Dear Maintenance Men:
Can you give me a rough outline of a preventive maintenance program?
John

Dear John:

Great questions. It is never too late to start a preventive maintenance program. You will find that during this scheduling process many deferred items will rear their ugly heads but stay focused and steadfast on your priorities “One Job at a time”.

Here is a brief list of important items to check /repair/replace/before moving on to preventive/corrective/routine maintenance items.

1. Smoke/CO Detectors – Make sure your smoke/CO detectors are working, and located properly in regard to your units’ bedrooms, halls, living room areas, and most importantly layout.
2. Plumbing – inspect all units take list of supply water leakage at faucets, toilets, etc. to include water instructions, spillage problems at bath walls, floors. Do not fail to inspect wastewater leaks that can damage the building structure. Check proper operation of the water heater recirculation pump operation.
3. H.V.A.C, have licensed/insured H.V.A.C person inspect and or repair non-functional or damaged appliances. (Note: or call the gas company to inspect and test carbon monoxide presence.
4. General unit conditions – make a list of the general unit condition including blinds, carpet, paint, counter tops, appliances, door stops, holes in wall, housekeeping, doors, toilet seats, shower doors, closet doors, etc. (Note later at home or office you can use multicolored highlighters to color code priorities in each individual unit as you read through your notes. This will make it easier when consolidating your exterior / or interior priority list.

Example: Red/priority (1) blue priority (2) yellow priority 3

Recommendation – before you decide to make repairs or replace broken or damaged items.

1. Attempt to determine how they were damaged.
2. Check length of tenancy as a guide of normal wear and tear.
3. Check current security deposit to determine whether your new investment on repairs to said unit is protected (example: long term tenancy may only have a $200 deposit, but you have to make $1,400 worth of repairs)
4. Fire Extinguishers – For proper amount / type for units and utilities. (Note: have a licensed/certified fire extinguisher company check charge and location.

This brief but important list should keep you busy. But it’s a great start.

Dear Maintenance Men:

My building sits on a raised foundation. The other day I happened to find a support post to be in questionable condition. I’d like to replace it. Is this a “Do it yourself” or should I call a professional.

Michael

Dear Michael:

Your building is supported by what is called “conventional wood floor framing”

This type of framing consists of the following systems beginning from the ground up

1. A Footing
2. A Concrete pier block
3. A Foundation Post
4. A Girder
5. A Floor joist

Before you make the decision to do it yourself, call a professional to confirm the issue and to check for unseen damage. It is best to be informed about what exactly you are willing to tackle.

1. Call a professional to estimate the cost of replacement and have them describe the procedure and method of replacement.
2. If in doubt about your ability to perform the work, leave it to the professional.

Now, if you’re up to the task use the following safety procedure before you start the work.

1. Understand that the foundation post is supporting a considerable amount of load (The dwelling and everything in it)
2. If possible, it is extremely important to have another person at the exterior in case of emergency.
3. Proper lighting
4. Eye protection (because you will most likely be looking up.
5. Dust masks, gloves etc.
6. Use two 3-ton hydraulic jacks for temp shoring of girders placed approx. 2’ on either side of pier block.

Follow this simple procedure.

1. Choose a pier block that has straps that your new foundation post will be secured to
2. Measure the length of your new pier block and calculate the distance from new pier block to girder. Cut the foundation post to fit snug between your new pier block and girder.
3. Using a foundation post to girder T- strap, nail and bolt your T-strap connecting your foundation post to the girder.

Tools Required

1. Circular saw
2. Hammer
3. 5lbs. Sledge (for minor forcing foundation post between girder and pier block)
4. Chisel
5. (2) 3-ton hydraulic jacks
6. Drill and drill bits for pre-drilling bolt holes.

Dear Maintenance Men:

I have a nine-unit apartment building with a 100-gallon water heater that serves all the residents. The problem is that only the nearest units to the water heater get any hot water. The units at the other end of the building must wait longer to get hot water. The heater seems to be working and producing hot water. How do I solve this dilemma?

David

Dear David:

Sounds like your circulation pump is not working properly. Calcium or hard water deposits in the water heater and lines may also aggravate this problem. The circulation pump’s job is to bring hot water to all the units at the same time. When the pump is not working or is clogged, the hot water will take much longer to get to the units furthest away from the heater. The first step is to determine if the pump is working. Locate the pump near the water heater, check that the motor is plugged into an electrical outlet. Next, touch the water lines on either side of the pump and determine the temperature. If it is working properly, the lines should be warm or cool to the touch, not hot. If the pipes are hot or very hot to the touch, the pump is not working properly. If the pump does not spin when plugged in, it may need to be replaced. If the pump motor is working, the pump may be clogged with debris. Remove the pump and clear out the lines. Take care to clean the line from the pump to the water heater. This is generally the problem. While you have things apart, this is a good time to clean out the calcium deposits in the water heater, which caused the clog in the first place. Water heater clean outs should be done at least once a year.

WE NEED Maintenance Questions!!!    If you would like to see your maintenance question in the “Dear Maintenance Men:” column, please send in your questions to:  DearMaintenanceMen@gmail.com

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 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 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.