Garage/Driveway Lights

The garage lights are controlled by a photosensor on the outside side wall of the garage. The photosensor (mounted high on the wall) detects ambient light level so the garage light fixture only comes on at dusk and turns off around dawn.

Start by checking your garage light bulb. If it’s OK, check your photosensor.

Your photosensor might just need cleaning or got blocked when you repainted your house.

If the photosensor has failed ON, so that the garage light is always on, the easiest thing is to install a dusk-to-dawn bulb, which has a built-in photosensor and will restore the automatic functionality, and not waste electricity by keeping the bulb powered in the daytime. These are available in energy efficient LED and compact flouresent types for a little more than a regular bulb. Alternatively, a screw-in photosensor adapter can be used with any bulb.

 If the photosensor has failed OFF, so that the light is always off, the photosensor will need to be replaced. New photosensors can be purchased for less than $10 online or at local retailers; one suitable product is the Precision Lumatrol A-105W – Button Type Photo Control. When replacing, check that the weather sealing of the wall plate is intact to maximize the life of the new part. It’s not difficult, and can be quickly installed by a homeowner comfortable working with AC wiring, but if unsure, please use a professional.

 Thank you for maintaining the safety and appearance of our community!

EXTERIOR GARAGE NIGHT LIGHTS

Each unit has an exterior garage light that is automatically turned on at dusk and turned off at dawn by a light sensor on the side wall of the house. Homeowners are responsible for maintaining their exterior garage lights at night in working order. If your garage light does not come on at night, it might simply be a blown light bulb that needs to be replaced. But it might also be a bad sensor that may require the help of an electrician. Please see an earlier post that should help you deal with the issue: 
https://mendocinohoa.blogspot.com/search?q=garage+light

Message from the President: Garage Night Lights

Fellow homeowners,

As Mendocino ages (we are now 23 years old!), it takes more effort to maintain the value of our property.
We recently sand-blasted and re-painted the curbs and resurfaced the streets and are actively working with our landscaper to repair and keep our irrigation in good working order to maintain a lush attractive landscaping. A record number of homes have been repainted, some added new upgrades like garage doors, porch railings, etc.

Night-time garage lights are a signature design feature of Mendocino. They not only enhance the Mendocino ambiance but provide additional security at night. Unfortunately, many of the garage night lights throughout Mendocino are out of order and do not come on at night.

Homeowners are responsible for maintaining the garage lights in good working order. If your light does not come on at night, it might be a bad bulb or a bad light sensor on the side of your house. Please fix it. It's a small investment that goes a long way in preserving the charm of Mendocino and enhancing nighttime security.

Slav

Garage Lights

 

Night-time garage lights are a signature design feature of Mendocino. They not only enhance the Mendocino ambiance but provide additional security at night. Unfortunately, many of the garage night lights throughout Mendocino are out of order and do not come on at night.

Homeowners are responsible for maintaining the garage lights in good working order. If your light does not come on at night, it might be a bad bulb or a bad light sensor on the side of your house. Please fix it. It's a small investment that goes a long way in preserving the charm of Mendocino and enhancing nighttime security.

Architectural Review Process

To ensure maximum fairness and objectivity the AC has evaluated each home based on the following criteria:

• Mold / dark stains on the stucco
• Moisture damaged stucco
•  Chipped, peeling, or substantially faded paint
• Exposed wall anchors
• Bent, loose or missing siding
• Gutters and/or downspouts in disrepair
• Rusting metal surfaces
• Broken or missing shutters / other decorative elements
• Badly weathered/ deteriorated "hardware" (metal door handles, knobs, and locks; exterior, metal light fixtures attached to residence, etc.)
• Significantly dented/ damaged garage doors
• Extensive, visible termite damage, broken/missing/rotted elements (to fences, visible architectural elements, etc.)
• Improvement maintenance (e.g., driveway strips)

(These minimum standards were previously developed by the AC and approved by the Board - please see the documents on the right.)

The AC then adopted a rating scale for its volunteers to use to reflect the degree of severity/urgency of each maintenance condition for each house: 

1. No adverse observations 
2. Limited adverse observations, monitoring recommended, no action recommended at this time 
3. Limited adverse observations, monitoring recommended, warning recommended 
4. Fairly significant observations, action recommended
5. Significant observations, action required

Each committee volunteer was allocated a group of houses (excluding his/her own) to evaluate. Pictures were taken to document noted areas of concern.The AC then used the above scale (along with a total scoring for each house) to prioritize the most problematic houses in need of attention.

Once it's double-checked the scores needing action (3,4, and 5) the AC will forward its recommendations to the HOA Board of Directors for ultimate disposition.

We will share the most notable findings here.

- Your Architectural Committee