads.     

Dear Maintenance Men:

 I’m confused, when should I check smoke alarms; how often should I drain and clean out my water heaters; who is responsible for cleaning the A/C filters and other   tasks.

Confused in Buena Park

Dear Confused:

1-         Most rental agreements have a check box that says the resident is responsible for the operation of the smoke alarm. We lay awake at night thinking about that little check box. In order to sleep, we check the residents smoke alarm every time we do maintenance on the unit. We keep a log of each time we check the smoke alarm and what action was taken.  The smoke alarm should be “Officially” checked and logged, at least once a year.  Typically, January is a good month for the annual check.   

2-        A typical 100-gallon water heater costs approximately $1,300 - $1,500 installed. That cost alone should be incentive to clean out your heater regularly.   Normally, the clean out should be done at least once a year. If the water at your building has a high mineral content, then it should be cleaned out every nine months. Again keep a log of each clean out; it will help in remembering when to do the next cleaning.

3-         If your building has forced air & heating, the filter should be checked, cleaned or replaced each October or November and each May or June. This will help keep your systems working properly and reduce strain on the components. It will also ensure proper filtration before the winter and summer work loads.  

4-            Cleaning out the exhaust vent tubes of the laundry room dryer. Every one knows about cleaning out the dryer lint basket and throwing it on the laundry room floor. We’re talking about cleaning out the lines leading out the back of the dryer. Keeping the exhaust vent tubes clean will help cut down on gas and electric usage, longer machine life and shorter drying time. It should be done at least once a year and keep a log of each cleaning for reference. 

Bio:

Jerry L'Ecuyer is the owner of JLE Property Management & Buffalo Maintenance.  He is currently on the Board of Directors and First Vice President 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. Frank Alvarez is the Operations Director for Buffalo Maintenance. He has been involved with apartment maintenance for over 13 years. Frank can be reach at (714) 956-8371 or visit the office at, 202 E. Broadway in Anaheim, CA 92805. Please visit our web site at: WWW.JLE1.COM