Dear Maintenance men:
What are some things I should think about when it comes to my Apartment Building Disaster Preparedness Plan? We have already sent kits and instructions to our residents to keep them safe, but how do I prepare the physical building in case of disaster?
Jason

Dear Jason:
Great job on making sure your residents are prepared. A quick list for our readers of what should be in your family disaster preparedness kit: Flashlight with batteries, canned goods, a Gallon of water per person, a knife, Meds and blankets at minimum. Now this works ok for a family but may not be appropriate for the actual apartment building. The residents may very well shelter in place during a disaster and be fine. What may be in danger is your property! Start with a bit of preventive disaster maintenance.

1: Locate the main water shut-off valve and any minor shut-off valves. Make sure the valves are in working order. If they are gate valves, it might be time to upgrade them to ball valves. Old gate valves are notorious for breaking valve stems at the moment you need them to work.

2: Locate and clearly mark the main electrical panel.

3: Locate and mark the main sewer clean-out. Run a mainline snake or hydro jet at least once a year. (A Friday evening main back-up is a disaster.)

4: Locate and mark the main gas or fuel oil shut-off valve.

5: Write down and post this information in a public area of your apartment building, including emergency phone numbers and how to get hold of management. Alternatively, post this information on the inside of a kitchen cabinet door in each rental unit.

Dear Maintenance Men:
I have a large brick patio with a number of flower containers on the brickwork.  The gardener is not careful enough when he waters, and this has resulted in some calcification of the bricks. I want to clean up the patio bricks and remove the calcium buildup with a solution that will not kill the grass surrounding the patio. Thanks for your advice.
Douglas

Dear Douglas:
There are a number of methods to getting rid of calcium build up on your bricks.  However, any product that will not harm the grass might not be strong enough to remove the build-up.   Limeaway in a spray bottle and a brush would be the easiest and safest to try first.  If Limeaway does not work, try a solution of muriatic acid (pool acid) and water.   This mixture will kill any grass it contacts, so work sparingly with a sponge or brush.  Be careful as muriatic acid is strong and will etch the concrete and brickwork.  Wear rubber gloves and eye protection. Mix a small amount of acid into a bucket of water, increasing the ratio of acid and water until the calcium starts to break down. Work on a small area with lots of rinsing water to dilute the cleaning solution as you go.   After you remove the calcium, sealing the bricks will help keep the calcium build-up from coming back.

Dear Maintenance Men:
I would like your thoughts on a landscape makeover I am planning. My rental property is ninety percent grass and very boring. I want to cut down on my water consumption and change the current “look” of the property. What do you recommend?
Robert

Dear Robert:
The single greatest consumer of water in your landscape is the turf. Reduce the grass area to ease the burden on water. Creating a drought tolerant landscape will change the appearance of your property and cost you less money in water and maintenance. Xeriscaping is a term for a water conserving landscape. As mentioned above, the benefits of Xeriscaping are water saving, low maintenance, pesticide free, pollution free (no lawnmowers) and use of local native plants. You might want to consider using Ornamental grasses, as they are drought tolerant, look great and give your landscape a bit of vertical dimension. Succulents of course are great at conserving water. Flax and Delphiniums Iris are a few perennials to use. Marigolds, Mexican Sunflowers, Phlox and Vinca Passion are Annuals that will work well. As for shrubs, look at Japanese black pine, Mountain currant, Sassafras, Honeysuckles etc. and good trees are Acacia, Gray Birch, Monterey Cypress, Eucalyptus, Fig, Juniper Amur Maple to name a few.

Be sure to provide good drainage and using plants native to your area is best.

Written 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.