Page 16 - New England Condominium March 2019

16 NEW ENGLAND CONDOMINIUM
- MARCH 2019
NEWENGLANDCONDO.COM
W
hen you close your eyes and firm in Bedford, Massachusetts. “It is very dif-
picture any building, you are ficult – and arguably unwise – to look at any than curing it. “When individual, piecemeal like to stretch things out, [and] unfortunately
quite likely imagining its facade of these individually; they’re all integrated in repairs are no longer feasible or cost effective, associations often fail to do a great job saving
– the outer shell which protects and con-
tains all of the hustle and bustle that goes on tecting the building structure and interiors, warns Kelli Rick, a property manager with where siding needs to be replaced, the associa-
within. In a residential property, the facade primarily from water intrusion.”
is what separates a building’s occupants
from both elements and intruders. As such, bers should develop a familiarity with the
it’s imperative that the facade be inspected, facade of their building or buildings to bet-
maintained and serviced regularly to ensure ter assess when something may be amiss. “It comes, it helps to understand the main causes spread the financial burden out over time,
that it’’s secure and functioning as intended. becomes clear that a repair, or at least a pro-
For a community association, the responsi-
bility to do this falls on the board or man-
agement. While methods and routines may Manager of the Riverwood Community As-
differ, facade care should be a major priority sociation in Port Charlotte, Florida. Leave building movement, construction material
for every association.
(Non-)Moving Pieces
The standard facade consists of many parts complaints regarding leaks from homeown-
– and all must be in working condition, lest ers, see paint failure or cracked wood... the concrete spalls, metal flashing deterioration, including choice of vendor, the timeline for
the greater structure start to falter.
“We look at building exteriors – or the bad,” Anastasi says. He further adds: “And you pends on the type of facade. And hopefully it normal residential activity), cost, impact on
building ‘envelope’ – as a system of various should know the useful life of your facade via doesn’t come to this, but chunks falling off the curb appeal, etc. It’s important to partner with
components: the roof, trim, windows, exte-
rior cladding (including shingles, clapboards, be able to assess if things are not looking so
brick, EIFS [exterior insulation finishing sys-
tem], etc.) and all related flashings and de-
tails,” explains Robert H. McBride, CEO of the smaller signs of wear can have that Band-Aid-
Dartmouth Group, a property management over-a-bullet-hole effect, where you’re only cement siding such as HardiPlank – telltale
order to provide the intended function of pro-
The manager and/or relevant board mem-
fessional consultation, is necessary through that it may have already taken hold.
day-to-day inspections,” says Frank Anastasi,
your facade to its own devices for too long quality, age...” says Rick. “The important thing
and “you’ll start to notice rot, receive more to remember is that small problems become
general appearance just begins to look quite failing window seals, interior leaks... it all de-
your reserve report, at which time you should building is definitely a red flag.”
good, visually.”
A failure to properly assess root causes or of deterioration may or may not be evident,”
treating symptoms of a larger problem, rather have to be replaced. Generally, communities
it may be time to consider a major repair,” for the future. When buildings get to a point
Draper and Kramer, Incorporated in Chicago. tion does not have time on its side, so phas-
Root Causes
In order to identify both that there is a require an immediate assessment, and most
problem, and from whence that problem associations will go out and get a loan, then
of facade deterioration, and the tell-tale signs thereby not severely financially impacting all
“So many factors play into this, includ-
ing weather, lack of preventive maintenance, loan to lessen the financial impact.”
big ones when not addressed. Look for cracks, able, there are decisions a board must make,
“Depending on the nature of the construc-
tion – i.e., clapboard versus masonry – signs complicated, lengthy process.
adds McBride. “In clapboard – or wood, vinyl, and architects, and to have coordinated
signs are usually rot, peeling paint or interior
leaks. The most important next step is to stop;
do not simply replace the rotted material or
repaint. It’s critical to find the source of any
water penetration. In our experience, nine
out of 10 times, the source is a failure in the
installed flashing. A comprehensive investiga-
tion should be conducted in order to deter-
mine if the problem is isolated or systemic.
It’s key to investigate intersections – i.e., roof-
to-wall, wall-to-sidewall, or roof-to-chimney,
and so on. During this process, an assessment
of the underlying structure needs be made. Is
there extensive rot in the wall sheathing? Are
window sills and frames rotted? Is there exten-
sive deflection or sagging of roof sheathing?”
Another issue at play here is, of course,
cost. Lack of maintenance by an association
can stem from the attitude that doing preven-
tive or major work would just be too expen-
sive, and as such the board may adapt an ‘ig-
norance is bliss’ mindset.
“Generally, as siding gets older and a build-
ing is increasingly worn down by the weath-
er, the cost to take care of everything starts
to build, eventually requiring much more
money than it originally did,” says Anastasi.
“Eventually things look really bad, and they
ing things in isn’t an option. These scenarios
of the residents. And some associations use a
combination of reserve money as well as that
What to Expect When You’re
Expecting (Facade Work)
When a major facade project is unavoid-
the project (and its potential disruption of
knowledgeable, competent professionals who
can help navigate what can sometimes be a
“It’s important to consult with engineers
Facade Repair and Restoration
How to Know When It’s Time
BY MIKE ODENTHAL
EXTERIOR MAINTENANCE
continued on page 22
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