Addressing the Housing Market The housing data has long been clear: there is not enough affordable housing available. The mix of types of housing (i.e., multi-family, condominiums, HOAs, and SLRs (Single Family Residences) does not adequately match our growing needs. Meanwhile, municipalities and developers are attempting to plan for evolving trends, designs, and technologies needed….
News
Do You Need a Phase I Environmental Site Assessment (ESA)?
There are many reasons a Phase I Environmental Site Assessment (ESA) might be needed before purchasing a commercial property: The most obvious—oil tanks or chemical storage bins have been dumped on your site or on sites adjacent to yours. Your lender might require it, as many lenders do for larger projects. Your attorney might recommend….
Is Your Façade Leaking?
A building’s exterior façade can experience water infiltration anytime during a its lifetime. The façade is composed of a variety of components including windows / door penetrations; wall cladding; and features such as balconies and other architectural elements. Water infiltration can occur while the building is undergoing transition from developer to a new condominium….
Mega Condos
Typically, this time of year I act like an economist foretelling the future with greater and greater accuracy by presenting the prior year’s history of condonomics. I often address average condo sale prices and days-on-the-market data. Not this year. The past is not the story. Instead, we should focus on 2026 and the mega-condo developments….
Winter Deck Maintenance
With winter approaching and our best days on the deck behind us why should deck maintenance be a concern now? Industry experts recommend decks should be deep cleaned twice a year for both appearance and determination of the repairs needed. Scheduling these bi-annual inspections in fall and spring provides a routine ensuring sufficient time to….
Don Stalnaker, P.E. Receives First Ever Lifetime Achievement Award
Alan Mooney visited Don Stalnaker in Charleston, West Virginia recently to present him with Criterium Engineers’ first ever Lifetime Achievement Award. Don opened his affiliate office in 1970. First, for a bit about who Don is, here is a quote from Robin Tozier. “I had the pleasure to speak with Don a few weeks ago…..
Your Future Roof Surface
Is your community facing resurfacing its flat roof(s) in the near future? This is a generational question as roof surfaces tend to last 25 to 30 years. By ‘flat roof(s)’ I mean a low-slope roof surface having a slope between ¼ and 3-inches per foot. In the Northeast, most existing flat roof surface membranes….
Building Envelope Commissioning (BECx): Building Performance and Energy Efficiency
When a building is designed and constructed, it is necessary to consider how that building’s envelope will perform throughout its life span. Building Envelope Commissioning (BECx) performed by Criterium Engineers, is part of a comprehensive quality assurance program to verify that project specifications and requirements are incorporated into the building envelope’s design, interpreted accurately,….
Rebecca Rand Costigan, P.E. Receives 2024 H. Alan Mooney Award for Distinguished Service
On July 1, 2025, H. Alan Mooney, P.E., presented Rebecca R. Costigan, P.E. (Chief Engineer, Criterium Engineers Home Office), with the 2024 H. Alan Mooney Award for Distinguished Service. Starting with her work as a Senior Mechanical Engineer culminating with her current tenure as Chief Engineer of Criterium Engineers, Rebecca has committed herself to….
The Greying of Maine
It is no surprise Maine has one of the oldest population demographics in the country. It is also no surprise that Maine ranks 8th among condo buyers aged 55 and older. This generation of boomers has been downsizing after retirement from the big single-family house and moving to condominium communities to be closer to….