With long overdue pressure on building management and fire contractors to achieve passive fire compliance, there are now consequences for the building management industry to professionally manage and maintain the documentation related to Fire Resistance Level (FRL). The passive fire industry’s overhaul has clearly raised the standards of AFSS and its compliance responsibilities, the building […]
Driving through Sydney, we are beginning to see a lot more wood grain finishes, usually pressure-treated wood on balcony areas as decorative finishes and acoustic and light reflection treatments, decks and fencing. Personally, I love the look of pressure-treated wood and applaud their use in what seems to be a never ending jungle of concrete, […]
thestratacommittee.com take a look at the changing face of residential strata maintenance and where it is headed. A number of strata management companies have dipped their toes into the water of strata maintenance only to be met with a frosty reception from their clients and some companies have flourished building a reputation as all in one […]
Although the Design and Building Practitioners Regulation (DBPR) of 2021 does not completely extend to the building management sector, the new regulations will indirectly majorly impact residential building management for class 2 strata buildings. In short, the building management role in its current state will be largely minimised during larger remediation works. Building managers will […]
So, you have renovated your apartment, laid timber flooring and your apartment fire door failed AFSS. This is common and the bad news is the lot owner is responsible and often a replacement the fire door is required. Many owners corporations are left to pay the cost for apartment doors that fail. Often this expense […]
Apart from it being just part of life that residents across all buildings don’t pay much attention until things go wrong or a levy is introduced, most residents are happy to be oblivious and keep away from the politics of strata living and get on with their lives. Most residents who join a committee usually […]
A good practitioner representing an owners corporation understands that remedial works comes with dust and minor scuffs. However, it doesn’t have to be this way, it is up to the principal practitioners and building managers to protect the owners corporation assets and create a situation that the remedial contractors take every precaution to protect the […]
Air Admittance Valves have only become widely used over the last 20 years. This wasn’t the plumbing code of practise when Chris Gray was plumbing many years ago. Insufficient ventilation air flow causes the water seal in traps to be vacuumed back into the risers. The result is a sewer smell coming back out of […]
Stairways are fire escape routes, and for elderly residents, it is the safest place to be in a fire situation within a residential strata building, if you are unable to safely exit. This is the theory, but it is not always true. After recently discovering 2 separate stair pressurization fans (SPF) removing fresh air instead […]
When undertaking works in a unit, it is the building managers role to protect all parties from unit owners making unreasonable demands on contractors that become ridiculous. The best way to do this is with a methodology of repair statement that an owner must agree to before undertaking the works. This never makes us popular […]
Contractor risk management in strata residential buildings is not about making sure the paperwork is up to date and the t’s are crossed and the i’s are dotted, it’s about keeping your residents safe, and for contractors to go home at the end of the day to their families safely. Inductions are usually met with […]
Most residents and strata committees would not be aware that their insurance policy likely stipulates that only cars registered at the buildings address are insured beyond secondary gates. This is one of the reasons why visitor parking is usually before secondary gates. So what does this mean? One point is if a resident leases a […]
Its a privilege working alongside powerhouse industry-leading legal teams and engineering experts in what is an unprecedented and landmark case in Australia’s strata industry. I get to remind myself this spending the odd Friday winding down in the mobile office looking at water view while winding down for the week. We all need to recharge so we […]
If your apartment floor waste admits sewer smells often, its likely your building has Air Admittance Valves and Grays Rescue Building Management are pleading for these valves (commonly referred to as a Durgo) to stop being used for large apartment blocks. As an ex plumber I understand the attraction of terminating vents in risers and […]
It’s part of life, when it comes to strata living, the best of building management & strata management companies can fall out of favour, it is what happens next that defines that company. For most of us, our ethics are everything and largely none of us would even consider proxy farming to retain a contract, […]
As refreshing as it is to read the story in the Sydney Morning Herald about the cleaning industry starting to clean up its act, will it actually happen or is it just a good news story? I understand too well what this industry is about as I had a cleaner come to me advising none […]