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DEAR MAINTENANCE MEN
BY JERRY L'ECUYER & FRANK ALVAREZ
DEAR MAINTENANCE MEN:
The wood fence patios on my property are not very old, yet the posts appear to be rotting out in the ground. I feel they should have lasted much longer. The fence now leans and is a danger. I will be replacing all the posts soon and want to know how to stop the posts from rotting in the concrete footings. Do you have a suggestion?
- Mark
Dear Mark:
Your problem is most likely poor drainage. The posts just rotted away because of excessive moisture. For a long-term installation, use either redwood or pressure treated lumber. Dig your posthole at least 6 inches deeper than normal. Fill the bottom six inches of the hole with 1⁄2” sized gravel. Then set your post in place, level it and pour in another 2 or 3 inches of gravel. Fill the balance of the hole with Ready-Mix or Post-Mix concrete. Taper the top of the wet concrete at a slight angle to the post; that will help drain water away from the post. For added protection, you may want to consider water proofing your post with
Thompson’s Water Seal or roofing tar. That should help keep your post healthy for much longer.
DEAR MAINTENANCE MEN:
I have a bathroom sink that is slow draining. I have already snaked the drain and found no stoppage. When I remove the pop-up assembly and have an open drain, water whooshes down with no problem. However, with the pop-up in place, water backs up into the sink and drains very slowly.
- Paul
Dear Paul:
Most bathroom sinks have an overflow hole near the top edge of the sink. This hole serves two purposes; 1: Acts as a safety drain to keep the sink from overflowing should the water rise above a certain level in the sink. 2: The overflow hole also serves as an air vent for the sink when the water levels are above the pop-up plug. The overflow hole allows air to escape through the drain and the water to evacuate more efficiently.
What has happened is hair, toothpaste, grime etc.
Frank Alvarez is licensed contractor and the Operations Director and co-owner of Buffalo Maintenance, Inc. He has been involved with apartment maintenance & construction for over 20 years. He is also a lecturer & educational instructor and Co-Chair of the Education Committee of the Apartment Association of Orange County as well as being Chairman of the Product Service Counsel. Frank can be reached at (714) 956-8371 Frankie@ BuffaloMaintenance.com For more info please go to: www.BuffaloMaintenance.com
Jerry L’Ecuyer is a licensed contractor & real estate broker. He is currently on the Board of Directors and Past President and past Chairman of the Education Committee of the Apartment Association of Orange County. Jerry has been involved with apartments as a professional since 1988.
CS-38 JANUARY 2022 - APARTMENT MANAGEMENT MAGAZINE