By Wayne R. Lawson, P.E., SECB, MCPPO Since Boston is currently positioned in the top 10 Snowiest Winters of All Time (and Spring is still 37 days away!), we felt it necessary to remind people about the concerns of excessive …
By Jennifer dos Santos, Assoc. A.I.A. Architecture and design of existing building renovations and restoration is a very specific area of expertise. Renovations to existing buildings provide their own set of challenges and requirements that don’t always exist with the …
By Jennifer dos Santos Change orders are often an unavoidable reality of construction projects, especially renovation projects where there can be unknown conditions. Change orders are rarely “happily received” by Designers, Owners, or Owner’s Representatives, but many Owners do not …
By Steven A. Watchorn, Assoc. A.I.A., LEED AP It has astounded me how often the major U.S. paint manufacturers change their line of paint. In recent years, with advances in synthetic and resin technologies, more stringent VOC regulations, LEED compliant …
By Wayne R. Lawson, P.E., SECB Owners who remember last year’s record snow fall remain concerned about the excessive build up of snow on roofs and structures. The concerns are well-founded. If left in place, snow can build up to …
By Robert G. Wilkin, P.E. There are a number of materials to put on walkways to melt snow and ice. The old standby is sodium chloride (NaCl), also known as rock salt. It is a highly corrosive material and its …
By Eric R. Kizak, P.E. In New England the first week of January is the traditional start of the snow sports season. Unfortunately, to the dismay of winter outdoor enthusiasts, this year’s season has started off with much less snow …
By Robert G. Wilkin, P.E. CBI recently completed a project to recoat the stone on a 200-year-old mill building. The project was designed under the requirements of the Massachusetts Historical Commission, so the recoated stone needed to match its previous …
By Michael S. Teller, A.I.A., NCARB, LEED AP BD+C, President In the final part of this blog series I will discuss items 7, 8, and 9: 7. Code Analysis: Before any project starts, a thorough code analysis should be performed …
By Michael S. Teller, A.I.A., NCARB, LEED AP BD+C, President Continuing with items 4, 5, and 6: 4. Wood Rots: The good and the bad news about modern paints, is that they do not contain lead. Good from a health …