Walk it
Every building is walked on a regular rhythm: roof to cellar, with a pencil. What we see is written down the same day.
BLK 05 — Stewardship
A building is looked after all year.
Most of what keeps a building sound happens in a predictable order. We follow it.
BLK 05.1 — The year
Heat seasonJanuary
Outer arc: heating season, October through May
Heat season
January
Drag around the dial, or use the arrow keys. Schedules are typical; each building has its own, and the law sets minimums that we meet or exceed.
Fig. 11 — Stair, looking up
BLK 05.2 — How we care
Four habits, kept.
Fix it early
A small leak is a plumber's afternoon. A large one is a ceiling, a floor and a lawsuit. We would rather have the afternoon.
Keep it written
Dates, contractors, parts, photographs. A building's history should be readable by whoever looks after it next.
Answer people
Residents tell us things buildings cannot. Messages are read, logged and answered, and the answer says what happens next.
BLK 05.3 — Small things, noticed
Warm in winter.
Heat is the plainest promise a landlord makes. It depends on a boiler, a burner, controls, risers, valves and a great many small, dull checks. We do the dull checks before the cold arrives, and we keep them on file.