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How Do You Know If Your Elevator is Safe?
Co-op boards are more likely to repair a leaking roof or paint the lobby than tackle an elevator that needs to be Read More
Capital Improvement Projects
It doesn't matter what type of building you live in or where it is located, eventually it will need some capital improvements. Read More
Security Do's & Don'ts
Following is a list of security do's and don'ts for both doorman and non-doorman buildings. Of course the first Read More
Reducing Water Costs
Management experts and others in the real estate industry are always cautioning their co-op Read More
Garbage Disposers
For most visitors to New York City, it is a mystery as to why garbage disposers (the popular term disposal Read More
Helping Conserve Energy
Many co-op and condo boards have realized that energy conservation is not only an issue of Read More
Heat Sensor Technology
It's the dead of winter. Outside the temperature is below freezing. Your building is sending up heat, and you've got Read More
Hidden Dangers:
A little over a year ago tennis star Vitas Gerulitas went to bed in a friend's pool house on Long Island and Read More
'Home Safe Home'
Every 11 seconds a burglary is committed in the United States, according to the Department of Justice's Read More
Regulating Boiler Repairs
You probably don't think about your building's boiler very often. As long as it provides heat and Read More
A Unique Source of Funding
In 1988 Mayor Ed Koch announced a new program that would give homeowners and multiple-dwelling buildings ten Read More
Getting the Lead Out
What do you know about lead-based paint? Perhaps you know that it's a toxin that's espe- Read More
Water Pressure in High Rises
What comes to mind when you think of water pressure? For most people these words Read More
Sidewalk Shed Safety
You are walking along the sidewalk and, as happens so frequently in New York, you approach a portion that Read More
Clean Chutes and Ducts
Michael Radomsky, on-site manager of a 16-unit prewar cooperative on Park Avenue, was Read More
Revolutionary Laundry Rooms
Forget the dark, dingy room with uncomfortable chairs and crummy machines. Never mind running down Read More
Y2K Seminar: Preparing Your Building For The Millennium
When the clock strikes 12 on January 1 of next year, what will happen? Many warn of impending chaos as microchips failing to recognize the date bring us back to the beginning of the century. If you're overwhelmed by Y2K gloom and doom, it might not be a good idea to close your eyes and ears to the frenzy just yet. It is essential for co-op and condo board members to plan and implement programs to ensure Y2K compliance for all building systems. Read More
Who is Responsible?
Imagine this. Your contractor has finally completed the renovations to your bathroom - taking three months rather than the three weeks he promised. The wallpaper, special order wall and flooring tile match perfectly, and although you exceeded your budget, you are very pleased with the results. You leave for a trip and upon returning to your building, you are told by your doorman about the "big flood" in your apartment and how lucky you are to have been away. Filled with anxiety, you rush to your apartment and look in horror at your bathroom. The flood is gone and, essentially, so is your wallpaper and tiling which have been destroyed during the repair of the pipes in the wall. You call the managing agent of the building to ascertain what happened and to confirm that the building will completely restore your formerly beautiful bathroom. You are told it will not. You then call your insurance agent to notify him or her of the damage and to file a claim. Finally, you call your travel agent to book the next flight out of town to avoid dealing with the problem. Read More
Cover Story: Where Does All the Garbage Go?
There was a time not long ago when New Yorkers could throw just about anything away and not give it a second thought. But in the late 1980s, the federal government enacted strong environmental legislation, including the closure of many landfills because they didn't comply with federal standards. These occurrences, combined with New York City's ban on incinerators in residential buildings, set the stage for Mayor Koch to sign Local Law 19 of 1989. This ushered in the Age of Recycling for residential buildings, changing forever how we dispose of our trash. Read More
Your Building's Superintendent
If you had to name the single most valuable individual to your co-op or condo, who would it be? Certainly, your board president, managing agent, corporate counsel and accountant are key players. But boards and residents should never underestimate the importance of a competent, conscientious superintendent. The condition of your building's mechanical systems, how well maintained its public areas are and even aspects of its financial condition can all be traced to how well your superintendent performs. Knowing how to gauge your super's performance and how to improve it for the future will go a long way toward making your property the best it can be. Read More
Prioritizing Projects to Avoid Trouble Later
With the economy still in the weeds and building administrators looking for
creative ways to save money and build up their bottom line, it’s no surprise to hear that co-ops and condos are taking a hard look at their
maintenance and building improvement wish lists and making some tough
decisions. They’re reassessing which projects they can afford to undertake and which ones they
need to put off until later.
Read More
Positive Impacts of Local Law 11
There’s more than enough to worry about living in a major American city without having
to worry about being conked on the head by falling debris. That’s the kind of urban hazard Local Law 11 was created to address, requiring all
buildings more than six stories in height—including co-ops, condos, hospitals, and commercial buildings—to conduct regular inspections of their exterior facades.
Read More
Intelligent Buildings Technology
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 lighting (among other) systems, through a computerized network of electronic devices. Maintenance, communications, security, and other residential building functions are now being handled by these new systems, whose upgraded operations are helping building personnel do their jobs more effectively. Read More
Urban Landscaping Tips from the Pros
You've got to hand it to city plants. They squeeze themselves into the tightest of spaces, and each day they battle pollution and smog, get stepped on (or worse, thanks to the city's dog owners) more times than they'd like to count. In short, they're a lot like us—and like us, they need a certain amount of care and tending in order to thrive in the concrete jungle. Read More
Restoring Buildings After Emergencies
Apartment buildings, whether cooperatives or condos, are inherently fragile. When that many units share the same plot of land, and the same walls, the same floors, the same elevators and stairways, standpipes and boilers, lobbies and roofs, disasters—whether broken water pipes or the tragic in the case of decomposing bodies, fatal fires or building explosions—have the potential to spread quickly. Thus, when something nasty befalls a building, the first order of business is to contain the problem. Read More
Good Light and No Sounds
Few things matter more to a co-op or condo owner than living in a place with good light and a good view. That's why windows serve as one of the biggest selling points and most important physical aspects of a building. The right windows can give a building panache and style and, most of all, the light and look that today's homeowners crave. Read More
Life Spans of Building Systems
Even when living in a multi-family building, individual residents must handle
some of the same responsibilities as those of a single-family homeowner. While
board members will be more involved than other residents in helping to ensure
proper maintenance of their community’s infrastructure, every resident of a co-op or condo community shares partial
ownership of the community’s common property—and that should translate into awareness of the community’s common needs.
Read More
Running a Water-tight Ship
Residential buildings are constantly under attack—not by barbarians or marauding bandits, but by a force far more subtle and
insidious. The most tenacious enemy of a residential building is not fire or
structural collapse—though a building obviously should be protected from such catastrophes. It’s water. Left unchecked, simple moisture can quietly infiltrate your building
envelope and wreak havoc throughout.
Read More
If It Ain't Broke Don't Fix It
As technology leaps forward, countless pieces of formerly indispensable equipment become obsolete, outdated, and replaced. In light of these technological advances, it’s interesting to think of the things that have not changed—inventions that function the same way today as they did when they were first introduced, having warded off replacement by newer, shinier incarnations. The short-list of timeless classics would have to include the Hula-Hoop, the Slinky…and the roof tank? Yes, the rooftop water tanks that dot the New York City skyline. Read More
Good Oversight Means Better Results
Being a co-op or condo owner often means
multi-tasking—especially if you happen to serve on your
building's board. To keep your home in good repair and to comply with
Local Law 11 and other city building codes governing façade repair
and maintenance, it will eventually become necessary to hire professional
contractors to perform exterior maintenance and/or repair work. Read More
Duct and Air System Upkeep
It creeps in silently and is everywhere at once. It is totally invisible to the naked eye, but often carries potentially dangerous materials. It can cause sickness and discomfort without ever being detected. What on earth could it be? Read More
Domestic Terrorists
New York City and its surrounding boroughs have always been known for its robust population of vermin—rats and cockroaches have been part and parcel of city life ever since the Dutch settled here and founded New Amsterdam. While roach and rat populations have been largely controlled in the last few decades thanks to advances in insecticides, poison baits, and traps, another, perhaps even ickier pest critter has risen to take headlines and haunt city dwellers: the bed bug. According to the National Pest Management Association, complaints of bed bug infestation increased by 71 percent between 2000 and 2005, and the city's exterminators are reporting record numbers of calls about the problem. Read More
Swinging Off of Skyscrapers
Every time a co-op or condo building needs exterior work—an occurrence more regular now than a quarter century ago—a group of highly-trained, highly-specialized, and extremely brave professionals arrive to carry out the project. They set up scaffolding, lower swinging platforms, use heavy, often dangerous, equipment and supplies with the goal of providing a façade facelift or complete overhaul. Read More
Working with the New Building Codes
If you’re part of a co-op and condo community, you’ve definitely had to deal with the New York City’s Building Codes. They’re a complex set of regulations, documents, amendments, local laws and more,
regulating all sorts of things, from boiler maintenance to elevators to
exterior walls. Read More
