Protecting Your Community Assets from the Cold

by Kim Musser

Mother Nature is blowing her winter weather your way! Are you and your facilities prepared? You can make your Community Maintenance Technician’s job easier by putting together a winterization checklist to help preserve community assets.

To start, locate all the areas that need to be winterized and develop a Standard Operating Procedure for winterization. High-priority items that typically require winterization include outdoor water features such as fountains, water faucets, outdoor showers, pool amenities, outdoor drinking fountains, and sinks. This list could also include gutter inspection and cleaning, which allows melting snow to drain properly.

Other items to inspect would include the roof, HVAC, boiler/furnace, water heater, and outdoor appliances. Taking frequently overlooked steps, like checking the weather stripping around doors and windows to your amenity buildings, will also prove beneficial. Not only will this prevent water damage, but it will also save your community money on heating bills by keeping cold air out of your buildings.

It isn’t only the freezing temperatures that demand preparation. The weight of snow and ice, along with severe winds, can damage outdoor furniture and grills. Securing and covering these items, or moving them into a covered location, will help minimize weather damage. If you have a gas grill that will go unused during winter, it is a good idea to close the valve and disconnect the tank.

Some winterization may require a professional technician, so don’t be afraid to seek your local experts’ assistance. Contact your swimming pool vendor (if you have a pool/spa/splash pad) and make sure all assets have been properly winterized. If possible, have your vendors provide you with their own winterization list.

Ask your landscape vendor for a list of steps they have taken to minimize the risk of frozen irrigation lines. Do any of the tree canopies need to be lifted? Do any specialty plants need to be covered? Do they offer snow shoveling services for the sidewalks? This would be great information to have! My community’s SOP includes pictures of each area that has been winterized. This visual aid is very helpful to staff members.

Showers: • Remove all showerheads and store them in the pool storage room • Add pipe insulation around the shower arms and secure with duct tape • Install faucet covers over the on/off shower valves Let’s not forget smoke detectors! The safety of your community buildings is one of your top priorities. Take some time to check your smoke and carbon monoxide detectors. This is a quick task, but simply pressing the test button or changing the batteries can save someone’s life. You may also consider purchasing winter supplies for your amenity center, such as extra batteries, flashlights, and replacement fire extinguishers.

Last but not least, don’t wait until the freezing temps have arrived to get started on your winterization checklist! While it may seem overwhelming, preparing for winter during the fall (while keeping another eye turned toward spring) is staying one step ahead of your community’s winter readiness.