All posts by robertpkwhoa

community, meetings

Pool 2020

Updated September 14th

Homeowners should have received a letter or email on June 22 detailing the Board’s discussion on this topic. If you have not received this notice, contact  AMS.

An update was sent July 20th.

The pool opening was contingent on Washington, Multnomah, and Clackamas Counties all being approved for Phase 2 and our Association’s ability to meet all of the County and State requirements.

For information on Washington County’s COVID-19 response, see Washington County reopening. (updated July 8) 

As of September 14th at 415pm, there is no indication that Washington County will apply for phase 2 any time soon. The tri-county area is still failing to meet two of the six public health indicator benchmarks required before moving to phase 2. (See OHA)

For more information on Oregon’s requirements for swimming pools Phase 2 pools

The PKW Board decided against spending HOA monies preparing for an opening that may not even be possible this summer.

The bottom line is, the pool will not open this season.

community, Maintenance

Items for sale and DIY home improvement

Peterkort Woods is a unique townhouse community.  The quality of design and construction is far above other attached home developments in the metro area.   This can sometimes present a challenge when trying to find replacement hardware or fixtures that fit our space.

If you are having trouble finding the correct air filter or central vacuum part, look here. https://peterkortwoodshoa.com/home-improvement-and-maintenance/home-improvementmaintenance/

If you have been successful finding items for your home, let me know so I can post it for the community.

Do you have a custom item for your home that you are trying to sell or donate? Check out this page: https://peterkortwoodshoa.com/home-improvement-and-maintenance/items-for-sale/

Update March 2021: Fireplaces

Most of us have electric fireplaces. Until recently I have not heard of them failing. A neighbor reported that their fireplace produces heat, but no light. They are having difficulty locating a repair person.

Has anyone experienced a similar problem or has a recommendation for a repair person?

community, Public safety and crime

Burglaries in the neighborhood

Early Sunday morning, April 19, 2020, at least three townhouses in Peterkort Woods were burglarized.

It looks like the incidents occurred between midnight and 5am.   No force was used to enter homes.  One may have been unlocked.  In another case, a garage door opener was taken from a vehicle on the street and the suspect entered through the garage.

The homeowners were home at the time in all cases but were unaware of the crimes until later in the morning.

We live in a relatively safe neighborhood and burglaries to occupied dwellings, especially townhouses, are rare.  However, I would suggest the following precautions be taken.

  • Lock all the doors on your vehicles and home
  • Don’t leave valuables in your vehicles (even in your garage)
  • Lock the entry door from the garage to the lower level of your home
  • Keep your porch light on at night
  • Consider installing a front entry camera

If you have been the victim of a crime, please report it to the Washington County Sheriff’s Office.  The non-emergency phone number is 503-629-0111.

community, Public safety and crime

Neighbors helping neighbors

Contact Dave Kresta (612 SW Foresta) with your name, phone number, address, and description of needs: email: davekresta@gmail.com

Phone/text(preferred): 503-442-9667
Interested in being on the response team?
If you are in a healthy, non-symptomatic household, please contact Dave Kresta and you’ll be added to response team.
QUARANTINED?
A group of PKW neighbors is available to help if your household is self- isolating. Your neighbors can help with:

❑ groceries
❑ medications
❑ mail
❑ A friendly phone call
We’ll keep our distance and leave everything at your door-step.
After we receive your request you’ll be contacted by a member of the PKW neighbor response team to confirm and make arrangements.

community

Peterkort Woods HOA communications

There are several ways to keep in touch with members of your community and stay apprised of upcoming events.

News and information is posted on https://peterkortwooodshoa.com

Our management company’s website is: https://ams-nw.com/owner-resources/portal-login

Please note:  Many of us wondered why we stopped getting announcements from the HOA.  After some sleuthing, we discovered that when AMS upgraded their system, they kept only one email active per account.  If someone in your household stopped getting email communications, you can log in and activate or re-activate your email

(info provided by the PKWHOA social committee)

Uncategorized

Neighborhood cleanup day 2019

NEIGHBORHOOD CLEANUP

May 18, 2019            10-noon, lunch 12-1

We will be doing 4 projects:

  • Ivy abatement in PKW green spaces
  • Preparing the pool furniture for the summer season
  • Scrubbing up the mailboxes
  • Picking up trash from the entrance to PKW up the road to the MAX station

Bring your own gloves and wear your Peterkort t-shirt (if you have one).  We have a few extra t-shirts (come early if you want one) and we have some bright vests you can borrow so we can all be seen for safety.

Please RSVP by May 3 so we can order enough food for lunch

Marilyn Gray 503-936-4608 or PKWsocial@gmail.com

community, Public safety and crime

NATIONAL NIGHT OUT 2018

JOIN THE PARTY

Festivities begin and end on the Great Lawn

August 7, 2018

6:00 – 9:00 PM

The best way to build a community is to know your neighbors.  We invite you to take a little time out of your busy summer and participate.

National Night Out is a program that helps build relationships and triumphs over a culture that sometimes isolates us from each other.

Our goal is to have fun and build a healthier, safer connected community.

More info on the National event: https://natw.org or contact pkwsocial@gmail.com

National Night Out flyer 2018

Maintenance

Windows at PKWHOA

Recently, a neighbor sent me the following email:

 

“We recently had our windows washed. In the process the washers indicated

that a few of our windows had lost their seal. As original owners we

contacted JeldWen for an inspection.

 

Today the representative of JeldWen conducted his examination of our

windows. He identified 42 windows in our end unit for replacement.

 

Currently, scheduling for the replacements is out beyond the middle of August.

 

Fortunately, as an original owner we are covered by the warranty.  Others

may not be as fortunate.”

 

The warranty I read stated, “We warrant to the original owner for which the products and components as identified below are initially installed…” It appears that secondary owners may not be covered.

If you have questions, I would call Jeld-Wen (or other manufacturer if applicable).

Here is the website for contacting Jeld-Wen:

https://www.jeld-wen.com/en-us/product-support/customer-service/contact-customer-support

Their phone number is: 800.535.3936

 

The window washers:

Fleur de Lis

10479 Sw Amanda Ct

Tigard, OR 97224

Phone number (503) 639-8479

 

 

 

Maintenance

Water Heaters

2 Comments

Electric water heaters

One of the most underappreciated home appliances is the water heater.  We seldom give them a second thought until we take our first (unplanned) cold shower.

{You may consider switching to Heat Pump Water Heater for economic or environmental reasons.  If so, please read Heat Pump Water Heaters and  HPWH update .}

If you are considering a new water heater because the current one is not working properly, there are a few things to consider first.  It is my opinion that in most cases, unless it is leaking, your water heater can be fixed for a fraction of the cost of purchasing a new one.

The oldest water heater in PKW is probably about 12 years old.  This is about the time that some of the parts may start to fail. In this article I will discuss: recirculation pumps, reset buttons, thermostats, and heating elements.

Recirculation Pump (see photo at bottom of page)

In theory, this pump provides instant hot water to the farthest sink or shower. It is my opinion that it is not needed for most of our homes.  I have unplugged mine.

These pumps are advertised to work for 15-20 years. I have heard several reports the pumps not working in our neighborhood after 3-5 years.  It will cost $200-400 for a new pump.

I did notice that the pipe on my water heater leading to the RP was corroded.  Eventually it started to leak.  The cause of the failure was “galvanic corrosion.”  An electro-chemical reaction to two dissimilar metals being joined without using a “dielectric nipple”. Basically, the plumber who installed the water heater connected a copper pipe directly to a galvanized pipe. This may be an anomaly in our community, but is easy to check. (see photos)

No hot water

The first thing to check is the breaker switch for the water heater.  This is usually located in the back of the garage.

If it is not tripped already, you will want to turn it off for the next step.

Reset Button

This red button is located on the upper thermostat (see photos).  If you push on it and it clicks, then it means that it had been tripped.  Resetting it should turn your HWH back on.

But what caused it to trip?  Possible causes are: a bad thermostat, shorted heating element, or loose wiring.

If you do reset the button without identifying any problem, be careful.  You may have scalding hot water in a few hours.

Thermostats

The thermostat controls the operation of the heating elements, keeping your water at 120 degrees Fahrenheit. When this fails, the water heats uncontrollably.  The reset button on the thermostat kick out, automatically turning off the water heater when it reaches 180 degrees F.

The links below will walk you through how to test and replace your thermostat.  I am not a plumber or an electrician and I found the process fairly easy.  You can get the upper and lower thermostats for $14 and $9 respectively at Home Depot.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6TH3mSVbEmc

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qCXmyhEY_k4

Elements

If the thermostats are working properly and the reset button trips, you may have an element that is shorting out.  If you suspect this, make sure the breakers for the WH are turned off, then test the elements.

https://www.familyhandyman.com/plumbing/water-heater/diy-hot-water-heater-repair/view-all/

If the reset button and the breakers have not been triggered and your water is warm, you possibly have one element that is bad. If you are not sure which one, I think it is best to replace both. Continue reading Water Heaters →