Grounds Management Discussions - Recent Threads

Alternative fuels

Dan Hounsell — Tue, 09 Apr 2013 15:38:46 GMT

I'm putting together an article for the upcoming issue of Maintenance Solutions on alternative fuel considerations for grounds care equipment.

If you are a grounds manager and have considered specifying, or have specified, mowers, utility vehicles or related equipment that use alternative fuels, I'd like to talk with you.

Please contact me directly at dan.hounsell@tradepressmedia.com.

Thanks.

Shared Landscaping Expense

SteveOber — Thu, 24 Jan 2013 16:27:24 GMT

We share a 14 acre site with one other tenant. Our buildings out number the other tenant by about 3 to 1 so we have a larger footprint on the site. The other tenant is completing a building program that will increase its presence on the property but not by a significant amount.

Both tenants occupy a City owned parcel and the issue is determining the increased shared landscaping expense between the tenants and the City as a result of the new building. The prevailing thought is to use the same BOMA gross square footage of the buildings that was used to determine HVAC chiller energy sharing costs and apply the same air conditioned space formula for landscaping costs. Currently the City pays 50%, tenant 1 pays 8% and tenant 2 pays 42%. Using this formula tenant 1's share would increase approx 1% with the addition of the new building.

The other method of determining each tenants landscaping responsibility would be to use the actual buildings size (footprint) that occupy the site. In conjunction with that information the amount of visitors and use of the property could be factored in to gauge/estimate the impact each tenant has on the grounds and landscaping.

Using this formula the ratio would increase for tenant 1 by approx 3.5%.

Does anyone have experience or knowledge concerning an issue of this type? Your thoughts are well appreciated.

Thank you.

Gophers

patrick — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 16:36:16 GMT

I battled gophers all of last year and tried several different products, but the thing that actually worked was the battery powered sonic devices. I figured they were just a gimmick until I got desperate enough to try them, but now I am a believer.

Gopher problems???

Bill Heath — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 00:32:08 GMT

So who has any Ideas about Gopher problems short of a thermonuclear device

Monsanto products like Round Up Pro Plus

Bill Heath — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 17:22:40 GMT

Monsanto tells me that this product is now approved to use at school sites in Ca.?

are the right?

Grainger

ddenuzzio — Tue, 14 Jun 2011 13:26:55 GMT

Anyone have any experiences with Grainger? Any thoughts on their performance/skill-set?

Concrete sealers

patrick — Thu, 14 Apr 2011 21:41:41 GMT

I am looking for opinions on concrete sealers. I have 22,500 sq ft to seal. It has a broom finish and I do not want to change the appearance so I am looking at penetrating sealers.

Concrete Sealer Opinions

patrick — Thu, 14 Apr 2011 21:39:18 GMT

I am looking for opinions on concrete sealers. I have 22,500 sq. ft. to seal. It is broom finish and I want to use a penetrating sealer that does not change the appearance.

alternative maintenance vehicles

clark_nicholas — Thu, 17 Jun 2010 10:34:10 GMT

Hello,

I am looking for ideas on different maintenance vehicles. We currently use golf carts modified with wooden tool boxes. we spend about 5000 on a used cart and it lasts about 5 or 6 years. What do you use and what have you seen that may be a better alternative?

Permeable Asphalt parking lots

Aaron Stockeland — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 20:16:36 GMT

I'm in charge of a facility with a 75,000 square foot parking lot. Due to the fact that there is a grant available for switching our lot over to permeable asphalt we are considering going that route. Couple of problems. The site is in Grand Rapids, Michigan. At this point there is only 7 or so other parking lots in our town that have this type of asphalt. None of which are older than five years old. Also none of these lots are even a tenth of the size of our lot. With it being a colder climate which gets a significant amount of snow (70" plus a year) I'm wondering if anyone has experience with this type of lot and weather. Also if your aware of anything else that should be considered before moving forward with this type of lot. I know how they look as I have checked a couple of the lots in town and I'm also aware that at least in our area their is no one who repairs them with permeable asphalt. This unfortunately leads to nice black squares in a grayer lot when repair work is done. Any information or sites to visit for further information would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance,

Aaron Stockeland

Poll: Sustainable Landscapes

Chris Matt — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 22:17:32 GMT

Please take a second and answer this poll. Thanks.

[Please visit the site to access the poll]

Experience with Asphalt Restoration??

Eric DeMuth — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 18:16:03 GMT

In addition to some other projects, we are starting to look into doing some repairs on our asphalt parking lots at both apartment complexes. One of the quotes we received last year was in relation to a product called PDC (Pavement Dressing Conditioner).

It supposedly lengthens the life of the existing asphalt, seals better than the traditional seal coats and is a non-slick surface when wet.

What I am looking for is anyone with experience in the real world with this product. Does it do what it claims or is it a glorified seal coat? What disadvantages have you seen?

Any other solutions out there I am missing , besides the obvious? Sealing the parking lots have not worked in the past and re-doing the asphalt is not needed at either property.

Thanks

Eric DeMuth

Poll Question: Grounds Care Chemicals

Chris Matt — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 17:25:56 GMT

Please take a second and answer this poll. Thanks.

[Please visit the site to access the poll]

Outdoor Bronze Sculptures

TRES — Tue, 05 May 2009 15:16:31 GMT

Just wondering if anyone has had success with removing graffiti from bronze statues and sculptures?

Russ

Bird Pests

TRES — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 18:26:56 GMT

Always looking for an effective deterrent to flickers, starlings, pifeons, and seagulls from flocking to our parking garages and building roof top ledges.

Utility Carts for Campus

Jpelletier — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 17:04:53 GMT

Hello ,

I am looking to purchase utility carts to get from building to building for everyday maint. issues. We are removing some of our older trucks and going to replace with carts. but want to get a feel of what other people use.

Does anyone here use utility type carts , gas or electric ? what make / model ? I am not looking for any off roading type.

Jeff

Looking for Grounds Managers to Talk about Chemicals

Chris Matt — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 16:57:48 GMT

My name is Chris Matt, and I'm the Managing Editor of Maintenance Solutions magazine. I know many grounds managers already have joined this group, and current members might have colleagues who have not joined but still could provide some assistance.

I'm writing an article for the June issue of Maintenance Solutions, and it's going to focus on the use of chemicals in commercial and institutional grounds departments. Here's a quick, general description of the article.

Chemicals: Green Applications. Many organizations are curtailing their use of chemicals on landscapes — or eliminating them completely — in order to improve sustainability. Before making either decision, managers will need to examine its potential impact on turf, plants, equipment specification, staffing and the bottom line.

I'm looking for managers to interview on this topic. Please let me know if this interests you. Or, like I said, maybe you have a colleague in your organization who would be a better fit for an interview. If you're interested, please send me an e-mail via this site and we can discuss more details.

Also, feel free to take a look at other grounds coverage in Maintenance Solutions. Thanks.

Chris

Exterior Maintenance

April Ferguson — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 18:28:34 GMT

I came across this article....since "Spring has Sprung", I thought I'd share....

Savings You Don’t Have to Go Out On a Limb For

This article is from: Energy Saving, Better Heating & Cooling

Shady Savings
HGTVPro
By Wayne A. Endicott

When discussions concerning energy conservation crop up, everybody talks about insulation, heating and cooling equipment sizing, window types and the like. But how often do you hear trees and bushes mentioned in the conversation?

However, thoughtful landscape design actually can lower the demands put on an air-conditioning and heating system, according to landscape architects Rosheen Styczinski, FASLA, of New Eden Landscape Architecture of Milwaukee, and Hugh Dargan, ASLA, of Dargan Landscape Architects, Atlanta.

"The most obvious example of this would be the use of shade trees in strategic locations," says Rosheen, who chairs the Residential Professional Interest Group of the Washington, D.C.-based American Society of Landscape Architects. "Planting deciduous trees to provide shade on the south side of a site can lower the cooling load during the summer months by providing a solar shield."

Why deciduous trees? "Because they will drop their leaves in the fall, thereby letting sunlight through to provide solar heating in the winter, lowering the heating bill as well," Rosheen explains.

Bushes and other shrubbery can cast a beneficial shadow, too. They are especially useful in shading an air conditioner, provided that they leave enough ventilation to ensure operating efficiency. Another suggestion from Rosheen is the use of vines on a site. For that purpose, she recommends either Boston ivy or Engelman's ivy—fast growing species that will provide thermal protection quickly.

Hugh suggests other landscaping tricks that can promote energy savings. "Including a small pond, a fountain or a waterfall in a strategic location can lower the cooling costs for a site," he maintains. "Placing either in a spot where the prevailing winds can blow across them before reaching the site will provide cooling benefits as well as adding to the ambience of the landscaping."

Hugh emphasizes, however, that it is important to provide a conduit for those breezes to reach the site—a wind tunnel between the trees and bushes that directs the breezes to the side of the site.

The right tree in the right place
"The choice of trees and the locations where they are planted are also important to achieve the maximum benefits," Hugh says. "Best selections are fast-growing varieties, such as maples, burr oaks, overcup oaks and river birches," he suggests. "Be sure, though, that the mature tree's wood will withstand strong winds. Otherwise, you risk damage to the building that the tree is supposed to protect."

The North Georgia Electric Membership Corporation (www.ngemc.com) offers the following suggestions for sitting and planting a tree:

Know its size at full maturity.
Choose a location where it has room to grow and where it will provide direct shade, blocking overhead sun on the south side and low-angle sun on the east and west sides.
Trees to the south should be fairly close to the site, but not any closer than one-half the mature-crown diameter.
Trees on the east and west sides should provide a screen against the morning and evening sun.

Trees can save you money on heating and cooling while they add beauty and value to the property. An environmental bonus: They even help clean the air.

Grounds Videos Discuss LEED, Alternative Fuels

Chris Matt — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 21:02:41 GMT

One of the great things about the NFMT trade show is being able to catch up with managers in commercial and institutional buildings and hear about the issues and challenges they face every day on the job.

I got a chance to talk with two grounds managers on the East coast - Mark Feist, Assistant Director of Grounds, Vehicle Maintenance and Support Services with American University in Washington, D.C., and Mark Selivan, Manager of Grounds with Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore.

Mark Feist's video focuses on alternative fuels and the relationship between water conservation and LEED. Mark Selivan discusses snow and ice management in one video and touches on plant specification in another.

Let me know what you think.

Chris

Panel To Discuss Grounds Management, Sustainability and the Bottom Line

Chris Matt — Mon, 09 Feb 2009 17:46:52 GMT

For those of you interested in learning about evolving trends in commercial and institutional grounds care management, feel free to attend a panel discussion at the NFMT Conference and Expo in Baltimore. The session, Grounds Management, Sustainability and the Bottom Line, will take place Wednesday, March 11, at 10 a.m., inside the Baltimore Convention Center. Like all the educational sessions at NFMT, this panel discussion is free of charge. Click here to register.

I am moderating the discussion, so if there are any questions you would like me to ask our panelists, please e-mail me.

Panelists: Mark Selivan, Manager of Grounds with Johns Hopkins University; Mark Feist, Assistant Director of Grounds, Vehicle Maintenance and Support Services with American University.

Session description: Grounds managers in commercial and institutional facilities are under more pressure than ever. As fuel costs rise, budgets tighten, and concern for the environment grows, managers are expected to make their operations more sustainable. In response, managers are implementing a variety of strategies, including exploring alternative-fuel options and designing landscapes that require less irrigation. They also are specifying versatile equipment to make their operations more efficient and cost-effective. This panel discussion will provide attendees with real-world examples of sustainable grounds departments contributing to their organizations' bottom lines.