Criterium-Dudka Engineers proudly announces its recognition as one of the Top 10 Construction Forensic Services Companies by Construction Business Review. Criterium-Dudka Engineers has received this prestigious acknowledgment due to its expertise in addressing complex water infiltration and building deterioration challenges across various property types, including suburban condominiums, high-rises, and historic brownstones. With a commitment to….
Commercial News
Pickleball: One Way to Repurpose Underutilized Assets
Is your HOA looking to repurpose underutilized assets? Here’s is an engineer’s perspective on one way to utilize the tennis courts on your property and once again make them an asset for residents. The article takes a fun look at a fast-growing sport that may be a good fit for your community association. An Addictive….
Building Science: 101 Ventilation Best Practices
With winter approaching, I am often asked what cold-weather planning the building committee should be considering. Surprise is expressed when I suggest the condominium’s attics and their venting. It is true an attic only needs one tenth the ventilation in the winter than in the summer to control moisture buildup and temperature, but the wintertime….
Shine a Light on Safety
Lighting Safety – Exterior Lighting Plans and Considerations While our crime rate is low compared to the urban violence found in other parts of the country, some condominium and homeowner associations still recognize a need for security tools such as key fobs, Ring doorbell systems, cameras, gates, and guard houses. Of all these systems, perhaps….
Building Maintenance Check List
A Proactive Approach is Best If you are responsible for your condo or HOA’s physical condition, this is no time to relax. Planning now can pay big dividends in being able to hire a repair contractor before the spring/summer crunch arrives. With that in mind, the following list can provide a guide to issues for….
Why You Should Hire an Engineer Versus a Building Inspector
For every real estate transaction that you are involved in, chances are as part of the due-diligence process, you are hiring a building inspection professional to look at the property prior to closing. This is a helpful and valuable service that is routinely recommended to buyers and may be required by lenders. However, if the….
Top Ten Building Problems
During Criterium Engineers’ many years in business, we have inspected thousands of buildings for structural and mechanical issues. We are often asked by both prospective buyers and property managers to name the most common problems found in buildings. Interesting enough, new buildings can have more hidden problems than older properties whose defects have manifested themselves….
Got Mold?
Indoor air quality is a growing concern. Mold and mildew, fostered by moisture accumulation, can lead to respiratory discomfort and aggravate allergies and other respiratory conditions. Moisture-related problems in the home are not always visible. Sick building syndrome is used to describe situations in which the occupants of a building experience acute health effects that seem to….
Why Proper Air Ventilation is More Important Than Ever
If you’re planning a re-roofing project, we recommend in-depth consideration of the building ventilation under the roof. Inadequate attic venting can cause ice dams, energy loss, and moisture damage to the roof structure. Too often roof re-surface projects repeat the mistakes of the past. A proper roof project includes a review of the capacity of….
Cost Segregation Studies for Commercial Real Estate
Cost Segregation is the practice of identifying assets and their costs and classifying those assets for federal tax purposes. In a Cost Segregation Study, certain commercial building costs previously classified with a 39-year depreciable life, can instead be classified as personal property or land improvements, with a 5, 7, or 15-year rate of depreciation using accelerated….