Category: Building Operations

 The day-to-day costs of running a multifamily residential building are  significant. There’s the fuel oil, electric, cleaning supplies, equipment maintenance and service  calls for repair and upkeep. Then there are the insurance costs, la…

 Tsunamis, earthquakes, tornadoes—these are just a few of the devastating disasters that have made headlines  already in 2011 and the emergency situations that resulted many never thought  possible.    As the past year’s calamitous …

 Perhaps one of the most difficult aspects of the recent recession was the sudden  evaporation of credit from major banks and lending institutions. The logic  behind it was understandable: too much easy credit had led, in part, to the  col…

Despite some admissions of error from the city, and a temporary cap on increases in assessed valuations, co-op officers and elected officials from Eastern Queens who in recent weeks have declared a “tax revolt” aren’t backing down. …

 Co-op, condo owners and board members understand certain truths; one is that  whether aesthetic, mechanical or otherwise, every building will require repair,  upgrades and improvements. Determining what is a capital project versus what is…

 Of all the modern conveniences we take for granted, perhaps none is as essential  as indoor plumbing. By carrying fresh water into our homes and taking waste  water away, the pipes in our buildings are a little-noticed and well-engineered…

 A residential building’s roof is its first line of defense against whatever the skies throw at it. Left  untreated, roof problems can proliferate and cause thousands of dollars in  damages to residents’ property, as well as the building i…

 These days, the urge to save a few dollars here and there may be inspiring the  creatively inclined to try their hand at home renovation. Before picking up the  paint brush or tearing up that carpeting however, it may be worth it to consu…

 Like any major project in a co-op or condominium, installing a gym is made up of  two separate yet equally important parts: The brass tacks of planning and  executing the project, and the politics of running it through the board and  resi…

 Gone are the days when living green meant dwelling in a geodesic dome-house in  the woods somewhere with a sofa and love seat made out of tree stumps. Today,  living green doesn’t look much different than traditional interior design—even …