As the days get longer, warmer, and more conducive to outdoor activity, boards and property managers have a laundry list of maintenance and preparation tasks to ready their buildings for the approaching summer. Investing some time, labor, a…
The roof is obviously one of the most critical components of any dwelling, providing both structural integrity and protection from the elements. And though tough by necessity and designed to last for decades, without proper regular maintena…
Maintaining the exterior of a building goes beyond just looking good—it's about ensuring safety, following the law, and managing risk. As a city celebrated for its stunning skyline, Chicago has committed to a unique focus on facade integrit…
With severe weather events becoming ever more common—and more intense—waterproofing your building’s envelope against rain, wind, snow, and ice is a growing concern. To counter the effects of climate change on buildings both old and new, our…
Did you know that March 23 is World Elevator Day? Now you do. (You’re welcome.) On that date way back in 1857, the first passenger elevator was installed in the E.V. Haughwout Building—an upscale, five-story department store in Manhattan’s …
As the old saying goes, you only get one chance to make a first impression—which is why the façade of your building should always look clean and in top shape, for both aesthetic and commercial reasons. Important as appearances are, however,…
Like the skin of the human body, a building’s façade is its largest organ (so to speak), offering structure and protection, as well as a first aesthetic impression. It also takes the brunt of extremely harsh conditions: weather, wind, water…
Cities reshape and reinvent themselves regularly and organically. Old buildings become obsolete for a variety of reasons, and new buildings replace them. Many a four- or five-story tenement has been knocked down to make way for a shiny, new…
'Light and air' are the two things pretty much everybody looks for in a home - and windows deliver both, so it's crucial that your building's windows be functional, efficient, and well-maintained. In this clip, a window pro tells about the …
When you close your eyes and picture any building, you are quite likely imagining its facade – the outer shell which protects and contains all of the hustle and bustle that goes on within. In a residential property, the facade is what separ…