Criterium Engineers
Stairways and Decks Aren’t Safe Unless their Railings Are Secure
You’re standing in the basement waiting for a friend, who is following you down the stairs. Missing a step, your friend reaches for the railing, which breaks away from the wall. This will not end well for your friend, who may be seriously injured or worse; and it may not end well for you, because of the law suit and liability claim that will follow, and the friendship that will almost certainly end.
This isn’t an article about the importance of having adequate insurance; it’s about the importance of having secure railings on your stairs.
Home Fires are Common, Deadly and Preventable - August, 2017
Fire safety probably isn’t high on the list of concerns for buyers when they purchase a home. But the statistics indicate that it should be. According to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), in the United States:
- Most fire-related deaths (more than 80 percent of them last year) occur in residences.
- More than 4,000 people die and 25,000 are injured in fires every year.
Building Code Myths Create Liability Risks for Real Estate Professionals - March 2017
If we were writing a Steven King-style horror movie, it might begin with a real estate broker discussing all the attractive features of a new home. After noting the “brilliant design,” the high ceilings, state-of-the art kitchen and the exciting architectural details, the broker happily, assures the buyer, “The house is fully compliant with the building code, so you can be confident that it has no structural defects and that the construction quality is superb.” Cue the eerie music and note the black storm clouds forming in the sky.
Why is this a horror story?
Water Intrusion | Volume 25, Number 1
“Water, water everywhere” is not what you want to be thinking as you’re staring through the windows of the restaurant, drug store and appliance shop that are tenants in the building you own.
Water Inside Your Building Means Something Is Wrong on the Outside - Nov, 2016
“Water, water everywhere” is not what you want to be thinking as you’re standing in the living room of a townhouse condominium unit or peering into the lobby of a high rise.
How Can My Association Go Solar?
It’s no surprise that solar panels have started popping up all over the area. Solar can drastically reduce electric bills, protect against the rising cost of energy, boost U.S. energy independence, protect the environment and more.
The cost of solar panels has decreased significantly over the years and continues to drop.
Cost Segregation Studies
Depreciation enters significantly into the financial performance of commercial buildings. Typically, property, exclusive of land, is depreciated over 39 years.
Don’t forget the roof!
Several areas of the US are currently experiencing heavy and frequent snowfalls.
Multifamily Radon Testing and Mitigation Requirements
US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)
Is Radon Risk Real?
You have heard of radon. Perhaps you have tested your home or the home you intended to buy for the presence of radon gas. If so, when you received the results, did you take any action? Did you install a mitigation pump or even refuse to purchase the home?
Is radon risk real? There is a wealth of information out there. Let’s review some facts. Let’s look at what leading agencies are saying.
Failing Facades
It is Inevitable
No matter what type of building you live in, one day, the facade will begin to fail. Whether it is water infiltration, cracking wood, spalling concrete or crumbling brick, it’s only a matter of time before you have failing facade.
Engineering Advisor Bulletin
National Engineers Week, founded by the National Society of Professional Engineers in 1951, is dedicated to ensuring a diverse and well-educated future engineering workforce by increasing understan
Retaining Walls
What is a retaining wall? To retain, according to Webster’s Dictionary, means “to hold secure or intact.” A retaining wall, then, holds something “secure or intact.” Typically, as it matters to homeowners, the “something” is soil on a slope or at a higher elevation that, if left on its own, will not remain “secure and intact.”
Retaining walls come in many shapes, sizes and materials. This issue of YOUR HOME will examine a few of them.
Why Retaining Walls?Have you ever looked around your property to see if you have retaining walls?
Red Flags that Signal Structural Defects
Although the housing market has slowed, approximately 80 percent of new construction is still being built as a community association. The recent boom in the housing market has led more people to purchase condominiums and townhouses on impulse, without the benefit of several walk-throughs or an inspection by a Professional Engineer. More than likely, this has happened in your community as well. But what does it mean for the association and its residents?
A Few Words About WINTER....
Seen on a Maine license plate - BRRRRR. When it comes to winter, that says it all!
But what of our houses in winter? Think about it. Is your home winter-time safe?
Snow on the Roof
What this means for building owners is that snow is a concern in most areas, yet unpredictable from year to year.
Defer, Replace, Improve
There is also an art to reserve studies that is rarely discussed.
Let's Caulk
Perhaps by now the March wind-driven weather has convinced the Board it has water infiltration problems, not to mention air infiltration issues. Interior gypsum board ceilings and walls are starting to stain; floors are beginning to get wet and warp; and unit owners are complaining of mold formation. Often the answer is not façade re-siding or a new roof surface but rather a need for new caulk.
