The Proper Way to Close Your Swimming Pool for the Fall and Winter!

With much sadness, it’s fair to say that summer is officially on the way out and fall is on the way in. The past four months of 80-plus degree temperatures have come and gone faster than a Dustin Pedroia line drive out of Fenway. Beautiful fall foliage and the sounds of football are just around the corner. With the new season, comes the end of one of our resident’s favorite getaways, the fabulous swimming pools found all throughout Corcoran communities across New England and Georgia! Closing down a swimming pool for the winter may seem like an easy task. However it requires a great deal of precision and expertise to properly close the pool and to protect it until it will be used again in the spring.

Here are some of the key elements to help you close your pool for the summer:

• Disconnect your pump and filter and make sure the pump is totally drained out of any water, also make sure you remove any drain plugs from the filter.
• Backwash the filter to clean it out, this is the best way to assure the filter is completely clean and free of any dirt or ground buildup.
• Unscrew and loosen any quick disconnect fittings or unions at your pump and filter system. This is important so that during the cold days of winter no “freeze-cracks” occur.
• Remove any dive boards or ladders from the pool. Along with the pump and any filters, you should place any items in a warm and safe spot. A garage or well-insulated shed would work best.
• Mix any granular winterizing chemicals into a bucket so that they properly are dissolved. You don’t want any chemicals hanging around the pool during the winter that could permanently dissolve into the pool’s coating

These are just some of the basics on how to close a pool properly. For more information and a detailed checklist visit this link!

Celebrating LEED Silver Certification at The Commons at SouthField Highlands!

Energy efficiency and innovation are two of the hottest sectors that companies from all industries are scrambling to master. That’s why here at Corcoran Management we have committed to developing all of our new properties to better suit the environment and our residents pockets! The Commons at SouthField Highlands, our newest apartment community in Weymouth was honored yesterday by the United States Green Building Council as a “LEED Silver Certified” building for achievement in Environmental-friendly design and functionality.

The Silver designation by the USGBC takes into account multiple qualities that measure a building’s energy dependence and impact on the environment. The following categories below are totaled up in credits which produce a score on a scale of 1-100.

• Sustainable Site & Environment: encouraging strategies that minimize the impact on local ecosystems and water resources
• Water Efficiency: promote smarter use of water, inside and out, to reduce potable water consumption
• Energy & Atmosphere: promote better building energy performance through innovative strategies 
• Materials & Resource: encourage using sustainable building materials and reducing waste
• Indoor Environmental Quality: promote better indoor air quality and access to daylight and views

The USGBC acknowledges The Commons at SouthField as achieving a high-rate of success with the aforementioned qualities above. We couldn’t be more proud to have achieved this fabulous honor. Not just at The Commons, but throughout properties in Corcoran’s portfolio we are continuing to invest in energy efficiency and dependency! 

Sustainable Energy Management at Corcoran Management!

Since the recession of 2008 companies from all industries have been assessing their operating costs and developing ways to save money. Companies like ours have invested capital and resources into energy efficient operations both to protect the environment and to control costs.

                

Our Director of Maintenance, Gary Saltmarsh and John Corcoran, our Energy Efficient Manager, have been working with property staff and local contractors to bring the latest in green, energy-efficient technology to properties throughout Corcoran’s portfolio. Gary and John have spent countless hours researching and developing programs to reduce Corcoran’s electric, HVAC, water, and sewer usage as low as possible without sacrificing performance and reliability. At a recent training session, Corcoran Property and Maintenance Managers learned the benefits of using T-8 High-Performance light fixtures that conserve on average 40% less electricity than traditional fixtures. In addition Managers learned about Corcoran’s ongoing plan to switch to new controlled water heaters and boilers. In addition to major changes to heating and electrical systems, Corcoran promotes the use of automatic timers and censors to limit the use of light and strategic use of shade to keep things cool.

               

Corcoran Management Company is proud of the maintenance team, managers, and trusted vendors with whom we have developed and enhanced energy efficient operations at all of our properties. Two of our newest communities, The Commons at SouthFieldHighlands in Weymouth, MA, and Parkside Commons in Chelsea, MA have received LEED Certification for energy efficient design from the United States Green Building Council!