Page 16 - CooperatorNews March 2022

16 COOPERATORNEWS —
MARCH 2022
COOPERATORNEWS.COM
PROPERTY MANAGEMENT
AND GREAT PLANNING
FOR OVER 30 YEARS
MARBROSE REALTY INC.
Our property management fi rm is here to help you
and your business. From operations, accounting and
compliance to planning for your capital improvements,
we are here to help achieve your goals.
BUILDING SERVICES | ACCOUNTING
COMPLIANCE | PLANNING
Call now to fi nd out how:
212-769-3706
43 West 75th Street, Suite C | New York, NY, 10023
WWW.MARBROSE.COM
Cesarano & Khan, PC
Certified Public Accountants
PROVIDING PROFESSIONAL SERVICES TO
THE COOPERATIVE AND CONDOMINIUM COMMUNITY
Reporting on Financial Statements • Tax Services
Budgeting & Consulting • Election Tabulation Services
For additional information, contact
Carl M. Cesarano, CPA
199 JERICHO TURNPIKE, SUITE 400 • FLORAL PARK, NY 11001
(516) 437-8200
and
718-478-7400 • info@ck-cpas.com
cesarano &khan1_8 use this_:cesarano &khan 4 7/22/15 4:59 PM Page 1
because at some point, you arrive at
ONE
POINT
One Point Brokerage is an independent insurance brokerage offering a
comprehensive suite of risk transfer and insurance solutons to New York
Cooperatves, Condominiums, and Real Estate owners since 1965.
450 Park Avenue South, 8th Floor • New York, NY 10016
Todd M. Ross • tmr@onepointib.com •212.696.0101 • www.onepointib.com
are more evident with window systems than
with façades.
Acid rain is another climate change prob-
lem, points out Noblin, particularly on the
East Coast. It can damage materials, especially
if it’s the result of coal-burning power plants.
It combines with rain and storms, and it has a
deteriorating effect on metal, stone, and paint-
ed wooden surfaces.
Windows & Roofs
“Windows need a lot of maintenance,” says
Gaynor. “Glass can become pitted, and the
units don’t open and close as well over time.
Aluminum ages, and glass ages—especially if
it’s near or facing water with high salt content.”
He notes that window replacement is usually
a building-wide project, and rarely done by
individual owners, even when moving into a
unit. There are many reasons for this, includ-
ing economies of scale in purchasing new
window units and the scale of labor needed
for the job.
Roofs, obviously, are also subject to the
harshness of outdoor exposure. Particularly
in the Northeast, asphalt roofing is very com-
mon. In New England, it was the preferred
roofing material in the 1980s, when many
HOA communities were built. These shingles,
made from petroleum byproduct, dry out
over time, causing warping, cracking, and
shrinkage that will eventually require repair
and/or replacement. That process can be both
difficult and expensive.
Until recently, the useful life of shingles—
and by extension, the roofs on which they’re
installed—was typically 20 to 30 years. How-
ever, these days, technology has once again
come to the rescue with a new product that
can lengthen the life of an asphalt tile roof.
“Today we find that roofs are failing prema-
turely in many parts of the country,” says Da-
vid Levy, a Massachusetts-based franchisee of
Roof Maxx, a proprietary product and process
that can be applied to existing roofs to defend
them from further damage and extend their
life. “Part of the reason for this failure is cli-
mate change,” Levy adds. “We now see roofs
requiring replacement in as little as 15 years.”
This reduced durability is attributable in
part to a change in the way that shingles are
made. Today, shingle manufacturers put less
liquid asphalt in their shingles than in years
past, and instead add limestone. With less lu-
bricant in their composition, the shingles are
deteriorating faster and just don’t last as long.
According to Levy, Roof Maxx is “kind of like
a cross between a sunscreen and a version of
Oil of Olay for your roof. It’s sprayed on to lit-
erally rejuvenate your roof by putting back the
suppleness roof tiles require.” Levy adds that
the product is made from soybeans and is also
environmentally friendly.
Preparing the Community
To say the least, any or all of these projects
can affect the daily life of any community. It’s
critical that the board and management pre-
pare residents for what’s ahead, be it a long or
MAINTAINING...
continued from page 15
but they will encourage fungal growth in
the soil, leading to diseased grass, trees,
and landscape plants.” This also leads
to increased cleaning and maintenance
costs, not to mention the costs to repair
and replace corroded or otherwise dam-
aged mechanisms and structures.
Flipping the Bird
Assured Environments says there are
three main options for getting rid of un-
wanted birds from a multifamily com-
munity, or anywhere they might pose a
problem: exclusion, perch removal, and
behavioral adjustment.
Exclusion usually takes the form of
netting, and is often recommended be-
cause it prevents birds from accessing
potential roosting spaces in the first
place. For a residential building or com-
munity, the upside is that this solution is
relatively inexpensive, permanent, and
humane—it doesn’t hurt the birds; it just
makes the property less appealing as a
nesting or roosting spot. But depending
on how visible the netting is on the prop-
erty, it might be an eyesore.
Perch removal products, including de-
vices such as spikes, traps, or wires, pre-
vent birds from landing on a building or
other structural component. This might
be a good solution for a limited area like
a railing or an awning, but might not be
practical in every nook and cranny of a
building or property.
Behavioral adjustment approaches
train birds not to land somewhere using
deterrents like cutouts of fake predators
(including owls or cats) and low-voltage
electric shocks. While the idea of shock-
ing birds may sound harsh, “Proper be-
havioral adjustment equipment won’t
seriously hurt birds,” says Assured Envi-
ronments, “but it will train them to avoid
the area.” This method might not sit well
with animal welfare advocates, but the
low profile of the equipment makes it
attractive for a community focused on
BIRDS...
continued from page 10
short job, critical repair work, or simply a nec-
essary precaution.
No matter the scale or urgency, “good
communication is the key,” says Noblin. “Up
to two years in advance of starting any major
project, residents should be alerted and edu-
cated, so they understand what is happening
and what will happen.”
In the end, proper maintenance and an eye
toward long-term planning are the best way
for boards and communities to ensure that
they are not faced with catastrophic condi-
tions with regard to the envelope that holds
their community. Better safe than sorry, al-
ways.
n
A.J. Sidransky is a staff writer/reporter with
CooperatorNews, and a published novelist. He
can be reached at alan@yrinc.com.