condominium safety Archives

How to Drain a Water Heater : How-To : DIY Network

November 30, 2012 by Thom Abbott

See on Scoop.it – Midtown Atlanta Conversations and Condos

Living in a condominium is NOT entirely without maintenance responsibilities. But, I’d be willing to guess that 95% of most condominium owners never drain their hot water heater!

How to Drain a Water Heater

Learn how to drain a water heater and prevent a surprising cold shower with this project from DIY Network.
Another option if you really are not comfortable with this project and lack the tools (I mean really who in a condo HAS a garden hose?) then check with your Concierge and find a plumber that has done work in your building. You might want to get a couple estimates for this project, but maintaining your hot water heater can save you big bucks in the future.
To replace a hot water heater will cost between $300-800 depending on the size, location and how easily it can be accessed. I’ve seen one condo building where the hot water heaters are ABOVE YOUR HEAD in the closet…and that cannot be an easy repair!
See on www.diynetwork.com

Condo Balcony Furniture And Why There Are Rules

October 29, 2012 by Thom Abbott

When you live in a condominium, you live in close quarters. I mean, it’s not like a single family home on a one-half acre lot….you do have neighbors right next door. So, that is why you have covenants, conditions and restrictions (CC&Rs) which are the governing documents that dictate how the homeowners association operates and what rules you have to follow.

Condo Balcony Furniture And Why There Are Rules

As Super Storm bears down on the New Jersey coast line and points inland, we’ve felt outer winds way over here in Atlanta! Wind and high rises are not always a problem..but what’s on your balcony…that is a whole other story! Rules about what you can have on your condo balcony vary widely from building to building. Those buildings like Viewpoint Midtown and Spire Midtown have even more strict rules because of the nature of the design of the balconies and how they cantilever out and are mostly exposed to the elements, including wind.

I took this picture today from the 14th Floor of Viewpoint Midtown. You should be able to see that a chair on each of the balconies has been blown over. The wind force 14 stories up in the air is very different from the street. Couple that with the wind circling around a building and patio furniture, it not heavy enough can be lifted up and over a balcony railing. Can you imagine the force that a piece of furniture would hit the ground 14 stories below? Lethal for sure, if it hit anyone.

I was once on the street in front of another condo building with a pool deck on the 7th floor. While stopped in traffic, an umbrella from one of the tables landed on the sidewalk. Thankfully, there was no one walking anywhere close, but again, it could of been a disaster.

See, there are reasons….Condo Balcony Furniture and Why There Are Rules!

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National Fire Prevention Week -October 7-13, 2012

October 5, 2012 by Thom Abbott

You know, things just have a funny way of happening.

Just yesterday, I was on the 21st floor of Twelve Atlantic Station with my first-time home (condo) buyer doing the inspection on the condo she is buying. And while we were talking, the subject of water and fire came up.

Water because the home inspector was showing her where the main water shut off was if there was ever an emergency in her condo regarding water. If you don’t live in a high, or mid-rise condominium, the two biggest problem causes are water and fire.

So then this morning, I see that next week is National Fire Prevention Week, October 7-13 to be exact. And it got me thinking about all the high-rise buildings in Atlanta. Of course there are the office buildings, but let’s focus on the residential condominium buildings. And fire safety.

Most of today’s newer condominium towers have pretty advanced life safety systems. But the are not fool proof, and still require human intervention. If an alarm DOES sound, it’s still up the the building’s Concierge or security officer to determine if it’s a false alarm or a real emergency. As I have been told in many buildings, the alarms will sound on the floor above, and below where the actual alarm has been triggered. If not silenced within a certain amount of time (based on there NOT being an emergency) the alarm will then sound in the entire building. Now, I’m not a fireman, or fire marshal, so my understanding of this process should not be taken as the gospel truth!!!

But let’s just think about this for one minute. Heaven forbid, there IS a fire in your building? Do you have an escape plan? Have you really paid attention to where the stairs are located on your floor? You do know the elevators immediately return to the lobby, open and are not operational until a “fire key” is used to turn them back on? Do you know where the stairwell exits out of your building? Maybe National Fire Prevention Week would be a good time to make your plan.

Are you aware that the doors to stairwells in high rises LOCK behind you when you enter the stairwell? (Or at least from a security standpoint most of them do?) There are suppose to be select floors whereby you can get OUT of the stairwell and back into a hallway if the exit via a stairwell is blocked.

Do you have a fire extinguisher in your condo?

Here’s a Saturday or Sunday morning exercise for you. Take the stairs from your condo to the street. Yeah, I don’t care if you are on the 28th or 36th floor. Take the stairs. Find out about locked doors. Find out about points of access back into the building if you needed to.

You know what? I’m having some knee problems, so a stairwell trip would be a real challenge for me, but I think I may just try it myself.

I’ll report back to you about what I found. And if you DO take this challenge, let me know by posting a comment here.

For MORE Information about fire safety and prevention, visit the National Fire Protection Association’s website.

Are You Ready For a Natural Disaster?

April 18, 2012 by Thom Abbott

Sometimes, living in a large city like Atlanta, can make one forget about things like being prepared for a natural disaster. So we have them in Atlanta, yes we do!

It has already been 5 years, but in 2008, a tornado went right through Downtown Atlanta, causing severe damage to numerous buildings, including the Westin Peachtree Plaza where numerous windows were blown out. Later, the hotel had to completely replace all of the windows in the 50 story building so they would match.

Are you prepared for such a disaster? If you live in suburban Atlanta, tornados DO happen! So can flooding of local creeks from heavy rains. I’d say we don’t have to worry about blizzards, but do you remember the Winter of 2011 and ice skating on Peachtree Street? Did you make it to the store and stock up before the streets were ice, and stayed that way for like FIVE days?

Whether you are single and live alone, or have a family, you need a plan to be ready for a natural disaster….Why not look at the FEMA site Ready.gov for tips and ideas on how to plan for a natural disaster. Having a plan now, could save your family in the future.

Hot Time In The City (or Country) — Tips For Keeping Your Cool!

April 16, 2012 by Thom Abbott

Hot Time In The City (or Country) — Tips For Keeping Your Cool!

Yep. Summer is just around the corner…and you know what that means……HOTLANTA! Whew! 90 something everyday! I walk out at 7am on my way to my Midtown Atlanta office and think, “Man, can it just stay THIS temperature for the rest of the day?” It doesn’t happen. So, here’s a few tips for YOU to keep you cool in the upcoming hot days of the summer.

* Set your thermostat higher when away at work, or away on vacation. About 5 degrees will do it.

* Set your thermostat at 78 degrees or higher and forget it! By raising your temperature you could save about a $100 on your summer power bills

HVAC Repair * Change your air conditioning filter. Whether you live in an older house in Historic Midtown Atlanta, or a new condominium, you’d be amazed at how dirty those guys get. And dirty means less efficiency, and making your a/c work harder. Set yourself a reminder on your calendar. (You should change your filter every other month!)

* Check your doors and windows for leaks. For our condo dwellers, newer buildings are pretty tight, but your older buildings might not be so. If you have cobwebs or high levels of dust, you probably have air leaks. (Shoot, I thought that was just from my extreme desire NOT to do house cleaning….)

* If in a single family home, be sure to make sure your outdoor condenser can “breathe” and is not covered up by landscape shrubs

*Have your system regularly serviced (usually spring and fall) to keep it at its peak performance. In Midtown Atlanta, we condo dwellers often forget that we have a unit somewhere (like maybe on the roof) that should be serviced. Of course this requires a bit of extra planning to the building maintenance people can get your a/c man on the roof.

Just a few cool tips to keep you cool in th upcoming Dog Days of Summer in Midtown Atlanta!

Mingle in Midtown and Shining Light Walk – Tuesday, March 20 7-10PM

March 17, 2012 by Thom Abbott

Living in an urban area always requires you to be aware of your surroundings. It’s just a simple fact. Heck, I do it even in the burbs! I’m always watching if someone is walking behind me, close to me,standing around, etc. And it’s great to see when a neighborhood comes together for safety. Well, and an adult beverage can’t hurt, right? Welcome Midtown Neighbors’ Association’s (MNA) Mingle in Midtown and Shining Light Walk! This edition will take place THIS Tuesday, March 20 from 7-10pm at Cypress Pint and Plate, located at 6th and Cypress streets, just behind Cornerstone Village and Spire Midtown!

My friend and owner, Billy from Cypress Pint and Plate will do his usual finest with munchies and drink specials. Then, at 7:30pm the 2nd Shining Light Walk will commence. Beginning at 7:30 (not much time for an adult beverage…I’d arrive at 6:30pm myself) the walk will head to Myrtle Street, 4th Street and then back to Cypress Pint and Plate.

This type of event is designed for a couple of reasons. One, to bring the neighbors out of their condos and cottages of Midtown Atlanta to meet and two, to show anyone thinking about commiting a crime in Midtown Atlanta that you’re being watched!

I’ll be there and look forward to seeing you all there as well. Be sure to say Hello!

How to Drain a Water Heater

Condo Balcony Furniture And Why There Are Rules

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