Maintenance Guidelines

Property ownership includes the responsibility for maintenance of all structures and grounds that are a part of the property. This includes, but is not limited to, items such as mowing grass, removal of trash and structural maintenance. Maintenance affects the visual character and economic values of the property and neighborhood and may include safety.

Consideration must be given to long term weathering effects such as mildew, mold, rot, and warping. The deck should be properly maintained by cleaning and applying colorless sealant, repaired, or replaced on an “as needed” basis.

• Asphalt driveways and pipe stems fail for a number of reasons, but the main causes are: oxidation by the sun and water erosion and raveling.

• Sunlight evaporates the oils and binders in the mix, drying out the pavement (causing it to turn a gray color).  Hairline cracks start to develop allowing water to seep in and further erode the surface.  This is when seal coating and crack filling should be done to maintain the asphalt.

• Raveling, which is an ongoing separation of the aggregate particles from the pavement surface, could also occur.  Seal coating should be performed to remedy this problem before excessive raveling occurs.

• If left unchecked, the cracks and raveling will worsen until water starts to erode the base material and eventually starts to cause potholes and grade depressions.  If this level of deterioration has occurred, then replacement of the affected areas on the driveway or pipe stem will need to be corrected by the homeowner(s).

Consideration must be given to long term weathering effects such as mold, mildew, rot, and warping. The fence should be properly maintained by cleaning and applying colorless sealant, repaired, or replaced on an “as needed” basis.  Fences with either broken or missing parts or leaning off the property line must be repaired and aligned.  Repairs must match existing fence style and color.

All gardens must be neatly maintained throughout the growing season; this includes removal of all unused stakes, trellises, and dead growth.

Homeowners are responsible for maintaining the exterior of houses and any other structures on their lots. The following represents some of the conditions that are considered a violation: 

• Peeling paint and exposed wood on any exterior area of the house.

• Broken or missing shutters, broken windows, missing or ripped/torn screens.

• Dented mailboxes or mailboxes and/or posts in need of repainting or repair.

• Playground equipment that is rusted, broken, or in need of repainting.

• Fences with either broken, warped or missing parts and pickets or that is leaning off the property line or have excessive mold or mildew or fungus, etc.

• Sheds and garages with broken doors or in need of painting or repair.

• Decks in need of repair or re-staining.

• Concrete or masonry block foundations and/or party walls in need of repair or repainting.

• Rusting or corroding metal railings rust stains on steps and landings.

• Missing or damaged gutters, downspouts, shutters, railings, etc.

• Mismatched paint colors (e.g., shutters that are 2 or more different colors).

• Plant beds, lawns, etc. that contain excessive weeds.

• Any exterior structure requiring maintenance or repair.

Lampposts are in place of streetlights and therefore must be maintained for safety reasons.    Non-working bulbs and light sensors must be replaced or repaired immediately.

All Ashburn Farm homeowners are responsible to maintain their entire lawn and landscape out to the curb, including utility and VDOT easements.  At times, some corner lots include an area that is considered common area by the Association and is maintained by our landscape service.  These areas are primarily along the major roadways – Ashburn Farm Parkway, Hay Road, and Claiborne Parkway.  Corner houses inside of the major roadways must maintain the entire property out to the curb.  

• Turf areas (lawn) need to be mowed at regular intervals, maintaining a maximum height of six (6) inches.

•  Edging and trimming around plant beds, sidewalks, foundations, decks, mailboxes, etc. must be maintained.

•  Vines and/or Ivy plants are to be maintained properly at ground level.

•  Landscaping is to be neatly maintained throughout the growing season.  This includes pruning, removal of dead growth and flowers, trellises when not in use, watering and weeding.  Lawns are to be kept as weed free as possible. 

• The plant beds must be kept in a neat and orderly manner, and free of weeds and grass.  Mulching plant beds helps to better define beds and reduce weeds.

•  Edging and trimming around plant beds, sidewalks, foundations, etc. help to maintain a uniform appearance throughout the landscape.  Planting along sidewalks cannot extend or protrude onto the sidewalk area.  Plants must be kept trimmed so they are even with the sidewalk.

Special care should be taken not to over-fertilize or to fertilize lawns and gardens when there is the least chance of run-off.

Inspection of shingles should be done on a regular basis. Shingles that are cracked should be replaced to match existing shingles.

Each resident is responsible for picking up litter on his/her property and preventing wind-blown debris originating from his/her property.

In order to facilitate movement of pedestrians and sight lines required for vehicular traffic, trees and shrubs that overhang sidewalks and common driveways (pipestems), obscure traffic signs, etc. must be pruned to keep these areas free from obstructions.   Tree branches overhanging sidewalks and walkways should be pruned to allow 96” (inches) or 8’ (feet) of clearance in height from the ground level. 

All sheds must be cleaned and maintained as needed.

See the Loudoun County Ordinance for removal of snow and ice (Chapter 1022) – 1022.01. You can access the Codified Ordinances from the Loudoun County Website at www.loudoun.gov.

Sand may be used as an abrasive when necessary, but the use of any rock salt or any other deicing salts, that are known to cause concrete deterioration, is prohibited.