{"id":308016,"date":"2021-07-26T00:49:00","date_gmt":"2021-07-25T21:49:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/after-the-surfside-building-collapse-how-to-find-out-whether-your-condo-is-safe\/"},"modified":"2021-07-26T00:49:00","modified_gmt":"2021-07-25T21:49:00","slug":"after-the-surfside-building-collapse-how-to-find-out-whether-your-condo-is-safe","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/after-the-surfside-building-collapse-how-to-find-out-whether-your-condo-is-safe\/","title":{"rendered":"#: After the Surfside building collapse, how to find out whether your condo is safe"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_85 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a3befa5721e0\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a3befa5721e0\" checked aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/after-the-surfside-building-collapse-how-to-find-out-whether-your-condo-is-safe\/#The_tragedy_in_Surfside_Fla_has_been_a_wake-up_call_for_Americans_living_in_multifamily_buildings\" >The tragedy in Surfside, Fla., has been a wake-up call for Americans living in multifamily buildings<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-6' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-6'><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-6' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-6'><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-6' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-6'><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-6' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-6'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/after-the-surfside-building-collapse-how-to-find-out-whether-your-condo-is-safe\/#Know_what_material_the_building_is_made_of_%E2%80%94_and_when_it_was_constructed\" >Know what material the building is made of \u2014 and when it was constructed<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-6'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/after-the-surfside-building-collapse-how-to-find-out-whether-your-condo-is-safe\/#Look_out_for_certain_warning_signs\" >Look out for certain warning signs<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-6'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/after-the-surfside-building-collapse-how-to-find-out-whether-your-condo-is-safe\/#Read_up_on_the_condos_history\" >Read up on the condo\u2019s history<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-6'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/after-the-surfside-building-collapse-how-to-find-out-whether-your-condo-is-safe\/#Dont_skimp_on_the_home_inspection\" >Don\u2019t skimp on the home inspection<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-4'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/after-the-surfside-building-collapse-how-to-find-out-whether-your-condo-is-safe\/#Jacob_Passy\" >Jacob Passy<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<p>&#8220;<strong>#: After the Surfside building collapse, how to find out whether your condo is safe<\/strong>&#8221;<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"article__subhead\" itemprop=\"alternativeHeadline\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"The_tragedy_in_Surfside_Fla_has_been_a_wake-up_call_for_Americans_living_in_multifamily_buildings\"><\/span>\n  The tragedy in Surfside, Fla., has been a wake-up call for Americans living in multifamily buildings<br \/>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><\/p>\n<div class=\"column column--full article__content\">\n<div class=\"article__side\">\n<div class=\"container--sticky not-active\">\n<div id=\"cx-next\" data-nosnippet>\n              <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div id=\"js-article__body\" class=\"article__body article-wrap at16-col16 barrons-article-wrap\" itemprop=\"articleBody\" data-sbid=\"WP-MKTW-0000345447\">\n<div class=\"barrons-article-ad-wrapper\">\n<div data-track=\"barrons-article-ad-wrap\" class=\"barrons-article-ad sticky_item\">\n<div class=\"barrons-main-article-ad-target sticky_target body_ad\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div data-layout=\"\n                inline\" data-layout-mobile=\"\" class=\"\n          media-object\n          type-InsetArticleReader\n              \n              inline\n  article__inset\n          article__inset--type-InsetArticleReader\n              article__inset--inline\n  \"><\/p>\n<div class=\"media-object-article-reader\">\n<div class=\"audioplayer\" data-sbid=\"WP-MKTW-0000345447\" role=\"region\" aria-label=\"Listen to Article\" tabindex=\"-1\" id=\"articlereader\" data-show-title=\"false\" data-theme=\"wsj-article-reader\" data-show-header=\"false\" data-show-subscribe=\"false\" data-ads-enabled=\"true\" data-save-publication=\"false\">\n        <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>       The sudden collapse of a condo building in South Florida has many Americans worried about the safety of their own condos and apartments. But residents and buyers alike can take steps to ensure the building they inhabit is secure and not prone to such a disaster.<\/p>\n<p> In late June, Champlain Towers South, a 12-story waterfront condo in the Miami suburb of Surfside collapsed overnight. So far 97 people are confirmed to have died in the collapse, with two people still unaccounted. The tragedy ranks among the deadliest building collapses in U.S. history.<\/p>\n<div class=\"paywall\">\n       Following the collapse, reports came to light indicating that engineers had warned that there was major structural damage at the building before the incident, though condo owners had been told otherwise. The engineer\u2019s report came as part of the building\u2019s efforts to be recertified 40 years after it was first constructed, as part of regulations that went into effect after Hurricane Andrew.<\/p>\n<p>The tragedy has served as a wake-up call to condo owners across the country. Here is what condo residents and owners need to know when it comes to their buildings\u2019 structural integrity.<\/p>\n<h6><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Know_what_material_the_building_is_made_of_%E2%80%94_and_when_it_was_constructed\"><\/span>Know what material the building is made of \u2014 and when it was constructed<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h6>\n<p>Different methods of construction will display structural problems in different ways, said Mehrdad Sasani, an engineering professor at Northeastern University whose expertise is in concrete structures.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSteel structures do not have the type of cracks that concrete structures have,\u201d Sasani said.<\/p>\n<p>A <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/general\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"3\" title=\"General\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">general<\/a> rule of thumb is that taller buildings over 10 stories will be made of concrete or steel, while smaller buildings can be made of wood or brick-and-mortar structures. Looks can be deceiving here: Steel structures are often encased in concrete, and concrete buildings can have cosmetic masonry.<\/p>\n<p>The age of the building can be a factor. In 1989, concrete standards, including \u201cso-called structural integrity requirements,\u201d changed, Sasani said. \u201cSo buildings constructed after 1989 are somewhat more resistant to progressive collapse than the ones before,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p>Regionally, building codes can change to require more guardrails to prevent against structural collapse. In Florida, for instance, building codes were revised in the wake of Hurricane Andrew to take into account the need for protection against severe tropical storms.<\/p>\n<h6><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Look_out_for_certain_warning_signs\"><\/span>Look out for certain warning signs<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h6>\n<p>In concrete buildings like the one that collapsed in Florida, there are a few signs to watch out for that could indicate major structural problems. Sasani breaks them down into three categories:<\/p>\n<div id=\"cx-membership-tile\"><\/div>\n<ul class=\"articleList\">\n<li>\n      Cracks<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n      Crushing or crumbling of the concrete<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n      Corrosion and deterioration of rebar<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>With cracks, one important feature to watch out for is the width. If a crack is wider than 15 thousandths of an inch (or 0.015 inches), then a professional should evaluate it, Sasani said. An inspector will then look to see how large the cracks are, where they are located and whether they are going at an angle.<\/p>\n<p>As for rebar, any exposed metal that was once covered by concrete is cause for concern. Concrete buildings include metal reinforcement, and as that metal corrodes over time it can expand. That will cause the covering concrete to come off. A small spot where that rebar is exposed could be an indication of corrosion throughout the structure.<\/p>\n<p>Even seemingly cosmetic issues can be a sign of larger problems. <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.canadianhomeinspection.com\/commercial-inspections\/commercial-reference-library\/structural-issues\/\" class=\"icon none\">According to Canadian Home Inspection Services<\/a>, when doors or windows don\u2019t close properly, that could be one of the first warnings that there are problems with the building\u2019s foundation. \u201cIf things are starting to go out-of-square with the property, it is likely due to a shifting foundation, which can lead to major wall breaks, separations and foundation failures,\u201d the home inspection company noted.<\/p>\n<p>The same is true of other small issues such as cracked tiles, wrinkled wallpaper or musty odors, which could be signs of foundation or plumbing issues.<\/p>\n<p>The sheer presence of cracks alone, though, is not a sign that a structure is headed for failure, particularly in concrete buildings. Cracks can <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/download-scripts-themes-apps\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"9\" title=\"Download Scripts &amp; Themes &amp; Apps\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">app<\/a>ear in partition walls throughout a building due flooring issues, rather than because of structural problems. In other words, don\u2019t panic at the first sign of a crack.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cCracking is part of the <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/game\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"7\" title=\"Game\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">game<\/a>,\u201d said Sasani. \u201cWe don\u2019t prevent cracks \u2014 we control cracks, so they are not wide open.\u201d<\/p>\n<h6><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Read_up_on_the_condos_history\"><\/span>Read up on the condo\u2019s history<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h6>\n<p>Knowing what past issues the condo has dealt with \u2014 and how the condo owners\u2019 association dealt with them \u2014 can be illustrative for prospective buyers. Condo associations can provide buyers with inspection reports, engineering reports, notes from COA meetings, building certifications and information regarding the state of the condo\u2019s finances.<\/p>\n<p>If a condo is lacking in cash reserves, that could be a major red flag. Those reserves are collected through the association fees paid by unit owners, and that money is used to pay for repairs and replacements. If a condo doesn\u2019t have enough in its reserves to cover that, it could be a sign that the building isn\u2019t being properly maintained. It also could be a warning that the COA fees could rise after purchasing the unit.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Read more: <\/strong>Condo safety is often about the money\u2014how to check out if a building is vulnerable to risks<\/p>\n<p>Similarly, reading through the minutes of association meetings can provide insight into what unaddressed problems there are. Are upstairs neighbors complaining about leaks? Did someone\u2019s car in the downstairs garage get damaged from a falling chunk of concrete? Again, these are the sorts of warning signs that could prove useful.<\/p>\n<h6><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Dont_skimp_on_the_home_inspection\"><\/span>Don\u2019t skimp on the home inspection<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h6>\n<p>When purchasing a condo, an owner will have the option to decide between an interior-only inspection and a full inspection. In an interior-only inspection, the inspector only examines the unit itself, whereas a full inspection includes attics, crawl spaces, building exteriors, roofs, garages and other common spaces in a building.<\/p>\n<p>With larger apartment buildings and condos, full inspections may not be feasible unfortunately, due to the limitations in what an inspector has access to.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cFull inspections are not as comprehensive as commercial inspections, but they will give you a good general sense of the overall condition of the building or buildings,\u201d real estate brokerage Redfin<br \/>\n        RDFN,<br \/>\n        <bg-quote field=\"percentchange\" format=\"0,000.00%\" channel=\"\/zigman2\/quotes\/203726414\/composite\" class=\"negative\">-1.06%<\/bg-quote><br \/>\n      <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.redfin.com\/blog\/the-condo-inspection-what-buyers-need-to-know\/\" class=\"icon none\"> noted in a 2019 report<\/a>. \u201cYou can then take the information gleaned from a full condo inspection as well as the disclosure you get from the HOA and try and assess the overall \u2018health\u2019 of the condo.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><strong>See also: <\/strong>Condo safety is often about the money\u2014how to check out if a building is vulnerable to risks<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<p><\/p>\n<div class=\"byline article__byline\">\n<p>      <span>By<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"author  hasMenu\" data-scrim='{\"type\":\"author\",\"header\":\"Jacob Passy\",\"subhead\":\"The Wall Street Journal\",\"list\":[]}' itemscope itemprop=\"author\" itemtype=\"http:\/\/schema.org\/Person\">\n<h4 itemprop=\"name\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Jacob_Passy\"><\/span>Jacob Passy<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h4>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<blockquote><p><strong><span style=\"color: #ff6600;\">If you liked the article, do not forget to share it with your friends. Follow us on\u00a0<span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><a style=\"color: #ff0000;\" href=\"https:\/\/news.google.com\/publications\/CAAqBwgKMLG0nwswvr63Aw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">Google News<\/a><\/span>\u00a0too, click on the star and choose us from your favorites.<\/span><\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">For forums sites go to <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/forum.buradabiliyorum.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Forum.BuradaBiliyorum.Com<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>If you want to read more <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/news\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"2\" title=\"News\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">News<\/a> articles, you can visit our <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/news\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">News category.<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"color: black;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"http:\/\/www.marketwatch.com\/news\/story.asp?guid=%7B20C05575-04D4-B545-7545-675A4FB716A2%7D&#038;siteid=rss&#038;rss=1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Source<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#8220;#: After the Surfside building collapse, how to find out whether your condo is safe&#8221; The tragedy in Surfside, Fla., has been a wake-up call for Americans living in multifamily buildings The sudden collapse of a condo building in South Florida has many Americans worried about the safety of their own condos and apartments. But&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":308017,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[70897],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-308016","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/308016","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=308016"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/308016\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/308017"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=308016"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=308016"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=308016"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}