The co-op we owned was a huge brick pre-war building. Three of its sides were either attached to other buildings or sealed off by high barbed-wire fencing. The only way into the building was the front door, and that meant going through …
Common areas are among the most heavily trafficked places in your building or community, so it’s no surprise that these areas are prone to a great deal of damage and wear-and-tear over time. But regular upkeep, scheduled maintenance and…
We’ve all heard the expression about the importance of “putting your best face forward.” It holds true for the building industry as well—though in that case, “putting your best façade forward” might be more accurate. All puns aside,…
Few things illustrate the fragility of modern civilization more clearly than plumbing problems. A broken pipe, a backed-up toilet, a flooded bathroom—any one of these can quickly go from annoyance to emergency, and the longer a plumbing…
Technological applications to residential building life are becoming more prevalent, and in some cases, they’ve even become more affordable than in the past. An “intelligent” building is able to monitor its environmental, mechanical, and…
Building owners are charged with the constant battle of keeping water out of the building envelope, but sometimes the water that causes stains, mold and decay comes from within the building envelope. Consideration to design, materials a…
Whether your HOA or condo development has a full-time maintenance staff, a few supers or maintenance people, or just occasional contractors, those workers are covered by federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration, or OSHA, gui…
Every home has its own foibles, its own creaks and sounds that we, as its inhabitants, know so well. We know that our ovens run a little hot or that our clothes washers need a little kick in the middle of the spin cycle to keep them going. …
The noise, the dust, the fumes, the mess, the constant influx of workers, unsightly equipment and vehicles, the service disruptions—everybody wants to live in a well-maintained building or development, but one thing many co-op and condo …
While the work of an association manager or superintendent is never truly done, there are certain times of the year that require specific attention to various details—and that often means more work. Winterizing a building and its surroundin…