Winterization Tips for Multifamily and Manufactured Housing Properties
Is your property ready for winter? Proper winterization is essential for keeping your community in good shape and ensuring resident satisfaction. Whether you manage multifamily buildings or manufactured housing communities, these tips will help you protect your property this winter.
Prepare for winter storms early
Don’t wait until a storm hits to get ready. Review your property’s emergency winter weather plan, stock up on road salt or sand, and touch base with seasonal contractors responsible for snow and ice clearing. Share preparedness tips with residents, such as keeping a supply of emergency items like flashlights and blankets.
Inspect, insulate, and monitor water pipes
Frozen pipes are a common problem in both multifamily and manufactured housing properties. Inspect exposed pipes before freezing temperatures arrive, and wrap them with insulating tape or foam insulation tubes. For manufactured homes, install heat tape on water lines, especially those located under homes, to keep water flowing even in extreme cold.
A water meter data management system like Metron’s WaterScope® can be a game-changer, providing real-time monitoring of your water infrastructure and alerting you to leaks or burst pipes immediately.
Check skirting around manufactured homes
Skirting plays a crucial role in protecting water lines beneath manufactured homes. Inspect all skirting to ensure it’s secure and free of gaps or damage. Missing or poorly installed skirting allows cold air to circulate under homes, increasing the risk of frozen pipes. Repair or replace skirting as needed to minimize airflow.
Seal drafty windows, doors and other cracks
For both multifamily buildings and manufactured homes, cold drafts waste energy and increase heating costs. Inspect all units for drafty windows, doors, or cracks, and seal them with caulk or weather stripping. Manufactured homes may also benefit from properly installed exterior door sweeps to prevent heat loss.
Clear your gutters
If your building’s gutters are loaded up with leaves and other debris, they won’t drain properly. This is technically a year-round recommendation, but a clogged gutter in the winter can result in a dangerous, weighty accumulation of snow and ice that can cause leaks and damage to your building.
Don’t forget your irrigation system
In colder regions, draining or blowing out the pipes of your irrigation system is strongly recommended, or else leftover water can freeze and damage your entire system. Draining your irrigation system may not be as critical in more temperate regions, but if a sudden cold snap is in the forecast, make sure the freeze sensor is functional and be prepared to turn the water supply on and off as needed.
Keep an eye on leaning trees and branches
Ice storms, high winds, and heavy snow accumulation are more than capable of bringing down a tree. Before winter hits, have an arborist come in to determine if any trees surrounding your property are compromised enough to warrant being cut down or trimmed.
Encourage residents to report issues as soon as possible
Residents are often the first to notice problems such as water leaks, freezing pipes, or drafts. Make sure they know the process for reporting issues and emphasize the importance of timely communication. Address maintenance tickets quickly to prevent small problems from escalating into costly repairs.
Contact Metron for Water Management Solutions
Metron’s WaterScope® is a powerful tool to help you monitor and manage water infrastructure in real time, protecting your property and avoiding costly repairs during the winter months.
By following these winterization tips, you’ll safeguard your property and keep residents comfortable, no matter how cold it gets. Contact Metron today to learn more about how we can assist in winterizing your property!