Winter snow is a fact of life in many parts of the world, and if you’re a strata owner or tenant, it can have an impact on your building in more ways than one. To help prepare your strata for winter weather, here are some quick maintenance tips that your strata can follow to make sure your building is ready to face the cold.
1. Identify Hard-to-Heat Areas or Areas That Receive Inefficient Heating
The first step in preparing for potential snow is to identify which areas in your building receive inefficient heating or are hard to heat. This helps ensure that these areas will stay warm throughout the winter months and reduce energy costs associated with heating them. If necessary, consider investing in additional insulation or other measures to increase their efficiency.
2. Take a Look at Your Building Exterior and Look to Fix Leaks Around Door Frames and Windows
Another important maintenance tip is to take a look at your building exterior and look to fix any leaks around door frames and windows. Leaks can allow cold air into the building resulting in higher energy bills, as well as causing damage to walls, floors, furniture, etc. Cold spots can be caused by drafts, single pane windows, lack of insulation, and even central air conditioning systems located near exterior walls.
It’s important to address these problem areas before the onset of winter so that you can reduce energy bills and keep residents comfortable during the colder months. This includes caulking around windows, replacing weatherstripping around doors, sealing cracks with caulk or expanding foam, adding insulation to attics or basements, and installing storm windows if needed.
3. Identify Essential Areas of Your Building That Will Require Heat and Power in Case of Outages
In addition to making sure all leaks are sealed up tight, you should also identify which areas of your building will require heat and power if there is a power outage during the winter months. This includes essential equipment like elevators or fire safety systems as well as common areas such as lobbies that may need additional lighting during dark hours due to earlier sunsets during this time of year.
4. Review Plumbing Areas That May Be Subject To Freezing
Another important maintenance tip is to review plumbing areas that may be subject to freezing due to extreme temperatures during winter snowstorms. Take steps to prepare your strata for winter by properly insulating pipes that may be vulnerable during a freeze and checking up on sump pumps regularly so they won’t fail when needed most! Be aware of equipment that may be subject to damage during a freeze. You should also have a plan in place in case of flooding, such as having sandbags ready to go or knowing where you can go to stay safe and dry.
If you have irrigation throughout your landscaping, make sure it is winterized. This involves turning off your water supply and forcing all residual moisture out through fittings like valves or sprinkler pipes so that when it gets cold outside, there’s nothing left behind to freeze during overnight hours! Winterizing services for irrigation should be completed by mid November each year as this helps avoid costly repairs due to frozen heads in early December.
5. Be aware of any equipment that may be subject to damage during a freeze such as refrigeration units or HVAC systems.
Do your best to prepare your strata for winter and ‘winterize’ these elements where possible by draining equipment that is unused, removing condensate, or heating areas where equipment may be stored if necessary. If water is pooling on your roof due to melting snow from above or backed up drains below, it’s important for you take action before it causes further damage elsewhere in the building. Identify the cause of the puddles and take steps now – such as cleaning out gutters – to make sure it doesn’t happen again later down the road!
Winter weather can bring with it unforeseen problems within multi-unit dwellings like stratas – but with proper preparation now you can rest assured knowing that your strata will be ready when those snowy days arrive! By following these simple maintenance tips and taking preventative steps against pooling water – you can rest easy knowing your strata will be prepared for whatever Mother Nature throws its way this coming season!
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