By Kenneth J. Booker, M.Sc.E
Whether you are an Owner of multiple properties, a seasoned investor, or a new buyer, the better informed you are about how the systems within your property operate and how they should be maintained the better care you can take throughout the life of the property, after all your property has a life of its own. Buildings can be viewed as a ‘living, breathing, body’ that needs care, protection and maintenance like our physical bodies.
Just as we need to breathe-in fresh oxygen for refreshment and to stay healthy, a good functioning property needs to be well ventilated and able to receive, purify and circulate cool air in the summer and warm air in the winter. Fresh-air decreases the work that your HVAC (Heating-Ventilation-Air-Conditioning) system needs to do in order to filter and clean air before it is recirculated. Fresh-air also allows the various structural members within your property to naturally expand and contract and maintain its form. Whether it is the roof joists in your upper level or floor joists in your lower level, good ventilation allows fresh air to circulate and breathe life into your property. So, as you do your morning stretch when you wake, and breathe in fresh-air, keep in mind that buildings need to breathe and stretch too.
Your skin protects you from the elements whether you live in the northeast United States as I do, or down at the equator near my favorite vacation spot. All structures have a 'skin' that protects the inside of the property from the outside elements. The roof is the protective 'skin' that channels away rain sleet and snow and deflects and protects the interior from the harsh effects of the sun. The way our skin helps to regulate our body temperature, insulated exterior walls help to keep out harsh temperatures in the winter and summer weather and keep the interior comfortable.
The parallels are endless and I could go further with the metaphors but I believe an easy to follow property maintenance manual that I have developed ‘Property Life…caring for your property’ can be a more useful source of information for the Investor, Owner or Buyer. It can be used as your starting-point for planning renovations on your property, or a reference document so that when you are talking to a maintenance or repair contractor you have a working knowledge of the item in need of repair and the likely culprit for the problem. It provides insight to understand the basic systems, structures and components of any property whether single or multi-unit, that need pre-purchase inspection and seasonal evaluation and preventive maintenance.
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