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The quick reaction and critical thinking of a Brooklyn property manager from 448 Property Management saved the building owner at least $10,000 in damages when the basement of the building, with no history of flooding or leaks, was suddenly awash.
The Issue
As the property managers of a seven-unit building in Bed Stuy, Brooklyn, 448 Property Management was alerted by a leak detector of water in the cellar on a rainy day. Upon arrival, the team discovered standing water six inches deep and water continually flowing in from a basement wall. They immediately ran an emergency sump pump, which spared the boiler and water heater further damage. They then laid tarps around a section of the building’s periphery and began planning to install a drainage basin to ease pumping. With the immediate emergency under control, 448’s facility management experts began a methodical investigation of exactly how the water was reaching the wall, evaluating the simplest causes first.
Investigating the Root Cause
After ruling out a drain pipe leak or water seepage from a leak in a neighboring building (which lacked a cellar, making a leak from their side unlikely), 448 sought the expert opinions of contractors. Some of the contractors recommended costly excavation to search for a below-ground water source, but ultimately it was the visual inspections of one of 448’s managers that revealed the problem. Among the bushes in the front yard, the 448 manager discovered aged and broken concrete and masonry that had been previously covered by earth and mulch. Through experimenting with tarp placement outside the building and running water over the tarp to reveal its pattern of movement, it was determined that cracks in the cellar’s hatch wall were funneling water from the sidewalk across the front yard area and streaming it just below the surface through a two-inch gap between buildings. After pooling, the water was seeping down to the cellar and leaking through the wall.
A Simple Solution Emerges
Although expert tradesmen had proposed excavation or the use of expensive water detection equipment, in this case, the curiosity of 448’s management team, some tarps, and a garden hose were enough to diagnose the problem. Thanks to 448’s simple approach and genuine concern for the building’s foundation and the owner’s bottom line, the source of the problem was detected more quickly and with less expense. Rebuilding the sidewalk hatch walls and concrete and masonry around the building’s frontage and garden area and addressing the gap between the buildings solved the flooding issue at a total cost of approximately $4,000. The boiler and water heater sustained approximately $400 in damage during the initial flood, but 448’s immediate response prevented the equipment from being damaged beyond repair, an expense that would have been upwards of $10,000. The flooding issue was fully resolved within 30 days of the leak detector’s first alert. 448 Property Management kept the building owner, who lives in Long Island, informed of action plans and progress throughout the process. The building owner was thrilled with 448’s fast, efficient, and economic response.
Brooklyn Property Management Company
448 Property Management provides custom residential property management solutions to 2-20 unit rental, condo and co-op buildings throughout Brooklyn. 448 leveraged its excellent problem-solving and interpersonal skills and three decades of experience as a multi-building property owner to create a uniquely flexible service model that provides highly customized facility management services that are based on the building owner’s needs. The technical skills, specialized knowledge, and exceptional responsiveness of each member of the dedicated 448 team make 448’s property managers an invaluable resource to Brooklyn condo, co-op and apartment owners. 448 Property Management’s selection of customizable property management services includes building maintenance services, building repairs, and building management and financial services.
