The prediction is that El Nino will bless the Midwest with a mild winter this year. If it comes true, we’ll be spared much of the snow that ties up traffic and makes sidewalks slippery. At the same time we could be in for lots of rain and wind, both of which can do heavy damage to building interiors and exteriors.
It’s not too late to batten down the hatches of your condominium community. Consider the following suggestions for keeping your property and residents safe during the coming months:
“Make sure your buildings are caulked and tuckpointing has been done and the shingles are down tight,” says Barbara Wick, executive vice president for Condominium Insurance Specialists of America in Arlington Heights. “If we get wind and rain that is wind-driven, it goes through the sides of buildings and causes interior water damage.”
Instruct your residents to keep their windows latched and locked, adds Karyl Foray, assistant vice-president for Kruger Insurance Agency in Chicago. “If you don’t, with changes in the weather, the wood will warp, and wind or water can get through your windows.”
Ice can be especially dangerous to property and people alike. Do anything you can to keep it from accumulating, say the risk assessment pros.
Create traction on slippery sidewalks with salt, sand, kitty litter or calcium chloride. Be forewarned, however, that salt can cause damage to concrete, asphalt and landscaping.
“I personally like play sand because it’s harmless to everything,” says Foray. “It won’t harm plants or grass and it’s easy to clean up when you track it through the house.”
If you didn’t clean out the gutters and downspouts this fall, the weather is still temperate enough now to do it. When gutters and downspouts are clogged by leaves or other debris, water backs up. As the water freezes and thaws and freezes and thaws, an ice dam results and water can seep into the eaves. The weight of the ice can also cause the gutters to fall off.
“Be sure your roofs are clear of ice and snow,” says Foray. “If you have a multi-level roof and we have a lot of thaw-freeze, thaw-freeze, you can have a vertical line of ice which stops water from running down. It sits there and accumulates. You’ll get leaks anyplace the roof isn’t secure.”
“Proper attic ventilation will keep the under-surface of the roof cool so that snow that comes up against the roof doesn’t thaw and freeze up again,” says Wick.
If your roof does sport a coat of ice, hire professionals to remove it, she adds. Don’t permit residents to do it because they could injure themselves.
You’ll also want to tell your residents how to prevent their pipes from freezing. Wick advises opening faucets so the water runs a mere trickle and leaving cabinet doors open to allow for better air circulation.
“Let management handle the thawing of pipes,” she says. “Don’t try to thaw them yourself with a blow torch.”
A few more tips: Tie down or store outdoor furniture to keep it from blowing away or crashing into windows and landscaping, avoid using space heaters, maintain your heating systems and test regularly for carbon monoxide leaks.
Fire is a tragedy any time of year but is exacerbated by freezing temperatures and gusting winds. Prepare your residents with emergency procedures in advance, says Wick.
“Most people don’t really know what to do (if there’s a fire) and that varies from condo to condo,” she says. “It makes sense to work out a set of directions and make sure residents are familiar with them.”
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Do you have an issue you’d like to see discussed in a future column? You can write to Pamela Dittmer McKuen at Community Living, Chicago Tribune, Your Place section, 435 N. Michigan Ave., 4th Floor, Chicago, Ill. 60611. Please include your phone number. Or e-mail Pmckuen@aol.com. Answers to queries will be provided only through the column.
