GLASGOW — Driving through the streets of Glasgow, locals may notice an occasional big, orange X taped to the door of an old home or abandoned business. That orange X is the sign of a condemned building, and lately those Xs have been appearing with a bit more frequency.

Seven buildings are currently condemned within the city limits of Glasgow, with many more inside Code Inspection Officer Larry Baldock’s book that are in need of work. While Baldock said he thinks Glasgow does pretty well with building maintenance, it is hard to keep up with all the buildings and make sure those that are condemned get torn down or remodeled promptly.

“We’re behind, and I don’t feel like we’ll ever be ahead,” said Baldock, who is also in charge of all city ordinances regarding property upkeep and he helps with new construction sites in the city. “You get one down and two pop up.”

A building becomes condemned when fixing it would be more cost than it is worth, or the structure is dangerous to life or health, Baldock said. When a building does become condemned, the Glasgow Fire Department tapes an orange X and a “Condemned” sign around the entrances, so if there is a fire the firefighters will know it is not safe to enter the building.

Most condemned buildings are torn down instead of remodeled, according to Baldock. A property owner has 30 days to do something about the property, but Baldock said he and the city will work with someone if they need more time.

“We’ll work with them, as long as they go in and start on it and not just work a few days and stop a few days and work a few more days. They need to go on and get it done,” he said.

He understands that people don’t want the expense of tearing down a building, but the longer a building sits, the more it deteriorates and becomes unstable.

It is a simple process to get a contractor’s crew to bulldoze a building, but not many property owners want to deal with it, he said. “Pretty much everybody tries to drag it out.”

If the city requests a building to be torn down and a property owner does not comply, Baldock said the city will step in and tear down the building, and then it will put a lien on the property for the amount of the bill. If the owner still does not take care of it promptly, the taxes and interest costs will build up.

Baldock generally finds buildings that need to be condemned by having a complaint filed, or by simply driving by and seeing a building in bad shape. The outer appearance of the building often gives a strong clue as to what the inside looks like. Lawns will be overgrown, doors hanging open or windows broken. Baldock prioritizes condemned buildings by those with complaints filed, and then the ones in worst shape and then others.

Dealing with residential buildings that need to be condemned is much harder than dealing with abandoned or non-residential buildings. If a renter complains, the city can step in and pull the house’s meter and take away the landlord’s ability to rent. It is more common to find a residential condemned building that is being rented than one that is occupied by the owner.

“Landlords are just out to rent it and they could care less. They’re just out for the money you might say,” Baldock said.

But when someone lives in a house that needs to be torn down, it is a difficult situation.

“You just can’t go in and kick someone out of their house,” Baldock said.

He said he wishes the city had a program to help house people who must leave condemned homes, but it is impossible with the struggling economy.

The best thing a property owner can do to avoid having a building condemned is keep up with simple, daily maintenance, Baldock said. Buildings need to stay painted so they don’t get weathered, and lawns need to be maintained. He also encourages property owners to hire a professional to do repair projects. As the economy has worsened, Baldock said he has seen more and more property owners do their own building repairs, and it’s not effective.

“They try to do it themselves to save, and they make it worse,” he said.