Dear Maintenance Men:

Vandals have broken into my building’s storage unit again. The door swings in and it is easy to muscle open. How can I strengthen the door without it looking like Fort Knox?

Avel

Dear Avel,

Try reversing your door. Have the door swing out instead of in. You can reinforce the frame from the inside by installing a 1×1 inch doorstop all along your doorframe. The door will close against this new frame and will make it very hard to kick in. The frame stop can be either wood or square metal tube material. The door should be a solid core exterior grade and use a good quality dead bolt lock. The hinges will be exposed, so use three heavy-duty tamper-proof hinges. If this does not stop the vandals, it should at least slow them down considerably.

Dear Maintenance Men:

After doing work on my apartment units, I am always left with extra parts that I have not used. What is the solution to all the extra parts collected over the years? I know the standard answer is to use the parts or take them back to the hardware store. It seems simple on paper, but it has gotten out of control and I need help!

John

Dear John:

It is easy to start a personal hardware store in your garage, we are sure you are not the only one with this problem. It starts small, with just a few light switch plates and a bag of wire nuts. If only you could find that receipt, you would take them back to the store right away … well maybe tomorrow after I finish the next job … or the next job…

Please repeat after me: My name is “insert name here” and I hoard parts. The first step is admitting you have a problem.

#1: The first thing to do is actively inventory the parts, separating them into trade groups such as electrical, plumbing, carpentry etc.

#2: Now separate the returnable parts from the non-returnable parts. Typically, the returnable parts are still in their packaging with the bar code visible. Most big-name home centers will accept back their parts without a receipt if they are in good condition. They will likely give you store credit for the parts.

#3: With the store credit, buy some clear see-through plastic bins or containers. Clearly mark the containers by trade such as electrical, plumbing etc. The see-though bins will help eliminate the problem of; “if I can’t see them, I need to buy more syndrome”

#4: Keep the containers readily available: This is Key to Your Success! If you are obsessive at all, you can subdivide the categories even further. Such as a bin for switch plates & receptacles, or plumbing parts by copper or p.v.c. etc.

#5: Before your next job, review your purchase list against the parts in each bin. Since you most likely purchase similar items for most apartment maintenance jobs, you can start to deplete your in-house stock by using parts in your current inventory.

#6: Make it a rule that the current job is not complete until you do your returns. With a fresh receipt in hand, you will get cold hard cash for those returns! That is a lot more fun than searching your garage for parts.

Dear Maintenance Men:

I am building some work benches in my storage garage to help with my apartment maintenance jobs. But the benches are a bit wobbly and not as sturdy as I had hoped they would be. I’m not looking for a “Monster Garage” just something functional & strong. Please help!

Ted

Dear Ted:

We can’t all be master carpenters, but that has never stopped us! In this case, “Simpson Strong Tie” is your friend. Go to your local hardware store or lumber yard. Look for a bench & shelving kit called “KWB1 Hardware Kit”. It comes in a box and contains metal connectors, screws and instructions for building the strongest bench you have ever seen! And it is simple to build. In a couple of hours, you will have a professional duty bench.

By Jerry L’Ecuyer & Frank Alvarez

If you need maintenance work or consultation for your building or project, please feel free to contact us. We are available throughout Southern California. For an appointment, please call Buffalo Maintenance, Inc. at 714 956-8371 

Frank Alvarez is a licensed contractor and the Operations Director and co-owner of Buffalo Maintenance, Inc. He has been involved with apartment maintenance & construction for over 30 years. Frankie is Past President of the Apartment Association of Orange County and a lecturer, educational instructor and Chair of the Education Committee of the AAOC.  He is also Chairman of the Product Service Counsel.  Frank can be reached at (714) 956-8371

Frankie@BuffaloMaintenance.com For more info please go to:  www.BuffaloMaintenance.com

Jerry L’Ecuyer is a real estate broker. He is currently a Director Emeritus and Past President of the Apartment Association of Orange County and past Chairman of the association’s Education Committee.  Jerry has been involved with apartments as a professional since 1988.