Cities are crowded. That’s a simple fact. In the best of circumstances, there’s noise, dirt, dust, and the usual urban pests. Add to that the construction of a new building next to or nearby yours, and annoyance can quickly become overwhelm…
You see them up all over the city - scaffolding, sidewalk sheds, and other indicators that facade work is being carried out overhead. But what leads up to the erecting of these structures? What do building inspectors look for when they exam…
Keeping plants alive and thriving is a challenge for most of us -- add in the environmental stressors and space constraints of a dense urban area like New York City, and maintaining planters, tree pits, and other greenery around your buildi…
Every building has a roof, but not every building has a roof deck . For many city dwellers, a retreat above the city’s streets is one of the ultimate amenities. For many co-op and condominium properties, it’s a tempting amenity to cons…
The signs, they are everywhere. They give elegance and style to the names of our buildings and communities. They earn extra income for our buildings with advertisements, and they point out the location of our commercial tenants on the groun…
A residential property could have triple-reinforced titanium steel walls, and it still wouldn’t be worth a darn without a sturdy roof. It’s through the roof and rooftop features that many problematic elements can enter a building, from wind…
They say that a stitch in time saves nine. But when dealing with exterior maintenance and repairs for your condominium, cooperative or homeowners’ association, that proverbial stitch can save nines – or tens – of thousands of dollars. Small…
Under the Façade Inspection and Safety Program (FISP), formerly referred to as Local Law 11, all New York City buildings six stories or higher must have their exterior façades (including balcony enclosures) inspected every five years. A rep…
In a flurry of activity last December, many local news organizations, including The New York Times , Crains, and CBS local news ran stories about the overwhelming number of scaffolds surrounding buildings in all five boroughs of New …
If you’re a co-op, condo or HOA board member or manager, you have to deal with vendors and service providers constantly; it’s a routine part of the day-to-day running of any building or association. There are always inspections to be done, …