For most communities and homeowners in cold climate areas, prepping for potential cold-weather-related maintenance ahead of the winter season can be a great way to avoid costly, timely, or inconvenient community or home maintenance projects. Skipping necessary winter maintenance could lead to frozen pipes, damaged property, potential safety hazards to the community, and more. Whether you live in an area prone to snowfall or freezes or somewhere with milder seasonal weather, early fall is the perfect time to start considering the following preventative maintenance projects for your community and your own home:  

• Pool Maintenance:  

Communities and pool-owning homeowners should stay updated with their pool cleaning and maintenance schedule to stay prepped for winter. Early in the fall, community boards should review their contract with pool maintenance vendors and highlight any additional maintenance needs for winter. Homeowners should also take the time to identify any big projects needed for preventative winter maintenance. This may entail deep pool cleaning and pipe and plumbing maintenance, which can help protect pools and plumbing from freezing or damage. Communities and homeowners should also ensure the pool’s water level is drained and lowered at the end of fall to prevent pipe and water damage from the harsh winter weather. Pool equipment, such as pumps, filters, and heaters, should be drained and stored securely, poolside furniture should be stored away, and a pool cover should be installed at the start of winter. Don’t forget to notify community members when the pool is officially closed for the season! 

• Common Area Maintenance:  

Communities should also address shared-space maintenance tasks such as pressure washing, landscaping, gutter cleaning, and tree removal throughout the fall. In early fall, boards should review their contract with any pressure washing or landscaping vendors and highlight any additional maintenance requests for the season, while homeowners should identify any low-hanging limbs or damaged trees for removal. Removing damaged trees or loose limbs is necessary to avoid potential safety or structural hazards to roofs, gutters, and other community areas. It is also essential to thoroughly clean rain gutters – especially on clubhouses – to prevent leakage or freeze damage. 

• Plumbing and AC:  

Protecting pipes and plumbing lines from freezing should be a top priority for homeowners and the community. Homeowners should schedule routine AC maintenance, while community boards should review contracts with AC or plumbing vendors to discuss and address potential concerns or safety issues. This can include installing backflow covers, pipes dripping before cold snaps, or scheduling routine maintenance of heating and cooling systems to ensure they function correctly during the winter. Drinking and decorative fountains should be drained or covered to prevent potential line breaks, and auxiliary drains in dry fire systems should be emptied to avoid freezing. 

Getting a head start on winter maintenance is key to avoiding expensive, time-consuming, and inconvenient maintenance repairs for your home or community, ensuring you and your community will be ready when the cold weather arrives. A little time spent on projects and preventative maintenance in early fall could potentially save you or your community board thousands in potential damages later, giving you the confidence that you’ve taken the necessary steps to protect your community or home.  If you have any questions about winter maintenance or your community’s vendor contracts, don’t hesitate to contact your community manager. Taking care of these things now will help keep your property in great shape and give you peace of mind all winter! 

Sentry Management is a full-service community management company. Sentry’s business is the day-to-day operation of communities, homeowner associations, and condominiums. Sentry is accredited as an AMO® (Accredited Management Organization) by the Institute of Real Estate Management, providing the independent evaluation that Sentry has one of the highest operating and financial standards in the industry. Sentry operates in dozens of localities in Florida, Alabama, Arizona, Colorado, Georgia, Idaho, Iowa, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan, Missouri, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, Washington, and Wisconsin.