How to Prepare for the rain

Conduct an inspection of the entire house.

Prevent heavy rain damage by conducting an inspection of the entire house. Here is a checklist of the things and places in a home that should be included in the inspection. For more information or help contact HSM

The Roof Top.

   
The rooftop is the main structure that keeps rainwater from entering the house. Check every inch of the rooftop and ensure that all materials are not damaged in any way. Any small crack or hole in the rooftop is enough space for rainwater to leak through.

A pitched or a sloped roof is the best design for preventing heavy rain damage. Use this design for the house if it does not have it already. This type of design directs the water downwards and does not allow rainwater to collect on the roof.

The Chimney

Check the chimney's construction and see if it is well-made. The bricks should have no gaps and should be tightly sealed together. Also check if the chimney's bricks have been waterproofed. Non-waterproof bricks can easily absorb water and moisture from the outside and bring them to the inside areas of the house.

Consider using a chimney cap during the rainy season. This will prevent rainwater from coming in and causing heavy rain damage. Inspect the seals in the area where the chimney attaches to the roof. If it shows any signs of damage, repair or replace it as soon as possible.

The Door and Windows

Doors, windows, and other entries to the house would benefit from having some sort of covering over them. Rain rarely falls straight down and the wind can easily push water in through exposed doors and windows.

A covering would keep water away and prevent heavy rain damage from starting. Ensure that doors and windows have been installed properly. They should not let water into the house or let water soak in through their seals.

The Building and Construction Materials

The materials used for the house should not have gotten wet during the construction. If they did get wet and were not dried properly, then they could cause all sorts of problems for the homeowners later on. Preventing heavy rain damage would prove a lot more difficult if water damage starts from within the house.

The Outdoors

Poles, columns, and trees with heavy branches can easily fall on a house if blown by strong winds. As much as possible, build house structures far away from poles and cut off branches that are hanging dangerously close to the rooftop.

Houses that are built on low grounds may be more prone to heavy rain damage. If the ground slopes towards the house, water can collect near the foundation and weaken it. Raising the downward sloping areas surrounding the house can remedy this problem.

Will HSM Management manage an HOA or apartment building outside of San Francisco?
Yes we do!

What size condo and apartment buildings will your company manage? 
We will manage 2 to 200 units.

How do you handle emergencies at night and on weekends?
During the work week we have off-hour emergency call answering service and 24 hour emergency call answering service over the weekend and holidays which the caller can contact when calling our main office line @ 415-431-7655. The direct emergency call answering service number is 866-683-0415, where a live person will take down information and direct your call to a property manager to address the emergency.

When HSM collects the rents, are they deposited in a large disbursement account?
No.  We set up a separate bank account for each building.  We never co-mingle building funds.  We will collect all rents, pay all bills and disburse all funds to the owner. The owner will let us know how much they want to keep each month in the account for emergencies or repairs.  The balance is always sent to the owner along with a complete financial package by the tenth of the following month.

How does your company make sure that all the building systems are in good repair and all certifications are completed on a timely basis?
We set up an Annual Calendar  for monitoring maintenance and inspections on a monthly basis.  Quotes are obtained for this work, and the owner is given the Annual Calendar and the quotes to approve.  Once the owner has seen and approved the Annual Calendar and quotes, the property manager uses this Calendar as a tool to ensure compliance.

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