May is National Deck Safety Month® and your spring maintenance checklist should include a thorough inspection of your deck and railings. It’s important to check their safety before the outdoor entertainment season begins with family gatherings and neighborhood barbecues taking place on your deck. Here are a few items to consider as you check your….
HOA News
Offices of the Month: Criterium-Dotson Engineers and Criterium-Yancy Engineers
Congratulations to David Dotson, P.E. and David Yancy, P.E.—our most recent Offices of the Month. The duo and their Texas-based teams are being recognized in their fulfillment of two specific elements of the Criterium Vision: We succeed through collaboration across our network and our commitment to continuous improvement in our professional knowledge and performance. We….
Client Spotlight: Maine Solar Solutions
On ☀️Solar Appreciation Day, Criterium Engineers 📐 celebrates our clients at Maine Solar Solutions, based in Freeport. Criterium provides structural evaluations for solar installation on residences and commercial buildings. . . . #solar #solarpower #solarenergy #energy #renewableenergy #solarpanels #solarpowered #gosolar #MaineSolarSolutions #structuralengineer #freeportmaine #structuralengineering #engineering #criteriumengineers #weknowbuildings
Sound Off: Noise in Communities
Good friends of mine just retired and decided to move into an upscale condominium community. I asked if it was difficult to adjust to downsizing after leaving the “big” house, and interestingly enough, I was told the size of the living space was not the problem, it was difficult to adjust to the surrounding sounds…..
Reserve Studies vs. Condition Assessment
Q: Over the past few months, I’ve heard a lot of discussion about reserve studies and condition surveys. Are these the same, and, if not, how do they differ, and why and when should our association obtain one? A: This is a great question because it is not asked often enough. I cannot count the number….
Making Tough Decisions
Addressing Building Issues With Caution Have you ever noticed how fashion and entertainment trends seem to start on the “Left Coast” and work their way across the country before finally arriving in Maine? I call this the “End of Route 95 Syndrome.” Of course, YouTube and other digital social media has sped things up a….
The Challenge of Aging Buildings
The Surfside collapse and the resulting loss of life is tragic. In addition to dealing with the far-reaching impact of that collapse, many occupants, owners, and managers of most buildings are now asking whether something similar could happen to their building. The answer is that the structural health and future of any building depends on many variables….
The Water Did It
Since the tragedy this summer in Surfside, Florida, building managers and condo boards have been reviewing the cost of deferred repairs and their fiduciary responsibilities when it comes to facility safety and maintenance with greater scrutiny than ever before. But where to look first? There are many types of condos from high-rises to townhouses to….
Where Does Danger Lurk?
Most Common Areas of Concern As a member of the board or the property manager, what element of the condo complex poses the greatest danger to the unit owners and liability to the association? Slips and falls during the icy season? Decks collapsing from rot? Electrical fires? Well, if you picked “decks,” you are almost….
The Future is Now: Tech in Communities
By nature, Mainers are traditionalists. Images coming to mind include Bean rubber boots; grey shingled fishing villages; and plaid flannel shirts. Though these iconic elements reflect Mainer’s practical side, Maine’s condo communities are not immune to the beneficial changes building science and technology have to offer. Let us consider some of the new features and….