As both a writer about and resident of high-rise residential buildings, I followed the June 2021 collapse of the Champlain Towers South condominium with a hawk’s eye. I read about the people who perished and the loved ones left to carry on;…
It’s that time of year again. Birds are chirping; trees are blooming; property managers and co-op and condo boards are addressing their task lists for the change of seasons. Whether it’s a Dorchester duplex or a harbor highrise, a dense cit…
For many, birds are a particularly contentious class of animal. Some people are extremely fond of them—admiring their colorful plumage, their melodic calls, or their enviable ability to soar effortlessly above whatever mess we have going on…
Nothing lasts forever, even with good maintenance—including most building components. Exterior elements are perhaps most subject to wear and tear in any climate. Their construction and material type dictate their maintenance needs and repai…
Car owners know that in order to operate 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 req…
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 l…
In light of the tragic condo building collapse in Surfside, Florida, earlier this year, condo and co-op boards, as well as rental building landlords, are taking a hard look at their building system inspection policies. While all mandatory i…
It’s a well-worn truism that even seemingly disparate elements are often connected to each other in unexpected ways. Take your association’s roof, for example. Here in New England, if it’s a pitched roof, most likely its shingles are made o…
Exterior maintenance and repair are some of the most extensive—and expensive—work that a condo, HOA, or co-op will undertake; they’re also unavoidable. So when planning such a project, two important factors should be considered: The first i…
The board of any residential community has two prime directives: to maintain the financial health of the association, and to maintain the structural health of the property. Both require a broad array of knowledge — much of which the averag…