Cabin Maintenance Manual
WELCOME
Thank you for taking on the special responsibility of maintaining a PATC cabin! Each cabin has its own unique history. The PATC members’ only and public cabins are one of the ways PATC fulfills its mission to help people enjoy and discover our local wilderness, and its preservation.
As a Cabin Maintainer, your job is cleaning up and repairing the mistakes people will make while staying at these cabins. Much of this work is hardly glamorous: scrubbing floors, washing down kitchens, washing pots and pans, cleaning a privy, but is nonetheless very rewarding. You and many renters will enjoy the preservation and charm of these great properties for years to come.
Any questions regarding maintenance, or this manual should be directed to your CABIN TEAM
Your CABIN TEAM
All Cabin email correspondence should be visible to your whole team. This way everyone is up to date on upcoming trips, pending repairs, future projects, etc. YOUR TEAM INCLUDES: Maintainer/Co, District Supervisor, Cabin coordinator, Cabin Maintenance Chair.
Cabin Maintenance Chair
Budget manager and maintenance advisor for all cabins
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District Supervisor
Experienced with your cabin and available for support and advice. Will direct major projects and purchases
Cabin Coordinator
Staff for administrative support and renter management
Maintainer/Co
You are Here! Many Cabins have co-maintainers
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BooKiNg A WORKTRIP
Step 1 Check Availability
There is a link for cabin availability on PATC.net https://apps.gracesoft.com/PMS/EasyWebRez/checkavailability/720
Step 2 Email Cabin Coordinator with requested dates
Send Work trip requests to CABINCOORDINATOR@PATC.NET
“CC” your cabin team so that everyone knows the cabin is getting attention and inspection.
Step 3 Reporting
After your trip is complete, Submit a work trip report following the prompts in the volunteer portal on PATC.net. This is necessary to keep track of coverage on each cabin
https://airtable.com/appLVUnrLjREWFnUf/pag9FaECNUZfkR2pr/form
Minimum
4 work trips a year is the absolute minimum. You and any Co-maintainers must combine for at least 4 trips a year.
Maximum
There is no maximum except weekends. Please limit your work trips to 6 weekends a year. Be conscious that your maintenance does not excessively impede potential revenue.
Materials, Budget, Expenses
Sourcing Household items PATC Cabins have an array of furniture, mattresses, kitchen items, supplies and more at each cabin. If these items need to be sourced, we may already have them stocked in storage. Contact your District supervisor before ordering any household items.
Large Purchases Any cabin supplies exceeding $500 must be pre-approved by your District Supervisor
Reimbursements Purchases for your cabin get approved by the maintenance chair, and reimbursed by the accounting department. To request reimbursement, include the Cabin Maintenance Chair, Cabin Coordinator, and PATC Accounting, on an email. You should send receipts with a brief description of the items within a month of purchase.
Contracting
PATC will directly pay any contracted work in most case. If you are hiring any contracted work with the approval of you cabin team, Please acquire and direct the Certificate of Insurance (COI) and W-9 prior to the start of any projects to accounting@PATC.net
KNOW THE TYPES
Semi-Primitive: Electricity, Limited Plumbing; Privy, Wood Stove, some appliances
Primitive: No electricity, Wood Stove Heat, No Plumbing; Privy
Modern: Electricity, Electric Heat or HVAC, Indoor Plumbing, Full Kitchen
Welcome to Your Cabin
As you take on the role of Cabin Maintainer, there are some initial steps to take to help make the role easier:
A folder or notebook dedicated to your cabin will be useful to stay organized
Below are some suggested items you may want to have packed on all remote work trips:
· lopper tool/hand saw
· Tool box
· Battery powered drill and/or circular saw
· Supplies needed for expected repairs: lumber, screen, hardware, etc.
· Clean kitchen linens or rags for cleaning, trash bags, mops, brooms, sponges, cleaning supplies
If you have these tools they are good to bring
· High reach saw
· Chain saw and extra oil and gas for it
· Tool sharpener
Getting There: Become familiar with the road or trail in. Report major obstructions that impede access or cannot be removed to your CABIN TEAM. Circumstantially, the trails and lands department will be used to clear problem trees and blowdowns
Inventory List (Standard PATC provisions for guests)
Thoroughly check that all these items exist in the cabin. Inspect them for quality and cleanliness. You should add any items that are unique to your cabin to your own list.
Outdoor Equipment
Splitting maul
Bow saw
lawn care tools or mower
Indoor Equipment
Log book
First aid kit
Fire extinguisher
Fire shovel
Ash bucket
Paper storage can
Broom
Dust pan
Fireplace poker
Fireplace gloves
Kitchen
Dipper
Water containers
Food storage can or cabinets
Kettles and saucepans
Skillets and lids
Coffee pot
Tea kettle
Bowls, plates, cups*
Dishpan
Wash basin
Match jar
Stove lid lifter
Utensils
Can opener
Spatula
Cooking spoons
Cooking fork
Butcher knife
Paring knife
Eating utensils*
Cutlery box
Bedding
Mattresses*
Things to do Inside Your Cabin
● Wash everything that needs it. Sinks, Floors, Windows, Doors, Candle Wax, Stoves, Screens
If you can’t do it all in one trip, do it throughout the year.
● Learn Materials, and Measurement of all your hard surfaces.
● Pack out Junk: Despite clear instructions renters leave stuff all the time: Plastic Silverware, Condiments, Coffee, Beer, Etc. Be prepared to pack these things out.
● Inspect the stoves, ovens, extinguishers and fire grates. Remove cold ashes if left. With steel wool, sand down rusted, greasy, dirty stove surfaces.
● Check and Replace saw blades as needed
● Read Log entries.
● Open all the mattress bins or enclosures to check condition of mattresses and covers
● Sweep out dust-bunnies, cobwebs, soot, etc.
● Verify all structural components of cabin: bunks, walls, ladders, and railings, are sturdy and secure.
●Organize wood to foster tidy properly sized wood piles.
● Identify and attack leaks aggressively. If you can’t stop the leaks, report them to your team ASAP.
Cottages and houses with electricity and/or running water, central heating, etc.
1. Check and clean all the appliances
2. Check all plumbing fixtures for leaks
3. Scrub bathroom(s)
4. Check furnace and change filters as needed
5. Vacuum floors and rugs
6. Check inside all closets and drawers for “gifts.”
7. Check wiring and/or fuses
8. Check water heaters and turn off for winter (if that is the cabin procedure).
Mouse Prevention
1. Stuff holes and cracks with copper wool and silicone caulk; coarse steel wool may be used as substitute.
2. Make sure doors fit properly and/or weather-stripping hasn’t been chewed away.
3. Leave a couple of traps in the cabin. Visitors will frequently trap mice for you.
4. Contact your District Supervisor for recommended products.
5. Create a “mouse kit.”
6. Weed around the cabin as needed to prevent the area from becoming a habitat for mice and snakes.
Things to do Outside Your Cabin
1. Check any padlocks or combination locks for excessive wear.
2. Check the roof, roof joists, beams, exterior walls, windows, caulking, decks, foundations, etc.
3. Check for insect infestation, and treat accordingly
4. Keep grass and walkways to spring and privy reasonably cut in summer months
5. Maintain gutters
6. Report standing deadwood hazard to the cabin, privy, or spring to your cabin team
7. Look for unauthorized fire rings. Breakdown and remove. Maintain a saw buck and ash pit.
8. Confirm the hide-a-key is in its proper place. Notify the Cabin Coordinator if you need a replacement.
9. Keep the cabin clear of extra materials and debris (especially combustible material)
Privy
1. Check structure and keep clear of debris
2. Sweep out and remove webs, nests.
3. Use a shovel to knock down the “cone,” as it gets higher, and redistribute the waste in the bin/pit.
FOR MOLDERING PRIVIES*
a. Refill wood chip bin, if necessary.
FOR PIT PRIVIES*–
b. Refill lime bin with hydrated lime, if necessary. Keep a container of septic enzyme in your locked bin or closet. Apply to privy pit as stated on product directions. It will pro-long the life of the pit and control smells.
* Privy maintenance varies by location. Check with your District Supervisor to see if any further maintenance is needed. Some Pit Privies do not use lime because it makes them difficult to pump.
Spring
1. Clean spring pipe, re-fit or replace if necessary.
2. Clear debris around spring access
3. Note the reliability of the spring by season.
Always remember:
The neater you leave your cabin and surroundings, the better the renters will treat it and the easier your job will be!
Maintainers Storage
Each maintainer has a locked bunk-bin, cabinet, or closet in which to keep their own tools and supplies. A key will be provided. Personal or useful items that you wish to stock at the cabin can be left here. Many useful things will be there from current and past maintainers.
Good stewardship habits
Map—Cabins should have a map on the wall of the surrounding area. If you need one, contact Cabin Coordinator.
Info Sheet—Each Cabin has an info sheet that is sent to renters. Periodically request to see it and suggest edits as necessary.
Lock Box—Most cabins utilize a lock box, correspond with your team to keep the batteries current and know how to use it so you can assist others on the phone if they reach out with any issues.
Log Book—Each Cabin should have a notebook of decent quality to be used as a logbook. You should replace these when they are full. Full books can be sent or brought to PATC headquarters for archiving or can be stored at the cabin for a few years as reading materials.
Rule Breaking Renters
If you discover cabin abuse or a guest calls you with reports of damage, please report the damage to the Cabin Coordinator by email at cabincoordinator@patc.net. Also, future renters can be forewarned of problems until you are able to make the needed repairs.
Communication with renters
· Read all the cabin condition reports that are automatically sent to you. Only react to worthy information. You don’t need to drop everything and go there if someone sees a bug.
· Most of the time you will NOT have direct contact with renters
· Supply and update a cabin binder on display for renters for opening/closing procedures and info specific to your cabin.
· Check on cabin after major storms or wildfires when safe
Getting a crew together
If you need help on work trips you are free to organize any group that gets the job done. For bigger projects feel free to request or organize a crew. Get creative, involve family and friends, Be conscious of sleeping capacity if guests need to stay overnight.
Ask Questions to your cabin team and have fun! Thank you for volunteering