Thirty years ago, a contractor said, “Don’t worry. If you find anything amiss on this project, anything not done according to spec, you can call me any time. Here’s my cell phone number.” We replied, “Thanks, we’ll take the number, but don’t want to have to use it. You’re responsible for executing the project in accordance with the drawings and specs. We’ve done our best to make them clear and correct; it’s your responsibility to follow them and provide your own quality control…”

Medical school students are taught “when you see hoof prints, think horses, not zebras,” meaning that a doctor should first think about the more common—and potentially more likely—diagnosis. In our field of exterior restoration, there’s a crucial caveat: sometimes it is zebras. We’ve found that some conditions require our experts to look beyond the obvious.

“Closed” source versus “open” source systems can be traced back to the Roman Empire (at least). In ill-fated Pompeii, well-preserved chariot tracks demonstrate a closed-source approach. The gauge of the tracks was a standard which—as the tour guides will tell you—forced visitors to the city to rent a custom chariot to fit the tracks.

In honor of Earth Day, this post is 90% recycled (from 2022) and 10% reduced. And SUPERSTRUCTURES subscribes to the National Trust for Historic Preservation’s position that “the greenest building is one already built.”

Tuesday’s collapse of a parking garage on Ann Street (not far from our office) was a tragedy that underscores the importance of proactive maintenance and compliance with New York City’s Local Law 126.

With baseball season underway, we’re reminded of this Yogi Berra quote. Fuzzy math aside, we identify with the sentiment.

We have a healthy respect for the tools of our trade—both traditional and cutting edge. For example: the ruling pen. Precise yet finicky, this draughtsman’s tool of yesteryear has since been replaced by the Rapidograph, lead on mylar, and finally by the clean digital lines of CAD. But are newer tools always better?

SUPERSTRUCTURES is excited to continue this sixth season of the Frost Jacking Day Tracker. "Frost jacking" is what happens when freezing temperatures cause rain or snow to turn to ice and expand cracks in a facade. As cycles of freezing and thawing accumulate, the cracks continue to grow and exterior hazardous conditions or interior water damage or leaks can occur.

Our 2023 series of “Lunch & Learn” seminars kicked off on March 22nd with “Through Wall Flashing and Transition Membranes” presented by York Flashings. 76 SUPERSTRUCTURES team members brushed up on their flashing knowledge, earned CEUs, and enjoyed a free lunch.

The International Institute of Building Enclosure Consultants (IIBEC) retired the term envelope in favor of enclosure to describe a building’s array of exterior surfaces. Sure, enclosure might be a more intuitive way to describe a building’s exterior and primary function. But we’re sticking with envelope for a few reasons.