New England Condominium March 2022

Maintaining Aging Buildings Older Structures Have Special Concerns BY A J SIDRANSKY Exterior Projects, Interior Problems Good Planning & Communication Make All the Difference BY A. J. SIDRANSKY March 2022 NEWENGLANDCONDO.COM 205 Lexington Avenue, NY, NY 10016 • CHANGE SERVICE REQUESTED THE CONDO, HOA & CO-OP RESOURCE CONDOMINIUM NEW ENGLAND When the topic of exterior maintenance comes up, it’s important to keep in mind that when it comes to multifamily properties, even projects that focus on a building’s ‘envelope’ are by no means limited to just the façade or roof. Projects like repointing; brick, clapboard, or siding replacement; ornamental repairs; and window replacement, while fundamentally exterior, can require access to and use of interior spaces—and can sometimes cause disruption and damage to those spaces. The key to successful ex- ecution of such projects is selecting a competent professional to do the job, managing it correctly, and perhaps most importantly, maintaining proactive, transparent com- munication between board, residents, and contractors throughout the duration of the project. Not-So-Good Vibrations Giulia Alimonti, senior architect with CTLGroup, an international architectural and engineering firm with offices in New York and Chicago, says, “There are always con- cerns about the effects of exterior work on building interiors and apartments because there are shared walls or surfaces. Many residents have artwork on their interior walls that back up to exterior walls. Depending on the work to be undertaken, there may be vibrations through the wall. Notice should go out to all residents to remove all objects from shared walls. The most appropriate action is for the contractor to give a detailed calendar of construction, detailing when the work will be at its most noisy, when they will use drills, etc., so tenants can plan accordingly.” Bill Mackey, a senior project manager with Becht Engineering in Boston, makes sim- ilar observations about exterior projects involving clapboard and other types of siding. “In a recent replacement job,” he says, “we had nail pops on interior walls that backed up Building Inspections Up & Down, Inside & Out BY DARCEY GERSTEIN Car owners know that in order to op- erate their vehicle legally, they must have it professionally inspected every year. An older car might need some relatively minor repairs or adjustments to bring it into compliance with state emissions requirements, but for most, getting that mandatory approval sticker is a simple, inexpensive, predictable process that takes maybe half an hour. Like cars, buildings—and even indi- vidual apartment units within them— must undergo periodic inspections, but residents are often less aware of these re- quirements. Even if they are, they might not know what elements need inspection and when, who is responsible for actu- ally conducting the inspections, where access is required, and how the resulting reports are filed. The first thing to know is that build- ing inspections for co-ops and condos are much more complicated than getting that annual sticker for your car. Require- ments and timelines vary by locality, by size and type of building, and in some cases, by the building’s age and mainte- nance history. There are inspections that take place outside of the building, oth- ers that cover interior common elements and specific systems or mechanisms, and still others that happen within individ- ual units. Each requires different strate- gies and levels of planning, facilitating, insuring, and communication. On top of all that, inspection laws change fre- quently—often in reaction to a structur- al or systemic failure in another building that results in damage to life or property. The ultimate goal is to maximize build- ing safety and prevent disaster. These inspections can be costly in and of themselves—and the price tag can soar even higher when factoring in re- Nothing lasts forever, even with good maintenance—including most building components. Exterior elements are per- haps most subject to wear and tear in any climate. Their construction and materi- al type dictate their maintenance needs and repair schedules; masonry façades clearly have different needs than wood or clapboard fronts. But with a good care program and a bit of attention to detail, façades, roofs, and other crucial parts of multifamily buildings can live out—and perhaps even surpass—their useful life, regardless of what they’re made of. Building a Schedule, Scheduling a Building For the best results, periodic main- tenance projects and ongoing mainte- nance programs alike should follow a regular schedule over the long term. Even if a building’s façade is expected to last half a century or more, it’s still going to need monitoring, maintenance, and repair in order to not just last that long, but to perform its function opti- mally during that time. “In New York we have Local Law 11, which in essence requires a maintenance program for façades,” says Alan Gaynor, a principal with Boddewyn Gaynor Ar- chitects, a firm based in New York and active around the country. Local Law 11 calls for inspection every five years and mandates the timely repair of whatever elements are found to be damaged or deteriorated. Implementation of the law was the result of several incidents where large chunks of building façade detached and fell, hitting—and in some cases, killing—pedestrians. “My own building is going through this work now,” says Gaynor. “It can take a long time. We are inspecting every square foot of the fa- çade and repairing it.” Though Local Law 11 serves in some way as a forced maintenance program, the question is whether additional in- spections and maintenance can extend or improve the life of a masonry façade. According to Gaynor, it can go either way, depending on the building. continued on page 10 continued on page 8 \[to\] exterior walls. Little bits of plaster or joint compound that cover nails can pop, and the result is an indentation on the wall. They have to be repaired and repainted. Residents must also take all items off the interior walls that could get knocked off due to vibrations and banging and may be damaged. The most impor- tant thing to do is to communicate to residents what to expect— full disclosure.” He adds that major construction projects are by continued on page 8