Among the most important elements of building maintenance is inspecting and securing the facade, whether it’s brick, stone, stucco, glass, or some other material. Improper installation, neglected maintenance, and plain old natural deterioration over time can all destabilize your building’s exterior, posing a serious risk to both residents and passers-by in the form of falling debris, or even structural collapse.

That’s why it’s vital to schedule regular inspections of your building envelope with a qualified professional—for both safety and peace of mind, and to satisfy the requirements of your local government, regulatory agencies, and lenders. 

What Causes Erosion?

Facades, by their very nature and purpose, are exposed and subject to the elements.  While those elements may differ in form from region to region–freezing and thawing in the north, and heavy rain and wind in the south—they often involve the effects of water on materials. Infiltration of water into facades can damage the bricks, pointing, and even the steel of the interior structure. That’s not to mention what that same water can do if it reaches the interior of individual units, damaging floors, ceilings, and walls.

“Regular exterior inspections are crucial for the safety of residents, staff, and passers-by,” says Antonio Argibay, managing principal of Meridian Design Associates, with offices in New York and Miami. “Over time, weathering and wear can compromise structural elements, leading to hazards like falling debris. Routine checks help identify issues early, ensuring safety and preventing costly repairs. By maintaining the building’s integrity, inspections reduce risks and ensure compliance with safety standards.”

Douglas Weinstein, senior vice president of operations for AKAM Management, with offices in both New York and Florida, explains further: “In both Florida and New York, buildings are subject to two corrosive elements from essentially the same source. In New York we have freeze-and-thaw, while in Florida, it’s salt and water. These factors account for the biggest problems facing building structures. In New York, being so populous and with everything so close to the sidewalk, it’s incumbent upon ownership and management to do inspections regularly to prevent a tragedy, such as masonry falling off and striking a pedestrian. In Florida, though buildings are more spaced out, you still have intense pedestrian activity, resulting in the same problem. You want to make areas around buildings safe for both foot traffic and auto traffic. Falling bricks can strike cars as well, and that can be equally or even more dangerous.”

 “It is very important—crucial really—to have both building exteriors and the interior of parking structures inspected regularly,” says Giulia Alimonti, vice president for building exteriors with Entuitive, a Canadian based engineering firm with offices throughout the United States. “Inspections are crucial to the maintenance of both the buildings themselves as well as the residents and passers-by. Because of the age of housing stock in places such as New York, Boston and even Miami, we have continuing deterioration due to weather.  In the northeast that’s mainly from freezing. In the south it’s more a combination of water and salt. Facades and parking interiors must be inspected regularly.”

Catching it Early—and What to Look For

Bruno Bertoli, director of management services for Evergreen Management, located in Bedford, New Hampshire, advises all association managers to make regular inspections on the exterior of all buildings in the associations they manage. “Inspection is the first step to identify any issues the property façade or exterior may have, and provides an opportunity to find those issues or problems in their early stages,” he says. “Management and the board can stay ahead of any issues that might put the structure of the building or residents at risk. Identifying issues early also saves the association money and avoids accidents. The key is for the board and community to be proactive about correcting these problems in a timely manner.”

Water infiltration is the major cause of façade and exterior deterioration, and as mentioned previously can cause different problems depending on the weather conditions in a particular region. In Florida, a major condition known as spalling, can damage not only the façade, but the façade’s steel under-structure as well.

“Concrete spalling,” Weinstein explains, “is when water gets into masonry and attacks the steel inside; components such as joist or rebar. The steel components expand as they rust - up to seven times their original size. This expansion forces the masonry out. It cracks and loosens. It happens all the time.”

In the Northeast, the cycle of freezing and subsequent thawing can cause much the same situation. Bertoli notes that deterioration from water infiltration can affect more than just facades; balconies and decks can deteriorate, too. Water infiltration can also cause roofing issues, window and door failure—even foundation cracks and settling.

Aging plays a role as well, explains Alimonti. “The most common defect we find is deterioration due simply to aging of building materials. Aging is a result of exposure to weather year after year.  In New York City, we have warm weather in the summer and cold and wind in the winter. The water gets into small gaps and ice expands and causes cracking.  Year after year the cracks get deeper and deeper, and if they’re not repaired as part of a regular maintenance program, you can get very unsafe conditions. Many buildings in the city also have parking structures in them. The concrete in a parking structure can get wet right down to the steel. When the steel gets wet and starts expanding, it eventually cracks the concrete. That’s very dangerous, because steel corrodes and loses both material and strength. Inspectors look for things that are out of order,” says Alimonti, “bulging bricks, leaning parapets—anything that looks like it couldn’t have been built that way. Cracks are the number one red flag. Missing parts, spalled brick and limestone, and discoloration from efflorescence” are other signs of trouble.  

“Falling debris from buildings is often fatal, and in severe cases of neglect, structural collapse can occur, also resulting in loss of life,” says Argibay. “Roofs and their waterproofing, when compromised, allow moisture intrusion and mold growth. Roof inspections typically focus on assessing the wear of roofing materials, as leaks are usually addressed quickly. In contrast, the damage and risks of a compromised façade are less visible and often go unnoticed.”

Required Inspections

Regular inspection can bring these problems to the attention of the community and can be corrected before a disaster occurs. This has become a particularly important issue in Florida in the aftermath of the Surfside building collapse disaster a few years back.

Weinstein notes, “In Florida we are just catching up to the fact that buildings need to be inspected more frequently. The change in behavior in Florida is due to Surfside.  Before that collapse, only Broward County and Miami Dade County required regular inspections of high-rises, and then not until the building reached 40 years of age. Now, all buildings over 25 years of age must be inspected by the end of this year and then every 10 years thereafter. We also have another new law in Florida that all owners—rental or condominium, no exceptions—are required to do a structural integrity reserve study. This will force condominium associations to adequately fund their reserves for structural repairs.”

Another byproduct of the Surfside disaster is that many, if not most, condos require financing to do necessary repairs– and potential lenders are looking at them for the first time ever.

“In New York,” says Alimonti, “required inspections are every five years for facades and six years for parking structures. The Façade Inspection and Safety Program (known locally as FISP) must be conducted by a qualified exterior wall inspector—usually an architect or engineer–and they must generate and file a report for the Department of Buildings (DOB). These reports classify buildings as Safe, Safe With Repairs and Maintenance Program, or Unsafe. The DOB also requires inspection of parapets to be done every year by whoever maintains them, and that a report be made available to the DOB upon request. Garages require a structural engineer and a report must be filed with the DOB with same Safe or Unsafe designations.”

In New England, Bertoli explains, “Each manager conducts inspections differently. Managers are not general contractors, and should use their preferred vendors to provide a more in-depth inspection if a specific part of the building seems to be failing. If a roof visually seems in bad shape, a follow-up inspection from a certified roofing company would be very important to determine whether the roof just needs a repair, or may be at the end of its useful life. 

“In addition to a qualified inspector specific to the trade and local vendors for expert opinions,” Bertoli continues, buildings should “complete a reserve study and take that study into account when trying to identify the useful life of the building’s infrastructural components. If the maintenance team or a preferred vendor finds a serious problem with the exterior of the building, this needs to be communicated immediately to the association manager or to the board [if the building is self-managed]. Repairs should be made as soon as possible, and in accordance with local government requirements and standards.”

The takeaway is simply that maintaining your building’s façade and making necessary repairs quickly is critical for the health of your physical plant, its residents and its visitors, as well as passers-by. Don’t minimize these issues. They can be deadly. 

A J Sidransky is a staff writer/reporter for New England Condominium, and a published novelist. He may be reached at alan@yrinc.com.