Summer 2025 Issue of Ripples

Lakeport News

From the Editor/President – Stephen Sapp 

Notice of Lakeport Cluster Homeowner Association Annual Meeting 

Social Committee Report – Irene Nagley and Elizabeth Pan

Landscape Committee Report – Mary Sapp

Standards Committee – Jerry Beiter

Neighborhood Watch – Chuck Foster

Book Club – Barbara Khan

Thanks to Our Volunteers

Lakeport Governance/Management

Helpful Information

Reminders 

Home Maintenance Checklist for Summer/Fall

From the Editor/President

By Stephen Sapp

As I write this article for the summer issue of Ripples, it is feeling more like fall than summer! We have been blessed lately with a number of days of magnificent weather that have felt more like October than late August/early September. I hope you have been able to take advantage of them by getting outside and enjoying the natural beauty that makes Lakeport such a wonderful community in which to live. Too often it seems we take for granted the many blessings we ought to recognize as gifts and be grateful for them!

The major item I want to highlight in this issue is our upcoming Annual Meeting, which will be held via Zoom on Thursday, September 25, at 7:00 p.m. This is an extremely important event for our community, providing you the opportunity to elect new members to the Board, hear updates on various aspects of Lakeport’s life together—including the current state of our finances—and ask the Board any questions you may have. You can read details about the meeting by clicking on the link to the Ripples article titled “Notice of Lakeport Cluster Homeowner Association Annual Meeting,” which will take you to the Annual Meeting website at

https://www.lakeportcluster.org/2025/07/annual-meeting-sep-25-2025.html. We will be sending you communications, including the Zoom link for the meeting, between now and the meeting to prepare you to participate and to remind you how to submit your proxy (please do so even if you plan to attend the meeting). If you have any questions about the meeting, don’t hesitate to email board@lakeportcluster.org.

Finally, I want to repeat two requests I make every issue:

• Please set up Direct Debit through our management company SCS for your quarterly assessment payments, the next of which is due October 1. The main advantage is that you never have to worry about being late and incurring late fees or paying the wrong amount by mistake, but you also save the hassle and expense of mailing a check (or being charged a fee by SCS for using a credit card online). Alternatively, you can set up quarterly payments through your bank’s electronic bill payment system (although you will need to change the amount sent if the assessment rate changes). I have heard from several people that they don’t want to use automated payments because they like to know exactly how much their bills are, but unlike electricity or water, for example, you already will know exactly how much your quarterly assessment will be: Rates are posted in the online “HOA Fee Payment: Charges for assessment, fees, administrative charges” in the Residents tab of the Lakeport website (under “HOA Fee Payment,” which has more information on options for paying your assessment). So please consider this time- and cost-saving way to pay your assessments (it will also mean Board members don’t have to send reminders to owners who haven’t paid so they don’t get charged a late fee).
• Also please check the Directory and add/update your information if necessary. If former residents are listed, email webmaster@lakeportcluster.org to request their names be removed. If you have renters, ask them to submit the form at https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfFILfWGBoWIgWlBPSQmIKj4kIX0kPA7XsRjnsaOsNXuvVSkw/viewform?dods&gxids=7628. 

Let us know what you think of this Summer issue of Ripples. If you want to submit an item for our Fall issue, please email me at ssapp@miami.edu. Photos of life in Lakeport are always welcome as well!

Social Committee

By Irene Nagley and Elizabeth Pan, Co-Chairs

Mark your calendar for two upcoming Lakeport social events:

• Lakeport’s Fall I Love Lakeport Dock Party will be held Saturday, September 27, at 5:30 p.m. An announcement will be coming out soon with a link to a sign-up sheet for the pot-luck dishes (appetizer, salad, side dish, dessert) to supplement the hamburgers and hot dogs that we traditionally supply. If you can provide a large lightweight folding table and/or folding chairs, please indicate that on the sign-up form as well. See photos of the spring Dock Party below.
• Lakeport’s Fall TGIF will be on Friday, October 24, at 7:00 p.m. It will be hosted by Martha and John Janowski, 1995 Lakeport Way. Announcements will be sent for that as well, but as you can see from the photos below, people enjoy the opportunity to spend time with neighbors they know and to meet new ones.

Thanks to Marcy and Chuck Foster for hosting our Summer TGIF. A good time was had by all, as you can see from these photos: 

Pictures from the Spring 2025 I Love Lakeport Dock Party:

Landscape Committee

By Mary Sapp, Chair 

Projects Planned and In Progress  

• Lakeport’s Fall cleanup, part of “I Love Lakeport Day” and now named “Beautify Lakeport Event,” will take place Saturday, September 27. We will meet at 9:00 a.m. in Triangle Park. If you can join your neighbors to improve the appearance of your community, please email msapp@miami.edu.
• We are in the process of identifying ways to prevent future storm water damage similar to that experienced at 1950 Lakeport Way as a result of the 4.5”-5” storm on July 12. Owner Joe Walter and Landscape Committee member John Janowski did a lot of work moving rocks (temporarily) and removing silt that had accumulated in the rock swale behind 1946 - 1950 Lakeport Way since it was built 20 years ago. Nearby owners Nick Ipiotis and Marilyn Bursch researched the history of the swale, and Joe verified that water from his downspout and catch basin flowed through one of the two pipes that are supposed to be under the swale. Joe videoed water flow in the July 12 deluge, and Mary Sapp videoed water flow in two other rainstorms and analyzed those videos plus myriad documents and photos relating to the history of problems with storm water in that area. Several neighbors attended the August Board meeting to share their input. The contractor who installed the rain garden and coir logs plus a soil scientist from the County made a site visit and submitted recommendations, and a meeting with another expert from the county has been requested. Arrangements have been made for new plants and grass seed to retain soil. Work continues. A series of recommended actions is being evaluated, and a committee is being formed to obtain proposals from contractors to rebuild the swale and to redirect water on the hill between11110 and 11112 Lakespray. 
• New plants will be installed at the south end of Lakespray Way to replace plants that have died there (after amending the soil so this doesn’t happen again). 
• Two Eastern redbuds will be planted on the outside of the fence to the left of the entrance to Lakeport in the spring (a better time to plant redbuds) as replacements for two white pines removed from the other side of that fence. 

Projects Completed 

• 
  Lakeport’s Spring Workday was very productive. Twenty residents showed up to cut down dead trees and branches, weed by the RA path going to the pool and in the rain garden, cut back bushes behind homes on the north side of Lakeport Way, remove invasive vines growing over azaleas, and trim dead branches from small shrubs around Lakeport. See photos below and the list of those who participated in the “Thanks to Volunteers” article.
• Additional plants were added to Triangle Park, including some warrantied shrubs replaced by Meadows Farms.

Please remember that owners and residents are not allowed to remove, add, or prune plants in common areas without the permission of Lakeport’s Landscape Committee, and we ask that you consult with us before paying to have branches overhanging your property trimmed/removed.  

Standards Committee: Lakeport Cluster Standards and Revised Reston Association Design Guidelines

By Jerry Beiter, Chair

Lakeport Cluster Standards provide owners with guidelines for repairing the exterior of their homes using current materials that can reduce costs and also maintain the uniform cluster look required by the Reston Association (RA). Lakeport Cluster Standards are available on the Lakeport website at https://www.lakeportcluster.org/p/cluster-standards.html, which can also be accessed via the Documents tab at the top of the Lakeport webpage.

If you are making a change that is not addressed in the Lakeport Cluster Standards, you must check the RA Cluster Property Guidelines. The RA Design Guidelines can be found in the Document Center on the Reston Association website at  https://www.reston.org/DocumentCenter/Index/105. Select “Cluster Guidelines” and then scroll to the guideline you want (note that you may need to go to another screen to find it). A number of changes require that you submit the RA Design Review Board (DRB) Application Form (also available on the RA website) for approval prior to starting the project.  

Recently, Reston Association has added a “General Overview” document to their website (https://www.reston.org/DocumentCenter/View/2610/General-Overview-PDF). This General Overview covers everything from the application process to the difference between Reston Design Guidelines and Cluster Standards. All of the information is pulled from Reston Association’s Governing Documents, which can be found separately on RA’s website at https://www.reston.org/218/Governing-Documents. 

Some of the RA Design Guidelines that have been updated for clusters include the following:

Mechanical Equipment – This guideline, previously titled Air Conditioners/Heat Pumps, has been revised to remove any ambiguity in the reference to “similar in size” by adding a measurable metric for replacement units that do not require an application, removing the guesswork for members. 

Gutters and Downspouts – There are three notable changes to this guideline:

• Previously, the guideline specified that redirected water flow should not “detrimentally impact” any adjacent property; that wording has been revised to “redirected water flow does not cross any adjacent property."
• No application is required for the installation of a dry well or rain garden.
• Downspout extensions no more than three feet in length are permitted so long as they are hidden with plant material or buried.

In addition, Water Management Regulations for the Commonwealth of Virginia and Fairfax County are now included for reference.

Landscaping (Tree Removal) – Several changes have been made to the removal guidelines for both dead and live trees. In particular, no application is required for removal of “any quantity of dead or dying trees (visible rot or fungus, signs of root or trunk damage, leaning or bare branches) that is not shown on a DRB approved landscaping plan. Documentation (photos, certified arborist statement, etc.) must be obtained, kept for your records, and presented to RA staff if requested.” 

Window Replacements/Additions – To help members expedite the replacement process, the guideline has been revised:

• Partial replacement of windows or patio doors that conform to the cluster standards no longer requires an application.
• Staff may review replacement windows and doors that match previously approved window/door replacements within the cluster.

Remember that before you do any work on the exterior of your home, you MUST consult the Lakeport Cluster Standards, and if relevant the RA Guidelines, and follow them. Links to Lakeport Standards, RA  Guidelines, the DRB application, a discussion of RA’s counterintuitive party-wall rules, and resources for landscaping and replacement trees (required by RA if you remove a tree) are all available in Section A at https://www.lakeportcluster.org/p/documents.html.

Neighborhood Watch

By Chuck Foster, Chair

The following article will give you information on what to do if you witness or are the victim of crime. Hopefully, it will increase your confidence in taking steps that will assist the police and protect the people and property in our community.

Only a witness or victim of a crime may initiate a meeting with the police to make a report. Thus we need a number of residents who are willing and able to take the responsibility to report crime directly to the police.

WHAT ACTION CAN I TAKE?                            

If you choose to summon the police, you have the option of being (1) an anonymous informant or (2) a disclosed witness or victim providing evidence. The non-emergency number for the Fairfax County Police Department is 703-691-2131. If you make an anonymous report, the police will arrive and look for the described activity. If the perpetrators are gone, the police officer will close the event as “GOA,” which means the perpetrators were “gone upon arrival.” No further action will be taken. 

If you agree to meet with the responding officer, he/she will generate a case number and write a report. This memorializes the event and the case can be amended over time due to further calls for service and/or investigative findings. In addition to the existence of a police report, any time the police visit a given address multiple times, a history of prior calls for service is available in the police officer’s in-car computer. 

HOW DO I REPORT A CRIME IF I AM A WITNESS OR VICTIM?

Reporting a crime is not productive if you are a poor witness or if you delay your call to the police. What is needed is an immediate call to the police and the following information:

WHO – WHAT – WHERE – WHERE TO – WHEN

WHO – A detailed description of the perpetrator(s) is necessary. Photos or video are ideal, but if they are unavailable, carefully observe each person, starting at the top of the head and working down: (1) hat, (2) hair color/length, (3) facial features, (4) shirt or jacket color, style, and pattern, (5) pants color, pattern, and style, (6) shoes, (7) height and (8) weight. If you overhear a name, note it. Because our memories can be fleeting, write down what you saw as soon as possible.     

WHAT – What did you observe that motivated you to call the police? What specific activity did you see occur? Provide a detailed description. Write down what you saw while it is fresh in your mind.

WHERE – Precisely where did the event occur?

WHERE TO – What was the direction of travel of the perpetrators when they left the area? Did they walk, run, ride a bike, get on a bus, or get into a car? If a car, be prepared to describe the vehicle and note the license plate number.

WHEN – Precisely when did the event occur?

HOW DO I REPORT A PROPERTY CRIME THAT I DID NOT WITNESS?

If you discover evidence that your car or your home has been broken into or vandalized, the best way you can help the police is to (1) call right away and (2) not touch anything. Vital evidence, such as fingerprints or boot prints, can be useless if the scene is tampered with. Don’t tidy up! For example, if you find your car door open, don’t close it. 

The police will ask you a number of questions, and the accuracy of your responses is very important. It is helpful to write down your impressions of what, where, and when prior to the police arriving. This will mitigate memory loss. 

Besides looking for identifying biometrics, police will analyze the modus operandi of the perpetrator. Do the method, timing, tools, and types of stolen articles match other crimes in the area? Very often, criminals use the same methods over and over again if they are achieving success. If your effective cooperation assists the police in solving a series of crimes in the area, you may benefit multiple victims of the same criminal.

In summary, by getting the police involved, you create the opportunity to achieve justice for yourself and past victims (e.g., recover valuables) and take a criminal off the street who would have victimized others in the future.

Book Club

By Barbara Khan, Coordinator

Want to join some of your neighbors and talk about a good book? Lakeport has an informal book club that is always open to new members. We meet monthly on the third Monday from 5:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m., rotating among members’ homes.

What has the Lakeport Book Club been reading recently?

• My Friends, by Fredrik Backman 
• News of the World, by Paulette Jiles
• The Frozen River, by Ariel Lawhon  
• Becoming Madame Secretary, by Stephanie Drey

If these books interest you and you want to join the Book Club, or if you have questions or book recommendations, contact Barbara Khan at bskhan@att.net.

Thanks to Our Volunteers

Please be sure to thank your neighbors who volunteer their time and energy to make Lakeport a better place for all of us to live while also saving the HOA considerable money. If you want to volunteer, let the Board or a committee chair know—it’s a great way to meet your neighbors and contribute to your community.

Landscape

• Mary Sapp (chair), Kristen Bobik, Steven Browning, John Janowski, Marjorie Myers, Don Nagley, Elizabeth Pan, and Rosemary Welch – serving on the Landscape Committee

Spring Work Day 

• 
  Rich Shelton, Jeff and Heidi Warrington; David Michaelson and Diego; Wally Dicks – removing dead trees and limbs
• Rosemary Welch and Andy Nagley – planting new plants in Triangle Park and pulling vines on azaleas by 1963 Lakeport Way
• Stephen Sapp, Karen Knight, Thomas Barnett, Joy Myers, Kristen Bobik, Barbara Clifford – weeding RA path
• John Janowski, Kevin Burke, Robin Kolko – cleaning and clipping behind 1924-1942 Lakeport
• Elizabeth Pan and Sandy Laeser – trimming hollies by Safeway access road, hydrangeas behind 1925 Lakeport, and entrance yuccas
• Don Nagley – rehabbing and cleaning Little Free Library
• Terrill Evon - sweeping the dock and cleaning mailboxes

Other Landscaping

• Elizabeth Pan – trimming yuccas and shrubs
• Steven Browning – watering plants on Lakespray Way
• Mary and Stephen Sapp and Barb Clifford – watering plants at entrance (Bobby Chan and Michelle Zeng – supplying water)
• Rosemary Welch and Robin Kolko – watering plants in Triangle Park
• Marilyn Bursch – watering plants next to rain garden
• Kevin Dandy – watering plants between 1930 and 1932 Lakeport
• Elena Simonenko – watering trees in wooded area between Lakeport and Lakespray homes

Social

• Irene Nagley and Elizabeth Pan – co-chairing Social Committee 
• Marcy and Chuck Foster – hosting the summer TGIF
• Carol Leos – welcoming new residents

Maintenance

• David Michaelson – chairing the Maintenance Committee 
• Joe Walters and John Janowski – cleaning accumulated dirt in rock swale behind 1946-1950 Lakeport Way
• Steven Browning and Mary Sapp – researching options for stormwater mitigation
• Marilyn Bursch and Nick Ipiotis – researching information about the rock swale behind 1946-1948 Lakeport Way
• Bonnie and Mary Coogan – sweeping goose droppings from the community dock and Jonathan Hammer for paying them
• Jenny and Randy McClintock – washing off the community dock 

Standards

• Jerry Beiter – chairing the Standards Committee

Other 

• Chuck Foster – chairing Neighborhood Watch 
• Barbara Khan – coordinating the Lakeport Book Club 
• Tom Barnett – maintaining Lakeport’s online directory and listserv for announcements and posting Ripples
• Stephen Sapp – editing Ripples

Lakeport Governance/Management

     

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Stephen Sapp - President
Rich Kolko - Vice President

Jerry Beiter - Vice President

Andy Nagley – Secretary 

Tod Vollrath - Treasurer

Contact the Board via email:  Board@lakeportcluster.org

What Residents and Board Can Expect

• Board's Goals

• Directors' Task List

• Code of Ethics

• Rights and Responsibilities of Owners and Boards

 

COMMITTEE CHAIRS

Architectural Standards Committee - Jerry Beiter

• Standards Committee Charter

Landscape Committee – Mary Sapp

• Landscape Charter

Maintenance Committee – David Michaelson

• Maintenance Charter

Neighborhood Watch Committee – Chuck Foster

• Neighborhood Watch Charter

Social Committee – Irene Nagley and Elizabeth Pan

• Social Committee Charter

 

OTHER VOLUNTEERS

Webmaster and Listserv Administrator – Tom Barnett

Editor for Ripples, community newsletter – Stephen Sapp

Book Club Coordinator – Barbara Khan

Fill doggie-bag stations – Kevin Burke and Steven Browning

Keep community dock clean – Jenny and Randy McClintock

SELECT COMMUNITY SERVICES

Portfolio Manager: Alexandra "Ali" Long

Email: along@scs-management.com     

Direct: (703) 230-8725

Fax: (703) 266-2804

PO Box 221350

Chantilly, VA  20153  

Hours: Monday-Thursday 9:00 a.m.-5:00 p.mm, Friday 9:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m.
Website: https://app.townsq.io/login 

 

RESTON ASSOCIATION 

Danielle Myers

Covenants Advisor

phone: (703) 435-6559

dwilliams@reston.org

https://www.reston.org/

Reminders for Lakeport Owners and Residents

Maintenance of the Exterior of Your Home: If you are contemplating maintenance involving possible changes to the exterior of your home, be sure to check Lakeport Cluster Standards. If a relevant Lakeport standard doesn’t exist, you need to follow the appropriate Reston Association (RA) Guideline. Links to Lakeport and RA architectural requirements, the DRB application, discussion of RA’s counterintuitive party-wall rules, and resources for landscaping and replacement trees (required by RA if you remove a tree) are all available in Section A of Documents on the Lakeport website at https://www.lakeportcluster.org/p/documents.html.

Contractors: Please ensure that your contractors do not leave building materials (especially nails that may puncture tires) on your driveway or on the nearby street, both during and after their work. Also make sure they do not dispose of building material or clean their paint brushes on common property.

Maintenance Resources: Be sure to review the Home Maintenance Checklist in this issue for smaller maintenance projects that could save you major expenses and headaches in the future. And remember that RA has arranged with Sherwin-Williams for a discount of 30% to 40% off paints and stains (exterior and interior) and 15% off paint supplies at Sherwin-Williams store #3385, located at 495A Elden Street in Herndon (703-471-1484). If you want to take advantage of the discount, the code is 2214-8496-7. Washington Consumer Checkbook is an online publication (www.checkbook.org) that offers a huge user-friendly database of reviews of many types of local service providers, along with high-quality advice about how to approach selecting and working with them.

You Must Replace Any Tree You Remove: If you plan to remove a live tree on your property, you need approval from Reston Association. Furthermore, if you will remove or have recently removed a tree (dead or alive), RA requires that you replace it with another tree, preferably a native. See https://www.reston.org/DocumentCenter/View/915/Trees-in-Reston-PDF?bidId=.    

Party Walls: Although sometimes counterintuitive, the RA Deeds make the repair of any architectural element that falls on the property line between two houses (e.g., wall, trim, fence) a joint responsibility. If you aren’t sure whose responsibility it is to pay for the repair or replacement of a shared wall or trim, please see https://drive.google.com/file/d/0BxSpjzCTaI6Jd0xnbEZEcEhLT3NiWjRKODNlZDBtTWdRdTBJ/view for information relating to party walls.

Drive Slowly: Even though school has started again, neighborhood children are outside, playing on sidewalks and in the streets. Please remember to drive slowly and keep your eyes out for children (and other pedestrians), who are not always thinking first and foremost about their own safety.

Lock Your Cars: If you park your car outside, be sure to lock it, and do not leave valuables visible, especially at night. Also remind guests to do the same. 

Report Suspicious Activity: If you see suspicious activity, don’t confront anybody but instead call the Fairfax County Police non-emergency number, 703-691-2131 (use this number also to report vandalism or any other crime that has already occurred). The police request that even if you just have a “gut feeling” something is wrong, please notify them with as many details as possible. It is helpful if you can also take photos unobtrusively. Police will be dispatched (or you may be able to provide a report over the phone). Also notify Lakeport’s Neighborhood Watch coordinator Chuck Foster at chuckfost@aol.com.   Please pay special attention to suspicious activity or sounds near the Lakeport dock, in the woods, or at night. For more information, see the “Neighborhood Watch” article in this issue of Ripples.

Visitors: If you have visitors whose car will be parked in common space for more than one night, put a note on the dashboard with your name and address and the dates the vehicle will be parked in Lakeport so the car is not towed.

Glass Recycling: Please remember that glass is not included as part of regular weekly recycling pickup. Therefore, do NOT put glass of any kind in your recycling bin! Lakeport residents have two options to recycle our glass:

1. Free glass recycling is available at Fairfax County Purple Bins: https://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/publicworks/recycling-trash/glass. The closest locations to Lakeport are at Reston South Park & Ride and at Baron Cameron Park (Wiehle & Baron Cameron). 

 2. A company called Glass Goat Recycling offers glass recycling with pickup for a fee. See Bi-Weekly Glass Pickup for details

Composting: If you are tired of smelly trash cans and want to reduce the amount of garbage you send to the dump, consider signing up for the compost pickup service offered by Veteran Compost DC–From Combat to Compost, which will turn your food scraps into high-quality compost. The company provides a bin, which has a sealing mechanism that is very effective at trapping odors inside and is picked up and replaced once a week with a clean bin (currently very early on Thursdays). The discounted group rate for residents of Lakeport is $28 per month. For more information, see https://veterancompostindc.com/ or call (202) 556-3806.

Help Keep Our Community Clean and Beautiful: Please contribute to the appearance of our community by picking up trash anywhere you see it while you’re out walking and enjoying nature in Lakeport (and elsewhere).

Geese: We continue to experience problems with goose droppings on our dock and grassy common areas, though reduced from earlier. We are paying Complete Landscaping to apply FlightControl, which appears to be effective in deterring (but not harming) the geese that eat the grass next to the dock. Please do not feed the geese (not only does this attract them, it’s not healthy for them), but do feel free to shoo them off the dock (just be sure not to harm them or allow them to attack you—we just want to make their time on our dock unpleasant enough that they will choose to hang out somewhere else!). It would be appreciated if you could help sweep the dock (there are brooms behind 1939 Lakeport Way that you are encouraged to use). 

Never Again Be Late Paying Your Quarterly Assessment: If you’ve been contacted by the Board for not paying your assessment as the end of the quarter nears (or even if you haven’t), please consider paying your quarterly assessments by direct debit through your bank instead of mailing a check or paying on TownSq (which incurs an extra fee). Using direct debit means that you never have to worry about incurring late fees because you forgot to make the payment ($35 in 2025, plus the $25 administrative charge from SCS for sending the letter). Alternatively, you can pay the entire assessment at the beginning of the year. Either approach means the Board does not have to spend time contacting you or to pay SCS for mailing quarterly statements to owners who have not set up direct debit or prepaid. A third option for avoiding late fees (but you’ll still get a quarterly statement, which costs Lakeport money) is to use your bank’s electronic bill-pay option to set up recurring checks. For information about any of these three options and for mailing checks, go to https://www.lakeportcluster.org/p/hoa-fee-payments-lakeport-cluster-hoa.html. 

Update Your Contact Information: Please go to the Lakeport Directory https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Dd35xTaOFcRAm758jlDi67JygUpJtgiJ/view  (PW=lakespray) and check the contact information listed there for your address. If a correction is needed (including removing the name of a former resident), either 1) send an email to webmaster@lakeportcluster.org and copy along@scs-management.com or 2) fill out the form at https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfFILfWGBoWIgWlBPSQmIKj4kIX0kPA7XsRjnsaOsNXuvVSkw/viewform. If your home has renters, have them fill out the form so they will be listed in the directory. Remember also that if you need to contact a neighbor or just remember someone’s name you have forgotten, you can always check this directory.

Home Maintenance Checklist for Summer/Fall

Important note: If you are addressing issues with the exterior of your home, please consult the Lakeport Design Standards and remember that you may have to seek approval from Reston Association’s Design Review Board.



Outdoor Checklist

• The continuing heat of summer means that the plants in our yards come under greater stress, especially during periods of no or little rain. To maintain the appearance of your yard (not to mention to save yourself the expense of replacement), please remember to water your plants when needed. Helpful information can be found at https://www.meadowsfarms.com/blog/tips-on-watering-your-plants/. 
• 
  Although Lakeport’s landscaping contractor takes care of common areas, our own driveways, yards, and other areas are our responsibility. Residents should not dump what they collect into the wooded common areas or on the street. Instead, they should dispose of leaves and other debris from yards, patios, driveways, decks, and entranceways (e.g., fallen and pruned branches, dead outdoor potted annuals) by placing them in large compostable paper yard-waste bags available at home improvement stores and Costco. Pickup for yard waste is Thursdays.
• Gutters, particularly those that are beneath a tree, may experience two problems: In the fall especially, the gutters easily become clogged, and/or any time of year, the spikes that attach them to the house may be pulling away. Even if you don’t have a tree nearby and even if you have something like a Gutter Helmet or a strainer screen over them, gutters can still fill up with cinders washed down from your shingles over time. When a gutter is not working properly, you’ll often see staining on the vertical wall below the gutter. Fixing the first problem is easy – have your gutters cleaned. Gutters that are not slanted properly toward the downspout can put a lot of weight on the gutter, leading to the second problem. If you see gutter spikes coming loose, you can just drive them back in, which may hold for a while. However, there’s a better, longer-term, yet inexpensive solution. Home Depot sells long gutter screws that can replace failing gutter spikes. They go through a ferrule (a sleeve that keeps the screw from compressing the gutter itself) and screw into the wood behind the gutter. These are far more secure in the long run.
• Fire-retardant plywood roof sheathing must be replaced if the material degrades due to high attic temperatures, which can cause it to fail to retard the spread of fire.

Indoor Checklist


• 
  Be sure to replace or clean your HVAC filter regularly.
• Periodically remove screens and tighten the four Phillips screws for casement windows shown in the photo. This keeps windows operating well, especially if they don’t seem to close all the way from time to time.