Get Some Fresh Air

There are certain projects that are ideally started in the springtime, though the planning for them may begin well before then. Toward the top of the list, says Marilyn Sygrove, principal and president of Manhattan-based Sygrove Associates Design Group, is the replacement of entry doors. “If your entry doors haven’t been sealing properly when closed, they’re likely damaged,” she explains, “and that wastes valuable energy.  If the doors are damaged or in disrepair, or make the building look dated, you know it may be time for a change.” 

Clearly, the cold months aren’t the optimal time to undertake this upgrade. Snow and freezing wind would be whipping through your lobby, and your new doors would be subjected to ice and salty slush before they’d been in place for even a few weeks. Spring is the first opportunity for a break in cold temperatures, and a much more comfortable time for building staff and residents to go doorless.

“The milder weather of spring is the ideal time to replace doors so lobbies don’t get cold and miserable,” says Sygrove. ”Your door staff will appreciate it, as well as anyone waiting in the lobby or vestibule for a school bus or a car service.” 

If it’s time for a door replacement, Sygrove recommends that boards and managers start planning six months out, “say December or January, so that aesthetics can be resolved and fabrication time is factored in for a spring delivery and installation.”

Planning for Bigger Projects

While your doors are getting their glow-up, spring is also a good time to plan and prepare for more extensive lobby and hallway renovations to be completed during the summer months. Sygrove points out that many communities prefer to do more involved or potentially disruptive interior capital projects during the summer when many residents are away.

For a major lobby remodel, for example, Sygrove outlines the steps as follows: “Start by preparing a preliminary design scheme,” she says. Working with their hired design professional, and potentially an in-house committee, “The board should then finalize one design. Management can then prepare bid documents, and the board and management will then hold a series of meetings to review the bids. They may then meet with prospective vendors and determine who they would like to hire.”

Even if you have all of the paperwork and contracts signed, however, Sygrove cautions against lifting a hammer and starting the mess before all the needed materials are readily available. “In terms of the overall timeline, it’s important to consider procurement time for materials,” she says. “Everyone seems to forget this, as it takes time.” The average waiting period for materials can be as much as 12 or even 16 weeks, so in addition to planning way ahead, it’s also best to have a conversation with the awarded contractors to make sure the timeline you’re working on is real. “Make sure you leave ample time to meet your beginning-date goal,” warns Sygrove, or you will have a very unhappy resident population.  

Whether superficial or more involved, re-planning your project will get you started on time and at the right time. As the weather improves, it may just be the time to spring into action.