It’s that time of year again—there’s a noticeable nip in the air, trees are losing their leaves, and stores are starting to display their Christmas swag. That can only mean one thing—winter is right around the corner.
We probably don’t need to remind you of how cold it can get during Kansas City winters and the effects that it can have on your property. Is your community prepared to handle the upcoming chill?
The Importance of Property Winterization
So, you may be wondering why winterizing your HOA is a priority. Or, if you’re not a property manager, why winterizing your home is a good idea.
Well, first and foremost, it’s because it saves you money. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, winter weather causes about $1.9 billion in property damage annually. You read that right. 1.9 billion with a B. That means every year, millions of homeowners across the country face expensive repairs or displacement from damage to their property during winter.
Winterizing your home is a matter of protecting yourself, your family, and your savings. And when you winterize your HOA, you’re protecting your neighborhood.
Now, we don’t say this to be intimidating or to overwhelm you. We’re mentioning this because we take our work seriously. If Lifestyle Outdoor can protect your HOA and provide quality winterization services, we want to.
After all, it’s our expertise. Caring for a property during winter requires understanding all the ways winter can impact land and utilities. With all the little details that go into caring for an HOA during winter, finding reliable winterization services that fit the needs of a community can be a struggle. That’s where Lifestyle Outdoor stands above the rest.
Comprehensive Property Care with Lifestyle Outdoor
Lifestyle Outdoor brings decades of experience in HOA-focused landscaping and lawn care to the Kansas City community. We have been around long enough to know how to do HOAs and maintenance-provided communities the right way.
At Lifestyle Outdoor, we don’t disappear just because it’s getting colder. We understand winterizing for an HOA community is an important process that protects the value and beauty of the properties.
There are several things we do to prepare your HOA community for winter. From knowing the right fertilizers to spread before winter to monitoring your lawns and protecting your valuable landscaping features from the cold, Lifestyle Outdoor is your HOA winterization expert.
That’s why we’ve compiled our expertise on how to winterize your HOA into this blog. We want to share our tips and provide some guidance on how to prep your HOA community the right way. So, here are some tips to help winterize your HOA community, no matter what surprises the season may bring.
Our Work
As Johnson County’s premier HOA winterization service, we know and are prepared to meet the winterization needs of any homeowners association.
There are several things we do to prepare your HOA community for winter. With cold weather and winter precipitation comes a dangerous freeze-thaw cycle that wreaks havoc on soil, plants, concrete, and pipes.
To prevent serious damage, we make sure to spread nutrient-rich fertilizers before winter to preserve your valuable landscaping features from impending cold and weather. We also manage winterization for the irrigation systems, pumps, and controls for the entire HOA, making sure no freezing or thaws damage your properties’ pipes.
Lifestyle Outdoor also assesses properties before wintertime to find possible areas for preventative care. These services include:
- Clearing gutters
- Preventative Arbor Care for safety
- Replacing landscaping features
- Repairing external lighting systems
- Repotting plants for wintertime care
- Removal of pest dens and nests
We ensure that your HOA receives comprehensive service, with no details forgotten and no boxes left unchecked.
We provide comprehensive snow removal services and partner with the local weather service, so we’re always informed about winter storms and weather conditions. That way, your HOA never has to worry about Kansas City snow removal fines or dangerous driving conditions.
Our Winterization Tips
While working with experts to winterize your HOA or personal property is always a great idea; it doesn’t always pan out. Especially if you’re new to a community or haven’t had the opportunity to pursue property winterization until now. So, on top of explaining the importance of HOA winterization, we wanted to include this guide to help you plan to winterize your HOA or property.
While not a perfectly comprehensive list, this breakdown should help you prioritize your winterization efforts and help your home or community make it through winter problem-free.
1. Protect Your Pipes
One thing nearly all associations know – when temps start to freeze, pipes often follow.
This winter, your community association can help reduce the likelihood of freezing pipes and the resulting damage by following these tips:
- Add insulation to all exterior pipes that are vulnerable to freezing
- Place a tarp over any outbuildings with temperature-sensitive piping
- Adequately heat attics, floor spaces, basements, stairways, and storage areas during cold spells
- Seal doors and windows to prevent drafts near pipes
- Drain water from wet pipe sprinklers during cold weather
- Turn off outdoor faucets during the winter
- Make sure any pools or hot tubs are properly drained and protected for the winter
If you, as a homeowner, do have a pipe that freezes, thaw it slowly with a hair dryer – never a torch or other open flame. Immediately contact your property management company. They will arrange for a plumbing professional to determine why the pipe froze, address the damage and take steps to prevent it from reoccurring.
2. Update Your Irrigation
Smart technology didn’t stop with your cell phone! Properly preparing your HOA for winter is about ensuring your irrigation system is up to snuff. A smart irrigation system allows you to set the parameters, and then the system takes care of the rest.
This technology has been used at the commercial level for a while, but the experts at Lifestyle Outdoor are able to install it for residential systems too!
Smart irrigation systems monitor weather, soil conditions, evaporation, and plant water content. When conditions change, the system automatically adjusts watering schedules. This means that outside of protecting your pipes, an automatic irrigation system is also still able to give your landscaping the attention it needs during colder, dryer months.
Smart irrigation also monitors the flow of water through the system. If it detects a change, like one that a leak would cause, it shuts the system down. This avoids loss of water through leaks or the overflow of water and keeps water costs down. And, of course, it prevents issues due to inclement weather and cold. That makes it instrumental in efforts to winterize your HOA.
Installing a system with a professional company like Lifestyle Outdoor also means being able to relax if something goes wrong. We help HOAs keep their water costs down and ensure the irrigation systems are always working properly. How? We provide full system health reports, make necessary repairs, and also winterize systems—all without you having to do a thing. Except hire us, of course.
We offer 24/7 emergency maintenance on all of our irrigation systems; a Lifestyle Outdoor concierge is always on call.
3. Fertilize Your Lawns
Fertilize the lawn. This may seem non-intuitive, but it is a vital part of efforts to winterize your HOA community.
Though its benefits aren’t always immediately apparent, fertilizer is an excellent investment in your common area’s long-term health and appearance. This is especially true before winter. That’s why landscape maintenance with fertilizer is the best way to see benefits all year long.
So, what does fertilizer do for you? Well, that’s a long list. First and foremost, it helps with plant growth. Fertilizer promotes vibrant plant growth by providing additional nutrients and minerals necessary for healthy, stunning plans. Additionally, it prevents uneven growth. Every property manager knows the frustration of walking past certain lawns; some spots are green and vibrant, while others are sparse and uneven. Fertilizer spreads nutrients around, making robust growth more even and lush across the laid area.
We recognize that most of this isn’t new information to anyone who manages properties for a living. However, what you may not know is that fertilizer is also excellent for the overall health of your yard. It’s an incredible tool to prevent disease in grass, plants, and trees (oh my!), protect soil from erosion and nutrient depletion, and minimize weed growth.
Over winter, the fertilizer—specifically, the nutrients it provides your landscaping—is stored within the plant, allowing for a more robust bloom as winter gives way to spring. All that stored energy does wonders to help your yard bounce back and look beautiful.
So, if you’re looking for lasting lawn care improvements, start laying fertilizer ASAP. Your yards and common areas will thank you!
4. Plan for Snow Removal
Snow removal is practically inevitable and always a huge responsibility for your HOA, so finalize your game plan before the first snowflakes fall.
Next, secure a snow removal provider that will provide reliable service at a price that fits your budget. If your current vendor is unreliable or their cost per service visit is too high, start researching new ones that can deliver equal or better service at a lower cost. We would be remiss if we didn’t mention our incredible snow removal partners, Rose Property Maintenance, an ASCA-C snow contractor with nearly 20 years of experience. They are the premier provider of snow removal services in Johnson County.
Don’t forget another wintertime responsibility – removing snow buildups from building rooftops. If you know that snow accumulates on the roof each year, check for signs of previous damage and ensure all spouts and drains are clear to prevent clogs. It’s also a good idea to hire a contractor to sweep the roof to prevent any damage that may occur during heavy snow.
5. Inspect Building Exteriors
Now is also the time to inspect the exteriors of all community buildings for leaks or indications of wear and tear. This may seem like an aspect of regular maintenance, as opposed to a component of the winterization process, but it’s vital for protecting your community (or personal property) before the worst of winter.
Start with the foundation, raking away any leaves or other debris and looking for entry points for pests, which will seek a warm refuge—your building—when winter weather hits. Also, inspect for cracks that could indicate structural problems. Water freezing and expanding in them can make them worse.
Next, take a look at each building, checking doors and windows for cracks, leaks and drafts. Cracked windows need replacing, and if any areas around these doors and windows allow air to enter, they need sealing. Sealing the building will prevent cold and drafty areas and help you heat the entire structure more efficiently all winter long.
This makes inspection an under-appreciated but vital component of efforts to winterize your HOA community or home.
Lifestyle Outdoor Can Help Winterize Your HOA
If you are trying to winterize your HOA and need support, turn to the best landscaping and lawn care company in Kansas City. We offer snow removal services in partnership with Rose Property Maintenance. Their support, and our comprehensive landscaping experience, make us the premier winter experts for your HOA or commercial business!
Lifestyle Outdoor offers commercial properties an unbeatable service with our landscaping and lawn care solutions. Our years of experience, commitment to building relationships, and dependable quality are why we’re the number one partner in all things commercial property maintenance.
Reach out to learn more about the landscaping, lawn care, and winter services we provide, or get a quote with our online quote tool. Discover the difference the white-glove service with a green thumb can make for your property today!