Page 14 - New England Condominium March 2019

14 NEW ENGLAND CONDOMINIUM
- MARCH 2019
NEWENGLANDCONDO.COM
H
ome is where the heart is, sure – but able to identify potential issues will assist in the verify that the contractor is properly licensed
it’s also where most of where any giv-
en owner or shareholder’s money is. schedule or time frame to inspect the envelope that they are needed.”
For most people, their home represents their of a building is important as well, as it creates a
single biggest investment. And in a commu-
nity association, both individual units and the to take a look at specific areas. Roofs, windows, not handle the entirety of an association’s exte-
entirety of the building or development will caulking, pointing, painting... all of these areas rior maintenance on their own, he or she can
determine the owner’s return on investment should be inspected and properly maintained.
(ROI). It’s not enough to ensure that everything
is operational, though that is of course hugely grow on the bricks of buildings,” Anker con-
important; it’s also important to consider the tinues. “Although it may look pretty, it can on whether you’re a site manager, a regional
appearance of buildings, grounds, and other severely damage the masonry of the property. manager or portfolio manager,” says Sean Jor-
exterior elements.
In this regard, cleanliness is indeed akin to can conceal underlying issues, such as weak or FirstService Residential in Canton, Massachu-
godliness, especially when it comes to the ex-
terior of the property. After all, a building or infiltration. A freeze-then-thaw pattern will monthly, quarterly, semi-annual and annual
association’s public face is the first thing that’s cause bricks to pop, leading to yet more dam-
going to catch the eye of a would-be buyer. As age.”
such, board and management must be diligent,
take regular stock of their surroundings, and risks, “a dirty building also decreases the curb should be that they’re out walking the property
plan as best they can for the unexpected – es-
pecially where inclement weather is concerned.
Routine Maintenance, Man
Having a set schedule for walking the prop-
erty and taking note of anything that looks exterior, along with mild detergents. In some walls, etc. It’s similar for a portfolio manager,
askew is the easiest way to avoid more com-
plicated – and ultimately costly – clean-up and requires expertise beyond what most building basis – and regional managers will be survey-
repair jobs.
“Regularly scheduled exterior maintenance
is important, and it is helpful to have a staff
dedicated to that maintenance, when possible,” significantly less caustic than products used property in the morning, and then again at the
says Mark Anker, President of Anker Man-
agement in Hartsdale, New York. “Staff that is a board decides to hire a professional, it must
proper maintenance of a property. Having a and insured for use of scaffolds, in the event
routine and helps the staff by reminding them
“Associations should avoid allowing ivy to activity flows.
And allowing dirt to build up on the facade dan, a director of property management with
missing mortar joints, which will allow water setts. “Normally, you would have daily, weekly,
And above and aside from the structural be cleaning. For a site manager, the expectation
appeal of a property,” Anker warns. “You only at least once per day, checking to see if anything
get one chance to make a first impression, so looks different from the day prior that could be
make it a clean one. Third-party vendors and/
or staff can use pressure washers to clean the graffiti tagging, or putting gum or stickers on
areas, graffiti is a concern, the removal of which but they’re just not at the property on a daily
staff members are trained to handle.
“Today, most buildings are looking to-
ward greener cleaning solutions, which are was a site manager, I’d personally walk the
in the past,” he further adds. “In the event that end of the day.”
Manage That Maintenance
While even the most capable manager can-
certainly act as the conduit through which all
“A maintenance routine varies depending
calendars that you would use to track sched-
ules, and one recurring item throughout would
related to refuse. In Boston, this could mean
ing the property quarterly or monthly, depend-
ing on how their organization works. When I
Jordan, too, mentions exterior power wash-
ing as a means to get rid of those especially pes-
ky stains. “For properties that have vinyl siding,
I’d recommend doing this in the springtime,
and when entering the fall as well, if necessary”
he says. “Proactively painting in areas that are
inclined to have more moss build-up is a good
idea; you’re going to spend more man power
checking for algae and moss to see that those
are not embedding themselves in the wood
and causing issues” than would be spent sim-
ply putting a few coats of paint on the surface
in question to discourage moss growth in the
first place.
Major storms can bring with them major
problems, some of which can sully a building’s
exterior. “If there’s a really bad rain storm, you
get a lot of debris that washes down,” Jordan
explains. “If you have a grate on the property,
and the leaves semi-embed themselves, you
will have to go out and scrape them off. You
also want to go out and proactively pick up any
broken branches or other debris where people
may be walking to spare them any trip haz-
ards.”
When it comes time to hire a third-party
vendor to deal with a bigger or more compli-
cated clean-up job, a board needs to make an
informed decision. “We always ask boards how
they feel about the vendors they’d used up to
that point,” Jordan notes. “Are these vendors
meeting expectations? Or did they start strong,
and then fall off? If the latter, that could be be-
cause a new employee has been charged with
your association. We have cleaners with whom
we like to work at our properties who’ve been
proven and vetted. Some companies specialize
in different materials and designs so you can
assess things case-by-case, or you might evalu-
ate based on the chemicals they use and decide
if that’s right for your property.”
Better Living Through Chemistry
It may seem like a minor detail, but vari-
ous chemicals can have different effects on
different properties depending on the build-
ing materials used, and some products are just
more toxic for the greater environment than
the greener alternatives on the market. Boards
and management should weigh these variables
when purchasing firsthand or contracting with
a vendor.
“I know in recent times there have been ad-
vances in chemical products that can remove
dirt and mold from older masonry facades and
avoid doing any damage,” says Janet Nelson, a
portfolio manager with FirstService Residen-
Exterior Cleaning
Cleanliness and Curb Appeal
BY MIKE ODENTHAL
EXTERIOR MAINTENANCE
continued on page 21
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