Mechanical
Condos lag on fire code compliance
Fire plans may need an overhaul as the resident population ages, building systems are updated, and renovations alter the layout of floors or rooms.
Insurance crisis affecting reserve fund planning
The insurance crisis in condominiums is affecting how boards are planning for disasters in Ontario.
Condos in precarious spot if small repairs sit idle
Should the corporation move forward with certain maintenance repairs if the issue has the potential to become exponentially worse?
Canada’s condo insurance crisis
Impacts of the hard insurance market are trickling into condominium corporations across Canada, challenging boards and managers in their wake.
How is COVID-19 impacting reserve funds?
Many reserve fund projects have not been able to proceed this year. Even now as construction has “opened up,” contractors have backlogs that will allow them to complete only some of the previously planned projects.
Are condos prepared for climate change?
While many condos haven’t yet experienced the major effects of climate change, statistics and case studies foreshadow the impacts that could come.
Energy efficiency powers condo to LEED Platinum
Perched on the edge of the waterfront, south of the Distillery District near Sugar Beach, Toronto’s first LEED Platinum high-rise condo stands in the Bayside
IAQ standards dissect freshness of outdoor air
Guidance related to natural ventilation, particulate filtration and compartmentalization of multi-residential HVAC systems are prominent in the list of identified "significant changes" compared to the incumbent 2016 version of the standards.
Do you know the condition of your fan coil?
Fan Coil Units (FCUs) are a vital, yet often overlooked part of an apartment/condo complex. Nevertheless, they are directly responsible for the climate control within the apartment complex in the form of heating and cooling.
The implications of false fire alarms in condos
For condo managers, a false fire alarm results in new issues. What happens when a fire alarm goes off at a condominium when no smoke or fire is present?
GTA-based condo building demos cogeneration
One GTA-based condo building won’t face the dilemma of when to switch over its HVAC system from heating to cooling this spring thanks to cogeneration.
Will ‘ultra-high-rises’ cost more to maintain?
The new crop of 'ultra-high-rise' condos rising in Toronto will be more complicated and consequently more costly to maintain, one engineer is warning.
HVAC switch over snared by hot spell
Tensions boiled over last week at Toronto apartment buildings without air conditioning as temperatures soared into heat wave territory in late September.
Sniffing out culprits for odour complaints
Scents associated with cigarette smoke, cooking and the garbage chute are among the most common odours complaints received by building managers.
A flurry of red-tagged emergency generators
When last winter’s ice storm walloped Toronto days before Christmas and knocked out power in parts of the city for upwards of a week, it
How to start a preventive maintenance program
The question of how to start a preventive maintenance program is extremely common, and for good reason. With budgets tight and workers stretched thin, preventive
Building automation can save energy
Energy efficiency in highrise multi-residential buildings can be achieved through a variety of retrofits. However, one method that is often overlooked is ...