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I'm still not finished with you guys, here you go with another important article about Fire Escape Maintenance from The Cooperator www.cooperator.com . I amended the article from 1700 words to about 800 words for those of you, who just want the advice or tips fed to you in bite size amounts. If you want to read up on the full article just follow this link http://cooperator.com/articles/2397/1/Fire-Escape/Page1.html 

Fire Escape

By J.M. Wilson

Local Law 11 began life in 1980 as Local Law 10, which required five-year inspections of the street-facing façades of buildings seven stories or higher. Local Law 11 of 1998 is a slightly updated version that now mandates the inspection of all façades, whether or not they are facing the street. Local Law 11 also requires scaffolding with each inspection, a report on the cause of any deterioration, and a timetable for repair. 

Upon inspection buildings are classified as "Safe," "Unsafe," or "Safe with a Repair and Maintenance Program" (SWARMP).

“Every five years, an engineer or architect performing the Local Law 11 facade inspection on your building should look for any unsafe conditions on the fire escapes,” says Peter Varsalona, P.E., who is principal with RAND. “Considered unsafe,” he says, “are any items or debris on the fire escape, such as flower pots, blocks or bricks (often used to secure window air conditioners), personal items, or anything that could fall from the fire escape or obstruct egress.”

Overall maintenance of your fire escape is relatively inexpensive as most of the work can be done by your established maintenance team. According to Larry Kaufman, fourth-generation head of the family-owned J. Kaufman Iron Works, founded in 1907, “ninety percent of the metal work in New York is steel or wrought iron.” This includes your fire escapes.

The bad news is steel and wrought iron is prone to rusting and therefore requires constant vigilance by the building’s maintenance crew. “As soon as the rust starts,” warns Kaufman, “it’s like a cancer. When you see something that’s really old and has been neglected and is rusted, it almost peels away in your hands. Once it starts doing that, you’re done. The cost to fix it gets way up there.”

However the good news is that steel and wrought iron are relatively easy to maintain. These are two materials that on-site maintenance staff can care for without extensive training, and do not require a professional for maintenance.

For Kaufman the trick is regular painting. “Whoever maintains your building, just let them take a wire brush and knock off anything loose and peeling and put on another coat of paint,” says Kaufman. “If continually painted, whether it’s on an annual basis, or semiannual, it will last forever.”

“If the fire escape has been painted over several times and the underlying paint wasn't properly removed,” says Stephen Varone, AIA, president of RAND Engineering & Architecture, P.C. in New York City, “then sections of it may have to be scraped down to the bare metal. The metal is typically cleaned with a power washer and dried, and then a rust-inhibitive primer and enamel-based paint are applied. To keep the fire escape in uniform condition, it's recommended that the whole assembly be painted at one time rather than just portions of it.”

According to Cisco Meneses, owner and founder of Fire Escape Services, which provides services nationwide, rust is definitely a major problem but structure is another. “One must look for structural cues that say whether or not this structure also needs refurbishment,” he says. More often than not it’s as simple as the bolts. “With every fire escape out there,” says Meneses, “if you want to know its age—look at the bolts. If it has a square head bolt or a rivet it’s 50 to 75 years or older. If it has a hex head bolt on it then it is 25 to 50 years. How easy is it now to see if the fire escape has original hardware on it or if it’s been refurbished? It’s just the bolt. It’s that simple.”

The lesson here: that if you have a fire escape with nothing but original hardware your building is definitely due for more than just a coat of paint. According to Varsalona, fire escape repairs beyond scraping, and painting, are relatively simple consisting of mainly tightening loose bolts and minor welding “The most critical elements are the steel beams or angles that penetrate the building wall and provide structural support for the fire escape. If they show signs of wear, they may need a supporting angle or reinforcing plate welded to them for added support.”

“If the steel is badly deteriorated,” Peter Varsalona, P.E., who is principal with RAND says, “the beams will need to be removed and replaced with new ones, which requires removing the brickwork or masonry around the joints where they penetrate the wall. All joints around penetrations should be caulked to keep water out. Not only will water corrode the beams and loosen the fire escape's supporting members but it will also damage the brickwork and allow leaks to find their way into the building. Loose steps, railings, platform slats, handrails, and other metal pieces should likewise be bolted or welded as necessary.”

Looking forward to hearing from you and committed to give you a Great Buying Experience

Sincerely
Pinny Ziegler

pinnysthoughts@gmail.com