Changing Seasons
Changing Seasons…or…
“You mean ‘seasons’ are not what you put in 4-alarm chili?”
By Ann Parham & Suzi Wilkins, as seen in Mini Storage Messenger
I live in south Texas. We have one season: hot. Here’s how we prepare our self storage facilities for the changing season: Fall – pumpkin on the porch; winter- a string of lights; summer – red, white and blue on anything that’s semi-stationary. I had vague recollections that snow laden Christmas cards have some basis in reality. So, not depending completely on my own experience, friends in the industry have provided insight into the tasks involved in preparing most self- storage facilities for the revolving seasons.
A well thought out plan can preempt ruinous damage to your buildings, equipment and grounds. It can safeguard curb appeal and preserve the monetary value of a property. No list on this subject can be completely comprehensive. Each location will call for unique duties.
Roofs and Gutters:
“We walk the roofs to check the seals and look for any leaks,” advised Deb Beecham, the seven-year, second-generation manager of Bolder Bins Self Storage in Bolder Colorado. Clear the roof of all debris. Water will pool around any object on a roof causing deterioration. Tighten loose screws and repair faulty sealants. Examine roof avalanche devices for damage. Gutters must be cleared of debris during and after the fall of autumn leaves. Be certain the gutters have not pulled away from the roof and that the downspouts are in good repair. Splashes should be in place to avoid damage to asphalt or landscaping.
A proper roof inspection cannot be conducted from the ground. Walk the roofs before the beginning of a rain or icy season. (Note: ALWAYS confirm the manufacturer’s specifications before walking a roof.) “The best time to check to see if roofs are draining properly is during a heavy rain,” recommends Donna May, president of Cross Metal Buildings. “It’s better to get a little wet and be sure everything is working properly.” Repeat the inspection an hour or two after the rain subsides to assess for pooling.
Walls:
At the onset of winter heating and summer air conditioning, verify the evenness of insulation in climate control buildings. You can test by hand to see if the temperature is consistent over the plane of the wall. If the insulation is uniformly in place, the temperature of the wall should be uniform as well.
Interior Hallways:
Snow, sand and mud will be tracked into the office and interior hallways. Steer clear of hazardous build up by installing boot scrapers just outside and mats just inside of entrances. Clean up entrance doors and adjacent walls that may become soiled, especially at the end of rainy or snow and ice seasons. Deb Beecham adds, “Boulder is windy, which brings in leaves and lots of dust.” The halls in windy corners of the continent will have to be swept more often than most.
Pipes:
In regions that experience hard freezing, a landscaping company should be contracted to blow the water out of the sprinkler system. Turn off the water to everything on the property that doesn’t need water during the cold months. The fire sprinklers, office, bathrooms and residence will obviously require water the year around. Insulate exposed pipes. In the spring, turn the water back on and reset the timers. Examine the property for pipe damage. For the first few days, examine the lawn and landscaping for puddles that could indicate the need for repair.
HVAC:
Conduct the same seasonal inspections that you perform on your home furnaces. In many municipalities, the utility companies offer these services at a very reasonable fee. In hot and humid climates, an efficient air conditioning system is the primary defense against mold and mildew. Clean AC drains and drip pans at summer’s onset to avoid backup and algae growth.
Gates and Lighting:
In addition to routine maintenance, gate tracking, chains and joints need to be cleaned and lubricated at the beginning and end of icy weather to be kept free of sand and grunge. Don’t forget to reset automatic light timers as the days grow longer and shorter and time shifts due to daylight savings time.
Pavement and Landscaping:
It is imperative that concrete and asphalt is inspected and that cracks and potholes are repaired. Rain and ice will aggravate damaged pavement. When icy weather has passed, search for new crack had repair without delay.
Keep fallen leaves under control. As winter looms, avoid cutting your lawn too short. Roots freeze easily without a reasonably thick carpet of protection. As the ice thaws and spring draws near, remove and replace any shrubs or plants that didn’t survive the rime. Spray for weeds and fertilize the lawn according to the manufacturer’s directions or the advice of an expert.
The Elements Themselves:
Snow Abatement:
In many instances, landscaping companies will provide heavy snow removal services using plows and/or front-end-loaders. However, many self-storage operations own small plows for removing lighter snow loads or snow blowers that are driven by the facility golf cart. Have the plows, carts, snow blowers and related equipment inspected, serviced and in prime working order well before the first flurries are expected.
Heat:
Heat I really know. We’ve previously discussed the necessity of an efficient air conditioning system in humid climates to keep mildew and mold at bay. In addition, in humid hot and dry hot climates, conduct a post-extreme heat search for cracked, worn and torn sealant. Set lawn sprinklers to cycle in the evening or in the early morning, giving water more time to absorb down to the roots before most of it is evaporated.
Hurricanes:
“There seems to be only two seasons in Florida now, hurricane season and not hurricane season,” says Linnea Appleby, President of PDQ Management Solutions, Inc and managing director of the Florida Self Storage Association. “Because of the active hurricane seasons recently, insurance coverage has become nearly impossible to get and rates are thru the roof.” “This is leaving a lot of operators exposed and looking for alternate sources to protect their business.”
During the summer of 2004, I spent many hours flying between Tampa and San Antonio trying to open a store amid the four hurricanes Charley, Frances, Jeanne, and Ivan. Fortunately, our store escaped harm, but many sustained damage from high winds and water. I learned one thing from that experience; you must be proactive. Don’t wait until two days before the big one makes landfall to get ready. WFLA Channel 8, the NBC affiliate in Tampa, has a great Hurricane Weather Guide online. It lists a variety of information about gearing up for hurricane season. A survival kit and medical checklist are two the many items provided at www.tbo.com/weather/hurricane/. The National Hurricane Center’s website, www.nhc.noaa.gov, also provides helpful hurricane preparedness information.
In conclusion, the overall mind-set in getting ready for changing seasons should be: be prepared. Most people who live in a changing environment are familiar with what needs to be done for their facility, but there are many professionals to enlist, i.e. air conditioner vendors, asphalt and landscape subcontractors, even the staff at the local Home Depot, can provide timely information about maintenance for changing seasons. I hope you’ve obtained some useful ideas from this article, I know that I learned a lot. If it ever decides to snow down here in South Texas, I will certainly be ready! And now I know that changing seasons is not just what you do to that next batch of 4-Alarm Chili!
Ann Parham is the president and CEO of Joshua Management, headquartered in San Antonio. Joshua Management was created through a twent year quest to provide comprehensive customer service to the self storage industry offering site management, employee training, financial reports, accounting, audits, brokerage and marketing. A Parham Group company. For information, visit www.joshuamgmt.com , or call 210.477.1222.