Your facade doesn’t care about local laws or initiatives like “Get Sheds Down.” Building owners must comply with such regulations, but building envelopes are subject to more universal factors: weather, climate, gravity, and time.

Municipal ordinances may come and go. But unless we repeal the laws of physics, the envelope always will require remediation of deteriorated conditions—or better yet proactive attention.

Water infiltration into building envelopes is the main culprit of deterioration—to both the exterior envelope and interior spaces.

When structural iron or steel corrodes from water infiltration, it expands (up to six times its original size), causing cracks, spalls, or wholesale failure in the surrounding masonry and calling into question the member’s ability to sustain the load it was designed to carry.

Compounding the problem in New York City, buildings are also subject to freeze/thaw cycling, which can cause “frost jacking,” exacerbating masonry deficiencies with time and the seasons.

Gravity and time are universal factors that affect buildings, regardless of climate and precipitation. Given enough time, gravity can cause deteriorated facade elements to end up on the street.

We always advise our clients to be proactive about building maintenance, using the mantra “fix, then file.” That way, compliance with local laws like Local Law 11 (FISP) becomes routine rather than traumatic. This approach can also help flatten the curve of exponential deterioration, saving time and money in the long run.

Facades don’t care, but owners should.