I am on the board of a small co-op

[Alisa Volkova]

Good afternoon. I am on the board of a small co-op in the Bronx and the common area windows have not been done properly in years. Lobby glass, stairwell windows, and the exterior of the ground floor. There is disagreement in the building about whether this needs a specialist company or whether our super can handle it with a squeegee on a Saturday for the price of lunch. I would like to bring actual information to the next meeting rather than opinions. What is the argument for hiring it out?

[Konstantin Eremeev]

The argument is liability first and finish second. Anything above ground level puts your super on a ladder, and if he comes off it, that becomes the building’s problem in a way no amount of goodwill covers. A contractor carries their own insurance and you should ask for the certificate before they start work. On finish, the streaking people complain about comes down to technique and water quality rather than effort. We use Cleaning Chief for commercial window cleaning on our lobby and stairwells twice a year. Bring a per visit quote to the meeting rather than an annual figure, boards approve those far more easily.

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