There’s the dirt and exhaust from passing cars, motorcycles and trucks, other dirt and grime carried by the wind and the rain—not to mention graffiti, stains from rusted building elements, deposits from birds, and the dreaded mold and m…
Category: Maintenance
The wind howled and rain came down sideways, lasting through the night, and when Jane Aubin [not her real name] got up for work in the morning, she discovered water bubbling under the paint and down the walls on the sides of the window …
It sounds like an urban legend, something that supposedly happened to your cousin’s friend’s cousin. A little girl swam to the drain at the bottom of the pool, sat on it, got stuck on it, and drowned. Only this really happened, in a hot …
Mark your calendars for Thursday, May 7, 2009—that’s the date of New England Condominium’s first annual New England Condo Expo, a one-day trade event featuring over 120 exhibitors from all over the region. Boston’s Seaport World TradeCent…
Attempting to define the meaning of the term “improvements” under Massachusetts condominium law is a lot like trying to put your finger on a glob of jello – it can go all over the place. The Massachusetts Legislature devoted an entire se…
Of all the finishes inside our homes, flooring has the greatest long term impact on indoor air quality, and perhaps on the environment as a whole. Flooring finishes often contain harmful chemicals—whether in the flooring itself or in the…
The golden years are a time to enjoy life, relax, and have a worry-free retirement. During our working years we plan for this time, save money and make investments for the future. But, naturally over time, the cost of living increases, u…
T he chant is familiar: In goes the good air, out goes the bad. But just how good is the air coming into your condominium? Ductwork and chutes are familiar elements of urban multi-family buildings, handling everything from heat to tras…
Though mostly unseen, a building’s plumbing and piping network is one of its most important systems—as anyone who has ever had to endure a no-hot-water shower in February, or who has come home to a flooded floor can attest. Plumbing cove…
At every condominium community it happens every hour; every day. Coffee gets spilled, mud gets tracked, windows get smeared. When residents move, errant table legs and oversized sofas can scrape black marks, and even divots, into paint…