Category: Maintenance

In Spring, 1996 New York State made it legal for small-volume users in the metropolitan area to purchase natural gas from sources other than the major utility companies such as Consolidated Edison (Con Ed) and Brooklyn Union Gas (BUG). Ho…

In 1988 Mayor Ed Koch announced a new program that would give homeowners and multiple-dwelling buildings ten years to switch over to water meters, a program that is scheduled for completion by December 31, 1998. With this change, all New …

What do you know about lead-based paint? Perhaps you know that it's a toxin that's espe- cially dangerous to children under the age of six, and that even fetuses can be affected since they can be exposed to lead through their mother's blo…

You are walking along the sidewalk and, as happens so frequently in New York, you approach a portion that is covered by a sidewalk construction shed. Thinking nothing of it, you stay on that side of the street and continue walking under i…

Michael Radomsky, on-site manager of a 16-unit prewar cooperative on Park Avenue, was hearing complaints from the residents about unpleasant cooking odors on the landings. To handle the building's problem, Radomsky put matters into the ha…

Co-op boards are more likely to repair a leaking roof or paint the lobby than tackle an elevator that needs to be upgraded. According to elevator expert Al Milo, president of Dunwell Elevator in Brooklyn, which does elevator maintenanc…

What comes to mind when you think of water pressure? For most people these words conjure up images of the morning shower. Lack of water pressure can turn that much anticipated ritual into a frustrating and unpleasant ordeal. Just ask a…

The agenda for your monthly board meeting is to find ways to save money, and in the long run, increase the building's reserve fund. Each board member has been asked to compile a list of ideas on areas of possible savings. One board member…

Changing the windows in your co-op or condo building can be a traumatic experience. Not only is the overall building affected, but the interiors of the individual apartments are affected as well. Even if the job goes smoothly, there ar…

You live alone. You work long hours. When you aren't home, you turn off all the lights and the air conditioning. You do everything you can to conserve energy. Your neighbors, on the other hand, have five kids and are home all the …