News Bulletins

Guarantee the functionality of your home

In many homes preparations for Christmas are in full speed. This is also a good time to check certain small things that make your apartment more functional and safer.

Sewer problems are the most common troubles in homes. If your sewer becomes clogged, call A-Companies’ property services for help. If your sewer just seems to draw water badly, you can try a few home methods.

Most stores sell pipe opening fluids that dissolve blockages. You can also try a combination of baking soda and vinegar. Drain warm water down the drain, then pour in a decilitre of baking soda and a couple of decilitres of vin-egar. Wait ten minutes – let the mixture bubble – and then let warm water down the sewer again.

If your bathroom floor drain feels a bit clogged, the problem is probably that its grille and the edges of the drain have not been cleaned. Be careful not to remove any other parts from the floor drain, other than the grille.

Exhaust and supply air valve covers, and grilles are parts of the home that need to be cleaned regularly. Especially in the kitchen, where dust and grease accumulate on the lids, it is advisable to use a hand dishwashing detergent to wipe them off. Be careful not to turn the round part in the middle, as this will mess up the ventilation adjustments.

The grill of the cooker hood should also be washed regularly. This is most effectively done in the dishwasher.

Does your apartment feel cold, or do you feel a cold draft? Window frames often have a replacement air valve, that can be adjusted to the correct seasonal position. If you suspect that the window does not fit properly into the frame, or that the window seals are broken, call a service technician.

The appropriate operation of radiators is important in the cold Finnish winter. From time to time, turn the coil valve to a different position to prevent it from jamming. If the plastic knob part breaks, have it replaced by a service technician. Uneven heating of the radiator and a bubbling sound tell you that there is air in the radiator circuit. If this is the case, you should also call a service technician.

Regular maintenance of the apart-ment also includes cleaning dust from the back of the refrigerator. Excess dust can even cause a fire. And please also remember to check the condition of your fire alarm during Christmas cleaning.

Revamp at rental home

A tenant’s options for renovation are different from the rights of a homeowner. However, the tenant can do many things to make the apartment more functioning.

A-Companies has a total of 2,312 apartments in different parts of the central area of Porvoo. Every year, more than 300 apartments change tenant.

When moving in, some are surprised that ordinary activities such as wallpapering, or painting walls and other surfaces are prohibited for tenants. The floor covering must also not be changed. With these prohibitions, A-Companies ensures that the apartment does not have to be repaired, after huge renovation attempts, at long working hours and at big costs.

Personnel at A-Companies always check and, if necessary, renovate the apartments when the tenant changes. The possible restoration of the apartment is paid for by the tenant who is moving out.

A similar ban at A-Companies is in electrical work, such as relocating an outlet or installing a new outlet.

However, a tenant may do work related to normal housing, such as drilling holes in walls for paintings or wall shelves. Many other things are also possible- and without too much expense.

Walls and ceilings

If your apartment has only one curtain rail installed and you need another, buy it yourself and attach it neatly to the other pair.

Venetian- and roller blinds can be installed in the apartments. If you want to acquire and install a venetian blind between your windows, at your own expense, first always negotiate with the hosting at A-Companies. The curtain will remain in the apartment when the resident moves out.

Lighter paintings are usually held in place by table hooks, that leave a much smaller marking on the wall, than drilling does. The stores also have strong adhesive tapes on sale. If you have a lot of paintings, it is a good idea to take advantage of hanging rails for paintings.

Kitchen and bathroom

Do you think there is a place for an extra cabinet in the kitchen or bathroom? The tenant is, of course, allowed to purchase non-fixed furniture.

Always drill carefully in the kitchen and bathroom. Pipes and wires run through the walls. If you are unsure, seek advice from A-Companies.

Tenants at A-Companies are not allowed to drill into the tiles, because the holes cannot be repaired and made watertight. If you want to decorate your tiles, please use tile stickers, remembering that the stickers and all the glue should be removed carefully before moving out.

The purchase of a dishwasher is the responsibility of the resident. If you do not need a dishwasher, take advantage of the free space in your kitchen, for example by purchasing an unattached shelf on wheels. If you get a countertop, you will also get more space.

If there is no space for a dishwasher in the apartment, check the suitability of table-top models. Remember that for pipes and wires, you cannot drill holes in the stainless surface.

Balcony and terrace

On balconies or terraces, the tenant may drill small holes for hanging flower baskets, lightweight grilles, or curtains, for example.

The floor can be covered with tiling using, for example, wooden or plastic materials. However, it must be loose and must be removed by the tenant when moving.

Satisfied tenants

Each year, A-Companies asks their tenants for their opinions on housing and landlord services. Resident satisfaction has always been high, and it has increased further in the survey of late 2020. The highest ratings by the residents were given to stairways and to other public spaces of the houses. The tenants considered the customer services and information services of the A-Companies, to be the best services. Satisfaction with waste management also increased much compared to 2019.

Check your kitchen sink connections

In all A-Companies’ apartments, a dishwasher can be connected to the kitchen water supply and sewer. If there is no dishwasher in the apartment, plugs for the water and sewer connections must be screwed on securely.

Check in the space under the kitchen sink, that the plugs for the dishwasher connections for both inlet and outlet water are secured with plugs, that are screwed on. Other solutions for closing the connections may cause water leakage.

Sort everything you are sure you know

The new waste sorting bins in the yards have encouraged residents to sort waste more than before.

The common goal in Finland is to sort and recycle half of all household waste. Waste management regulations are stricter in Porvoo this year. In housing properties with at least five apartments, organic waste must be sorted. If there are at least 20 apartments, also cardboard, metal, glass and plastic packaging must have recycling bins.

The government’s goals for recycling are set high. This year, the goal is for half of the waste to be recycled. In 2035, the target will be at 65 percent. The recycling of organic waste and cardboard waste has worked well in
the past in the houses of A-Companies. Since last autumn, collection containers for metal and glass and plastic packaging have been added to the houses’ waste containers.

The work has been challenging, primarily due to problems in the placement
of very deep collection containers. The property management at A-Companies estimates, that by the end of the year, only half of the containers not yet installed, will be available.

Many housing companies in Porvoo have the same problem. The houses that are required by law to have organic and cardboard waste collection, are almost all connected to the collection system. Separate collection containers for metal, glass and plastic packaging are still missing in one fourth of the properties.

– The issue of organic waste is slightly problematic, as some residents sort
the waste, some do not. But in general, people already know how to sort organic waste. The problem is that organic waste is sometimes packed in bags, that are not degradable. People are also good at recycling cardboard, says service manager Tuija Klaus from Rosk’n Roll.

Metal collection also works well in general, although more than just metal
is sometimes placed in the containers. Glass recycling has proven to be the
most challenging for the residents.

– It is only meant for packaging glass, but people place almost anything in the container. But even here, the familiar saying holds true: “Even an older
dog learns new tricks,” says property manager Kristian Tuomala.

A-Companies property management has a very simple tip for all residents:
– Sort everything you are sure you know, in what container to place the
waste. If you are a little unsure where something belongs, place it in a mixed waste bin.

Christmas Time at A-Companies

The property maintenance and cleaning services at A-Companies
will operate normally during the Christmas and New Year holidays. You
can find the emergency number for your own house on the house notice boards, or on the notice boards in the staircases. A-Companies offers its tenants free, family-specific Christmas sauna shifts, mainly on December 24th. Read more on the bulletin boards.

All residents, please remember to keep the Christmas season safe for
all. A fire alarm is a must-have in every home. Test that it is in working condition, for example during Christmas housecleaning. A fire blanket is also a sensible and affordable purchase.

Never leave live candles burning unattended, not even on the balcony.
Remember only to burn the candles on safe surfaces. Check the condition of your Christmas lights and the wires, and be sure never to make any improvised installations. Remember that you can only connect outdoor electric lights on the balcony or patio, if there is an outside electrical outlet.

Also be careful in the kitchen. Never leave food unattended on the
stove, or in the oven. Do not empty the liquid fat into the drains. First let it
cool and then take it to a waste bin.

Text: Kaisa Viitanen