Greens at Penn Oaks Homeowner's Association, Inc.
News
This website has been started as a means of improving communication with the community.
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For your information:
Smoke Detectors
Smoke alarms have been placed on every floor in strategic locations in our homes, but they only work if the batteries are fresh. Replace batteries in smoke detectors twice a year, and check your alarm every month.
New smoke alarms should be installed every 10 years (sooner if one is damaged or not working).
For people with hearing impairments, special smoke alarms with strobes and/or vibration are available online and through local fire equipment distributors.
Fire Prevention Strategy
Keep a fire extinguisher near the kitchen and have it checked yearly. Learn how to use it.
Put out food or grease fires in a pan with a lid or another pot.
Keep rubbish cleaned out of the attic, basement, closets, and garages.
All Creatures, Great and Small, Moving In?
Some of our residents have reported problems with animals and birds entering their homes. This occurs particularly in times of drought, in times of excess rain, or when cold weather arrives. In particular rodents have been reported by several residents.
No bird feeders will be allowed in the community. Bird feed attracts rodents!
Here are some of the most important signs to watch for: burrows, droppings, tracks, runways, urine stains, an unpleasant odor/stench, nests, gnawed food, clothes, boxes, etc. You may even see these critters live or dead in your home. Another indication that you have critters in your home is if you have constant gnawing, clawing or scratching noises after dark, late at night or early in the morning.
Look for burrows, especially around concrete slabs and building foundations, under materials stored outdoors, and along fence rows or embankments. A good burrow will have an irregularly rounded opening from 2 to 30 inches in diameter and will be hard packed and clear of leaves and other debris. To find out if the burrow is active, loosely fill the opening of the hole dirt. If a critter is still there it will reopen the hole. Do not completely fill or destroy burrows until after the rodents have been exterminated since they cannot be eliminated through such means.
Critters can enter homes through open or unscreened doors and windows, dryer vents, ventilators, drains, cracks and breaks in foundations, chimneys, and holes around electric conduits and pipes. The main thing is that they require only a small opening to gain entry. They can and will gnaw a hole if they find a chipped or indented edge from where to start.
Critter Proof Your Home
To help protect your home, make sure you:
- Close all openings and cover edges that can be chewed with gnaw-proof materials such as sheet metal, cement, or hardware cloth.
- Check that doors tightly close with no gaps at the bottom.
- Have tight-fitting screens on all windows, especially basement windows near ground level.
- Seal openings around pipes or conduits.
Committee Approval Needed for All Changes
The Board would like to remind you that all architectural and/or landscape changes must be approved prior to any work being done as stated in the Rules & Regulations of The Greens at Penn Oaks ("Green Book"). The Forms are available on the website.