Heka’s winter reminder: snow work, gritting and safe everyday life

Take any belongings in the yard to winter storage

Move bicycles, garden furniture, barbecues and other belongings in the yard to their respective storage areas or under canopies to protect them from snow falling from the roof.

In addition, snow dump areas and pathways into the yard should be cleared of bicycles and other similar items. If you have left your items outside, now is the time to get them out of the snow and ice.

Neither Heka nor the contractor carrying out the snow work will compensate for any damage to items trapped under the snow.

Winter maintenance work carried out by Heka

We carry out snow removal and gritting as quickly as possible, but it may not be possible for property maintenance operatives to immediately get to every building early in the morning. In most of our properties, gritting sand is available in a container in the yard. You can take the sand and sprinkle it on slippery spots if the front of a stairwell looks slippery. Report any slippery conditions or snow and ice hanging from eaves via OmaHeka or to the defect notification phone number.

Responsibilities for winter maintenance vary by area. In the city centre, the City is responsible for clearing and gritting the driving lanes, while properties are responsible for clearing and gritting the sidewalks in front of them. In other areas, the City is responsible for all winter maintenance of roads and sidewalks. It is the responsibility of the property, or Heka, to clear the driveways to plots after the snow has been ploughed.

Read more about street maintenance

Be mindful of ploughing equipment when accessing the yard. It is also a good idea to warn children about snow ploughs in the yard.

Resident’s snow clearing responsibilities in the yard and on the balcony

Heka carries out snow removal on the walkways in the parking lots, but the removal of snow and the anti-skid treatment of your own parking space is the responsibility of the resident. Do not leave any wires hanging on heating or charging poles. They make the removal of snow more difficult and can cause hazards.

In terraced houses, it is the responsibility of the resident to clear snow from the yard and only the driveway leading to your own home. In wooden houses, gritting and removing snow from your yard and steps may be the responsibility of the resident.

Clean snow off your balcony

It is the resident’s responsibility to clear snow from the balcony. Snow must not be allowed to pack, as it can cause water damage when it melts. Clear the balcony at the latest when the level of snow is over the balcony’s threshold and the door cannot be opened properly.

Make sure that the removal of snow does not cause harm or danger to others. Before clearing the snow, be sure to look down and choose the right direction, which is usually to the side, not straight down from the balcony.

A children’s snow shovel that is about a metre high is a good tool for clearing the balcony. A small shovel does not swirl snow around as much as a larger one. If it is not safe to clear the snow, it can be shovelled into a garbage bag to be taken outside and emptied into the yard.

Remember and remind your family: when walking outside in winter, be careful, wear winter footwear and slow down if the conditions look slippery or otherwise difficult.

Adjusting the temperature of your home

A healthy room temperature is around 18–22 degrees. The target temperature in Heka’s apartments is 21 degrees. The temperature can vary depending on the weather and the location of the apartment. For example, the temperature varies more in the upper floors.

How does the heating of an apartment building work?

Most of Heka’s apartment buildings have a hot water circulation heating system, in which heat is provided by district heating and fed to the radiators and, through them, to the apartments by means of hot water. Heating is automatically controlled according to the outdoor temperature and, in some properties, the indoor temperature. In colder weather, hotter water flows into the radiators, bringing more heat into the home. The building services and automation system regulate the temperature of the water going to the radiators.

How you can affect the temperature in your home

You can check a few things yourself to make sure that the heating is working properly:

• Make sure that warm air can spread freely from the radiators. Do not cover or block the radiator with curtains or furniture. Leave a gap between the sofa and the radiator, for example.
• Pull the curtains away from the radiator and thermostat. The thermostat will not work properly if it is covered.
• Turn the thermostat from minimum to maximum and back to prevent it from jamming. At the same time, check that the thermostat is open and adjust it to a warmer setting, if necessary.
• If the radiator does not feel warm even when it is freezing outside, there may be a problem with the radiator. In this case, submit a defect notification.
• Do not block the ventilation holes, even if the air coming from them feels cool. Ventilation is important to keep the humidity in your home at the right level. Excessive humidity increases the sensation of cold and can cause indoor air problems.
• Monitor the room temperature with a thermometer. Measure the temperature at the centre of the room, less than 1.5 metres above the floor. Do not place the meter on a window or outside wall, as these are naturally cooler in winter.

Submit a defect notification if the room temperature is well below the target temperature (21 degrees) or if there is a defect in the radiator. If you hear a hissing or gurgling sound coming from the radiator, there is probably air in there. Do not deaerate the radiator yourself. Instead, submit a defect notification. 

Bird feeding in winter

The feeding of birds and other wild animals in the yard and on balconies is prohibited in the rules of conduct, as the food intended for them also attracts rats and other pests to the yard.