Page 10 - New England Condominium November 2019

10 NEW ENGLAND CONDOMINIUM -NOVEMBER 2019 NEWENGLANDCONDO.COM CONT... working optimally. Do a periodic clean- ing of the ventilation shafts. Put it on a regular schedule.” Keep it Moving When it comes to ductwork, Vizzi says “It doesn’t get as much attention because people can’t see it. What you don’t see, though, can hurt you. It’s a matter of edu- cation. People need to understand that when they have stuff coming out of the grate in their kitchen, that’s not normal. You can have a $5 million apartment and still have stuff coming through that vent.” Regular cleaning is the best and easiest way to make sure that something like that does not happen. And interestingly, just because you live in a newly-constructed high-rise rather than a century-old converted tenement doesn’t mean you’re guaranteed fresher, cleaner indoor air. “With prewar build- ings, you actually have better ventilation because you can open the windows and control it,” says Vizzi. “You have more it is important to go back regularly and grades, are needed, Birmingham says an control over the environment and transfer check systems. “There are a lot of things engineer will be needed “to ensure you’re of air.” With the more airtight construc- tion of post-war residential buildings, mingham. “Changing windows, changing cal code.” “the air is more stagnant,” she says. “The space use, occupant habits. Air registers building’s ventilation acts as the lungs of can get clogged. Dampers can break over may seem like a headache in terms of the building. If it’s not breathing properly, time. You really need a combination of cost and time, they also may present an we have a problem.” According to Birmingham, “People tenance.” typically get professionals involved only when there’s a problem. They don’t real- ize the opportunities for energy savings a building, it’s not the end of the world. ings,” Birmingham says. and quality of life. If your building is over “It can be a pretty easy thing to reme- 10 years old and no one has addressed diate some of these issues,” says Vizzi. clean, fresh and safe is one of the myriad ventilation in the last decade, it should be Sometimes it’s just a matter of cleaning. responsibilities that boards and building looked at.” For cooling and dehumidifying equip- ment, Birmingham suggests that building efficiency. staff examine them in the early spring and early fall, as the moisture levels begin to “increase airflow, install vents in bath- change. “They should have it inspected rooms, make sure that windows are sealed good quality of life. Proper maintenance and look for things like standing water in and winterized or glazed properly,” says and diligence can ensure that everyone the condensate drain pan, and microbial Drozdov. “They can inspect the roof and breathes easier. growth in the evaporator coils,” he says. Even if a building was operating at ter intrusion is occurring.” peak efficiency a couple of years back, that can impact ventilation,” says Bir- professional evaluation and regular main- Making Improvements If air quality issues are found within “There’s huge potential for energy sav- Other times, it may be a matter of tweak- ing equipment to improve function and their residents and shareholders. Fortu- To improve air quality, buildings can testing, the task need not be too daunting. façade periodically to ensure that no wa- If bigger changes, including system up- meeting all the standards in the mechani- And while major upgrades or changes opportunity in terms of energy savings. For buildings that may have systems built on antiquated codes and regulations, Ensuring that the air we breathe is managers must undertake on behalf of nately, with the right expert advice and Ultimately, good air quality equates to n Cooper Smith is a freelance writer and regular reporter for New England Condo- minium. MAINTAINING... continued from page 8 only to make sure the fireplace system is clean, but also to make sure it’s in good working condition.” Common Area, or Private Amenity? As with any element in a multifamily building that involves components that penetrate into both private homes and common areas, it’s important for co-op or condo owners with fireplaces to know whether the component parts to be main- tained are under their purview, or that of the co-op or condo association. The answer will depend on what it says in your proprietary lease or condo docu- ments. In many cases, the fireplace, flue and other parts of the fireplace system are the sole responsibility of the shareholder or owner. In others – particularly in a building with multiple fireplaces in a sin- gle line of units – the flue may be consid- ered a common element, but the mantle, hearth, and firebox within the apartment itself would be the responsibility of the shareholder or owner. “When considering annual mainte- nance,” says Eddie Delgardo, sales man- ager of Westchester Fireplace and BBQ, located in Elmsford, New York, “the apartment owner usually pays us directly. In terms of arranging the maintenance visit though, that depends on the building and the overall situation. If there’s a large number of fireplaces in the building, the both pros stress that residents, building bury, New York, explains: “The primary managing agent may arrange to have all staff and others should never attempt to do concern of insurance carriers is lack of inspections done at the same time, and fireplace repairs or serious maintenance maintenance. When not properly main- schedule maintenance work similarly. by themselves! It’s just too dangerous to tained, fireplaces pose a serious fire haz- Otherwise, apartment owners arrange the both the unit owner and the building. Al- annual visits themselves. In both cases, we ways use a licensed professional chimney properties with fireplaces depend on sys- are paid directly by the owners.” Another interesting point is that un- like a wood-burning fireplace made of must be members of a chimney sweep stone or brick, gas-powered fireplaces guild, be properly licensed in their state, dently by unit owners,” Seaman continues, are like cars; they come in many different and carry the necessary and appropriate “but a better way is to have one contrac- models. When a gas-burning fireplace insurance, like any other contractor. requires maintenance, the maintenance company will ask for the make and model ers make use of the CSIA website, www. of the unit. Not all gas or electric units are csia.org. “There are blogs that cover every- equivalent, and not all components inter- changeable; they may require specific re- placement parts from the original manu- facturer. If you’re lucky enough to have that rare find – a wood-burning fireplace – Del- gardo has one important piece of advice an open blaze in close proximity to any transfer language. for you: Learn how to build a fire safely. number of flammable materials, as well “The problem is that when they build a as foot traffic, kids, possibly pets – and so fire, most people want to start with the operating them in an apartment building places have been growing in popularity Yule Log right off the bat,” he says. “This is poses obvious safety challenges. Fireplaces in recent years. “They are very popular an amateur mistake. Start your fire small. by their very presence in a home increase with millennial buyers,” he says. “Many There is a finite amount of smoke you can the probability of a fire, or of smoke- or new rental buildings are opting for them put into the flue before it spills out of the ventilation-related problems. That risk as well.” While clearly not the ‘real thing,’ front. A flue is like a reverse funnel, it can has moved some co-op buildings to sim- only handle so much smoke. You don’t ply ban owners from using their fireplaces mimicking the sound and look of crack- want smoke to flow back into your apart- ment.” Both White and Delgardo say that old- er fireplaces are trickier to maintain, and often require a good amount of TLC. And with HUB Insurance, located in Wood- sweep. While there is no formal certifica- tion or degree for chimney sweeps, they sometimes biannually. White also suggests that fireplace own- thing from how to start a fire to where to has been left out.” Seaman says that when find a chimney sweep. It’s a very complete a building board or management chooses resource.” Speaking of Insurance... Lovely and value-adding as they are, at is properly licensed and carrying proper the end of the day, a fireplace is essentially and adequate insurance that contains risk entirely – and some insurance companies ling logs and flickering flames. The tech- will not insure a multifamily building with nology is remarkably simple: light from fireplaces. Alex Seaman, senior vice president lic silver refractor (a bit like a rotisserie) ard. Insurance companies that underwrite temic inspections at least annually and “Inspections can be arranged indepen- tor \[inspect\] all the units in the building at one time. That way they can confirm that everything has been done according to requirements, and that no individual unit the inspector and maintenance people, it’s crucial that they verify that the chosen pro Electric Fireplaces According to Delgardo, electric fire- many electric units do a very good job of an LED bulb bounces off a rotating metal- FIREPLACE... continued from page 1 continued on page 20