Overview
Since opening in late 2024, the childcare educational facility faced unusually high utility costs—at times exceeding $8,000 per month. A leading commercial real estate agency, representing the school and property owner, engaged Melink to investigate after attempts to resolve the issue with the original general contractor escalated to legal action. During construction, the GC had bypassed Melink, relying instead on the mechanical contractor to perform TAB and commissioning.
When Melink began balancing in May, several critical deficiencies were identified, including missing return grilles, absent volume dampers, and sealed damper handles that were inoperable—all of which had been incorrectly reported as within design tolerance by the original TAB contractor. These findings underscored both the shortcomings of the initial work and the vital importance of independent, third-party verification.
Performance
Following submission of the report, Melink participated in a legal review meeting at the client’s request, providing commentary strictly on documented onsite observations. Both the commercial real estate agency and the school owner expressed strong satisfaction with the report’s transparency and detail, which validated concerns about the original TAB work and provided a sound basis for technical and legal next steps. They plan to re-engage Melink after design adjustments and repairs to complete the balancing process. Melink also advised the client on NEBB’s Quality Assurance Program as a resource for validating third-party reports.
Conclusion
This project depicts the inherent risks of bypassing independent TAB providers. Relying on the installation team for verification often results in oversights and unresolved deficiencies, which can escalate into costly legal challenges. Engaging Melink or another qualified third-party TAB firm at project turnover would have significantly reduced these risks and helped ensure a smoother, more reliable outcome.
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