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As anyone who’s worked in property management and grounds maintenance would tell you, winter is their least favorite time of the year. Among Orange County property management professionals, winter means high winds, heavy rains, and erratic cold snaps, sometimes reaching just above freezing. Because of this, the best HOA and property management companies prepare months in advance for winter.

Winter preparations start as early as late summer or early fall. The first step is often the unclogging of drains, gutters, and downspouts, which tend to attract unwelcome debris and even animal inhabitants in spring and summer due to their cool and dark interiors. Clogged drains often freeze over during winter, leading to bursting pipes and hefty repair and replacement expenses once spring comes. That being said, maintenance crews wrap exposed outdoor pipes in insulating materials. Roof and siding repair is also done in the fall to prevent slips and falls caused by winter rain and snow.

Ornamental plants and trees also benefit from early winter preparations. Large trees can be braced in the middle of fall to prevent sudden winter winds from lashing out at them, and potentially uprooting them as well. This activity can also help prevent frost from weighing down tree branches, posing a risk to pedestrians, property, and the trees themselves. This is especially important for areas like Orange County and San Bernardino County, which experience heavy snow and frost every few years.

Aside from trees and plants, lawns have to be prepared as well. The best times to plant grass seed in California are early fall and late spring or summer, and the timelines for lawn maintenance have to be planned around the optimal planting season to ensure the survival of the grass seedlings. The right grass seed, such as fescue or Bermuda, have to be purchased in advance as well.

Preparations like these have to be taken seriously. The best Orange County property management practitioners treat these preparations as large-scale projects, complete with well-defined timelines, yearly budgets, and dedicated vendors. Procurement and storage of important supplies and equipment, such as road salt, snow shovels, and snow blowers, should be done professionally to ensure that the homeowners get their contributions’ worth.

When it comes to Orange County HOA management, SoCal Property Enterprises is the top choice of homeowners’ associations and condominium associations. With decades of experience in dealing with all sorts of weather, you and your residents and homeowners can rest easy, knowing that your property will be kept safe during the winter. To learn more about the services we offer to homeowners’ associations and property developers, contact us at 951-270-3700 or send us a message.

Swimming pools are popular among condominium and gated community owners. While they see a lot of use during spring and summer, most San Bernardino property management contractors say that they are rarely visited between December and February, even with heated water and other features such as communal saunas and steam baths. Because of this, pool maintenance falls to a yearly low as well.

Because many property owners and HOA management providers neglect their swimming pools during winter, algae growth starts to set in after a few weeks. It is true that algae grows slower in cold weather; however, slow growth is still growth, and by the time spring rolls in, many residents avoid visiting the condominium pool because of its unseemly smell and unappealing appearance. Here, we will give you a sneak peek into the techniques the best property managers use to prevent winter algae from growing in swimming pools.

1. Cover The Pool. The ideal cover should cover an area larger than the pool itself, thus keeping dirt away from the sides of the pool. An opaque cover, preferably made from vinyl, will keep your swimming pool free of debris and dirt. The opacity will also help keep sunlight away from the water, thus depriving algae of the warmth and light that it needs to grow and thrive. Also, the absence of debris will ensure that the chlorine level will stay constant through the winter.

2. Chlorinate The Pool. The ideal pH level for swimming pools is between 7.2 to 7.6. This is achieved by regularly chlorinating the water. At the same time, to nip the growth of algae in the bud, “shocking” the water (that is, introducing high concentrations of chlorine treatment) should be done every three weeks. After shocking the water, run the filter for two to four hours to make sure that the treatment is dissolved evenly.

3. Check The Pool Daily. Daily checks of the pool could reveal algae slowly starting to form on the walls, the floor, or on the water itself. It’s easier to detect algae in winter as it grows much slowly than it would in summer. If you do see specks of green floating in the water, introduce a chlorine shock treatment, run the filter, and add an algaecide the next day. The filter should also run for an hour twice daily to prevent stagnation.

The best San Bernardino HOA management companies follow the techniques above to make sure that their clients are able to enjoy their pool facilities as soon as spring comes along. To know more about how SoCal Property Enterprises satisfies its clients, visit our website or give us a call at 951-270-3700.

As soon as winter ends, Southern California property management companies start getting busy with spring cleaning. Winter, with the rain and snow it brings, leaves behind a ton of damage, especially for older, poorly-maintained communities. It also brings a ton of debris, such as fallen branches and rocks strewn about the property.

One of the first things property managers do is to conduct an inspection of the premises, coordinating with housekeepers and grounds maintenance personnel in removing loose debris. In the case of Southern California, winter tends to be a wet and windy season, with snow and frost in some locations. This results in broken tree branches, particularly for trees weighed down by frost and hail. Sleet and hail could also cause broken windows, floor tiles, and pavement. Rain could seep inside existing cracks in stone and cement, which then expand as the water freezes in sub-zero night temperatures. While this phenomenon affects some areas more than others, an inspection of all exposed concrete surfaces is in order.

Cold weather could have other unwelcome side effects. For example, water could accumulate inside drainpipes and downspouts, resulting in clogs, leaks, and cracks. Combine this with loose debris, and property managers suddenly have a maintenance headache in their hands. Properties with swimming pools are also at risk, as little-used and cleaned swimming pools can develop an algae colony over the lean winter months. It is advisable to make declogging the drains and removing algae from pools a priority, as the transition from winter to spring in Southern California can be very brief and residents might want to use the pool once the cold snaps end.

Spring is also the time for power-washing all exposed surfaces, such as tennis courts, pool decks, and sidewalks. Rain and snow runoff can contain debris from a number of sources, and this sort of accumulated dirt cannot be washed off using ordinary garden hoses alone. This, pressurized water hoses come in handy during spring cleaning.

Finally, once everything has been cleaned, it’s time to restore the plants to their former condition. Lawns have to be reseeded, perennial plants in flowerbeds need a new topsoil cover, and sprinklers have to be up and running. Thus, spring cleaning will not be complete without checking both the soil and the plumbing.

It is the job of Southern California property management companies to ensure that everything is in tiptop shape in time for spring. To find out more about the services offered by the top Southern California property management company, visit our website.

When it comes to dealing with winter pests, LA HOA management companies have it a bit easier, as they don’t have to contend with stray wildlife such as opossums and raccoons. However, this doesn’t mean they can relax, as there are other common winter pests that can ruin the experience of homeowners and tenants alike.

Winter is the dormant season for insects such as mosquitoes and ants, so these two pests should not be a problem. However, holiday celebrations usually result in a supply of leftover food. Scavenging pests, such as mice, rats, and cockroaches, immediately try to get into residential properties in search of something to eat. Dealing with these pests shouldn’t start and stop at exterminating them – something has to be done even before residents start reporting noises made by mice on their ceilings.

Mice and rats are two of the most common rodents in Southern California. They tend to sneak inside confined spaces, such as basements, attics, and eaves, and are known to chew through plastic and rubber, and even lead pipes, just to get to their food sources. Many holiday-related fires are caused by damaged electric wiring, and mice and rats are two of the biggest culprits. In addition, they also carry serious diseases such as leptospirosis. To keep rodents away, HOA management and their vendors should seal all wall openings with silicone caulking and steel wool. They should also drain all stagnant water inside crawl spaces, as rats are attracted to moist environments.

Another problem commonly faced by Los Angeles HOA management during winter is the presence of cockroaches. While they are active throughout the year, they seem to thrive even more in cool weather, and prefer areas with a lot of moisture and food, such as kitchens and bathrooms. Cockroaches carry a host of diseases and contaminate food. They are also carriers of allergens, triggering asthma symptoms in small children. The key to keeping cockroaches away from HOA-managed properties is the regular disposal of garbage. Another step property managers can do is to minimize moisture inside confined spaces, such as cupboards, closets, and kitchen cabinets.

An experienced LA HOA management company should be able to detect these problems before they manifest themselves. It should also maintain good relations with pest control services and run regular inspection and cleaning of all areas where pests can breed. To find out more about the best practices in Los Angeles HOA management, contact us at 951-270-3700.