Modern cities are amazing creations, pulsing with life 24 hours a day, and built to cater to every need of residents. Take away just one of any city dweller’s basic necessities like plumbing, electricity or heating and air conditioning, th…
Stairwell safety may not get front and center attention from condo associations but should not be side-stepped. In the event of a fire, it’s important for stairwells to be well lit with access to the exit. If an elderly person slips and…
When summer rolls around many New Englanders can be found at The Cape, Nantucket or Martha’s Vineyard or any of the numerous beaches that are dotted along the Northeast coast. New England’s stunning water vistas are rivaled only by its …
As we approach the 2013 construction season, it’s time to begin planning for any major building envelope projects that are needed at your property. In fact, if you are only planning now, you are behind schedule already. Getting your job…
The shingles on the roof look worn. Paint is peeling off the clapboards on a few buildings. Potholes have turned the parking lot into a slalom course. But collections are down, several homes are in foreclosure, and the temptation to le…
As spring dawns anew on the frigid New England landscape, many condo dwellers will get their first prolonged looks at Mother Nature’s wintery ravages. Likely nowhere is this better seen than on a property’s exterior siding, much of which…
They say a house is only as strong as its foundation. A bad roof, or shoddy plumbing can set your building back a lot of money. But, a foundation in disrepair can put the entire building's structure at risk. It can also cost tens of th…
Condo owners don’t generally exude enthusiasm over their roofs. In fact, they don’t pay much attention to them until there is a problem. However, a roofing problem can cause a major expense. Roofs in New England condominiums br…
Snow, ice, freezing, thawing, refreezing all take such a toll on New England properties that it’s practically a cliché—but it’s a cliché that condo trustees and managers have to deal with every spring. Paul Carraccio is preside…
As we go about our busy lives, we often forget about the plain facts of life here on this spinning globe: gravity creates an unceasing tension in the materials we assemble into buildings and other structures. Whether or not we are payi…