Insights
Our blog on how community owners and operators can protect value and resident health with pipe replacement.
Top 7 Reasons to Use a Specialty Pipe Replacement Contractor
Paramedics excel in medical emergencies. That doesn’t mean they have the skills and experience to perform heart surgery, too. Apply this same logic when you undertake a mechanical or plumbing capital improvement in your apartment or condo buildings. For leaks, maintenance, and fixture installs, your service provider is a perfect...
Including Pipes in Capital Improvement Planning
Leverage Useful Life Estimates, Incident Tracking, and Pipe Assessments to Prepare Your Community for the Inevitable
Maybe you’ve never considered that you may one day have to replace a whole piping system in your community. The fact is, it’s becoming more common as about half of U.S. apartment and condominium...
The Science Behind Costly Pipe Breakdowns
Compatibility is the key to longevity. That’s as true for human relationships as it is for piping systems. Without compatibility, breakups—and breakdowns—are inevitable.
At SageWater, we see a high volume of premature piping system failures due to the use of incompatible materials. Think of a mixture of metals, or...
When to Repipe Your Community—and How to Fund It
In any condo or apartment community, maintenance and repairs are inevitable. Over time, building materials will begin to fail, and pipes are no exception. Depending on the material, pipes may begin to develop cracks and leaks within a few decades of installation, sometimes less.
Planning Capital Improvements? Vet Contractors with These 10 Questions.
When planning a large capital improvement project, it’s crucial to select the right contractor. You want to find the right mix of skills, price, process, credentials, and capabilities. Employ a disciplined selection process to recognize potential risks and realize the right value.
Here are 10 questions to ask contractors that...
Asbestos May Be Lurking in Your Building. Take a Strategic Approach That Protects People’s Health and the Bottom Line.
If you own, manage, or operate older multifamily buildings, thinking about asbestos is inevitable. Even so, we at SageWater encounter many misunderstandings among our clients about when and how to test for asbestos in their buildings. We recommend that a well-run apartment building and community association will perform a...
Manage Insurance Risk Through Proactive Pipe Replacement
Common Pitfalls and Guidance for Community Association Boards and Property Managers
As pipes begin to fail in condo and co-op communities, water damage and related hazards can become more frequent and severe. And as incidences increase, so do community association insurance costs and risk.
Winter is Coming…7 Tips To Prep Your HVAC and Plumbing Systems
In the hustle and bustle of the holiday season, don’t forget that now is a great time to prepare your plumbing and heating systems for winter and avoid system failures when it’s most dangerous. The following tips will help you avoid unexpected repair costs that can become bigger emergencies during...
Frightful Pipes? Don’t Get Scared—Be Prepared.
Do you know what could be lurking inside your building’s pipes? Let’s just say that if your pipes are old enough, you won’t need Halloween decorations this month to get a good scare. How frightening? Check out these cutaway images of clogged pipes...
Budgeting for the New Normal
We have all heard the stories and read the headlines about supply shortages and price increases resulting from COVID-19 related production and supply chain issues. Everything from wood 2x4s at your local home improvement store to new cars at car dealerships is experiencing price increases coupled with more limited...