Published in the ECHO Journal, June 2013
The following article is a composite of experiences from members of the ECHO Maintenance Resource Panel (MRP) of actual events. As a long time ECHO MRP member and current chair, I have listened to my colleagues tell of disastrous events that have occurred from complexes thinking they are saving money by deferring maintenance. I am currently managing several projects in the Bay Area and three of them have experienced excessive decay repairs well beyond the intended budget. In one, the scope of work included balcony repairs at 112 locations for about $500,000. Once we began removing the components we found massive decay in major structural members that forced us to perform repairs including interior repairs in several units. The price tag reached $1,300,000, and is still climbing.
At another project, also balcony repairs, the original contract price was $163,000. That has now more than doubled, including having to rebuild bathrooms as the framing was decayed to the fixtures. And the last one mentioned is a 61 building simple wood trim repair with some storage door replacement and stair landing repairs all in preparation for new paint. The project cost also started at $500,000. We are not yet complete and the current cost is about $1,200,000 with all of the decay repairs including interior repairs. Some of these issues are from poor initial construction, but the majority are from deferred maintenance. Some of these CID’s have to drain their reserves to pay for the repairs. There is no substitute for routine, complete inspections and annual maintenance and repairs to keep the “Big One” away.
“We are going to paint the outside of the buildings, but have a split piece of siding that needs replacement, and, there are a few pieces of trim that look weathered. Let’s get the painter to include some minor siding and trim replacement in his painting bid.” That’s how it starts, with some minor trim and siding replacement folded into painting the exteriors. However, that is only the tip of the iceberg.
With the painting contract inked and the work started, we first removed the weathered trim and cracked siding. What we found is much more than siding and trim damage. With the water exposure continuing unseen for years, the rot has also spread into the structural plywood sheathing (required for earthquake bracing of the building), and the wood stud framing. What started out as a simple painting project, with some minor material replacement, is now a project requiring additional demolition, shoring, structural replacement, and removal and replacement of windows and interior wall finishes.
During normal maintenance, look for unsealed joints between trim, siding and other materials, trim overlaid and in direct contact with the materials below, and the lack of flashings to direct water to the exterior. Staining below joints on the underside of trims can indicate water traveling behind the trim. Early detection and correction of the cause of hidden water intrusion can reduce the damage to underlying framing and the cost of repair.
“The underside of my balcony is stained…can you get someone to clean the stucco?”
We have included cleaning of the stucco soffits for several years, often power washing or scrubbing the soffits, and painting on regular intervals. However, we never investigated the source of the staining, until now. With our concrete decks, there is no indication from the top that water is leaking into the deck system. The waterproof membrane installed below the concrete is not visible and gave us no clue to its failure.
When we noticed new cracking on the concrete decking and the stucco soffit below, we hired a contractor to patch the cracks. During the patching, he removed some of the cracked stucco below the deck and found the framing completely rotted away, with the plywood deck (under the concrete) hanging by threads. Even worse, the decks were supported on cantilever beams that extended back into the living room for support. These beams now needed replacement, and to get the beams out, the ceilings of the first floor of the homes have to be removed. This requires moving all the owner’s furniture and belongings, shoring of the ceiling, replacement of some of the electrical wiring to access the beam, and repair of the home interior.
During routine maintenance, look for stains on the underside of decks, on related framing, or on walls or other items below the deck not normally exposed to direct water. Brownish staining can indicate water traveling past an asphaltic membrane that is typically used on decks, carrying the oils in the membrane materials with it. If identified earlier, repairs to the system can be completed before the framing is compromised, drastically reducing repair costs.
A board member
recently lamented that while his Mountain View association had done everything right six years ago when budgeting for painting of all the common area exterior surfaces according to his reserve study, something had gone awry.
When the complex re-bid for painting just the trim this year there were no funds allocated for the $35K worth of damage to the south-facing fascia, siding, and horizontal caps on the wooden porch railings, discovered while prepping the units for painting. To make matters worse, seventeen of the varnished front doors needed to be stripped and stained to the tune of $6K, bringing the total to $41K of expenses not accounted for in the association’s reserves. This director wanted answers: Was the previous paint job sub-par, or was the reserve study in error regarding proper paint cycles?
The answer, as it turned out, was neither. The association had neglected to perform any maintenance on the coatings system during the past six years, causing the various substrates to fail prematurely at locations experiencing extreme conditions. For example, the fascia – painted a dark accent color – being subjected to heat absorption on south-facing elevations, developed minor cracking after repeated expansion and contraction of the wood. An accelerated maintenance schedule spelling out painting the exposed fascia every three years instead of six would have prevented these cracks from increasing in width and allowing water to penetrate and destroy the wood.
Likewise, the siding, wood caps, and varnished doors all would have benefitted from extra attention between the major painting phases. Siding should be repainted when it begins to check, to prevent delamination; wood caps should be inspected annually, since latex products do not perform well on horizontal surfaces; and varnish exposed to the sun should be recoated every one or two years.
The price tag for the additional maintenance painting and caulking would have been less than $8K spread out over six years, if the painter had been employed in the off season when pricing is much lower. In other words, the association could have saved $33K, or 80%, if a comprehensive maintenance painting program had been implemented!
A good painter reports damage found while working on someone’s property, but he shouldn’t spend more time writing than painting! On a job a couple of years ago our project foreman was horrified to discover that our pressure-washing had blown numerous holes in the thin veneer remnants of termite infested wood trim. There was so much damage, in fact, that he put down his pad and pen, and began taking pictures. His crew was unable to continue working until the next year after the construction repairs were completed.
The first day on a new project can be challenging. For instance, consider day one on a recent job in Milpitas. While inspecting a chimney, a workman fell through the roof and put his foot through a living room ceiling! On the other side of the building a workman fell from a 2nd story balcony. He was leaning on a wood railing so rotten that the entire assembly broke free of the deck and crashed to the ground. Fortunately, nobody was hurt during the mishaps, but the job had to be halted while the whole roof and rest of the decks were inspected.
In 2010,
I was asked by a 100 unit condominium HOA to come out and assist in color selection of paint for their homes. As I walked the property, it was apparent that any kind of color or paint, for that matter, would not improve the overall appearance of the property. The property was suffering from serious wood rot. While a certain amount of deterioration happens naturally, regular maintenance does not, and if implemented, can help to prevent further repair costs. To this day, they have not painted as the costs to repair the wood damage have been exhaustive. To help protect your home, remembering a few “do’s” will help with your paint and home’s life. Do remember to routinely inspect the exterior surfaces. Stucco, concrete and masonry should be examined for any sign of cracking and openings. Wood trim and siding should be examined for checking, cracking, splitting and warping. Metal should be examined for rust deposits. Do remember to regularly clean exterior painted surfaces with the use of a garden hose and spray nozzle or powered pressure washer with some warm water and soap solution. Do remember to treat mold and mildew with readily available commercial grade removers. Do remember to look for and remove any presence of efflorescence using a stiff wire brush. Having a sound coat of paint not only gives your home the best possible appearance but can help to avoid costly repairs.
Disasters
may not be preventable, but not all preventive maintenance plans need to include a cost to the complex. Property managers can almost always contract a qualified tow company to install 17 X 22 inch signs at each entrance, and be prepared to remove obstructive vehicles to the tow company storage yard at no cost. Every property manager has had a pavement job with vehicles in their way, residents that complain because people park in their reserved stall, and even a few properties have been fined by the fire department for not keeping the fire lanes clear for emergencies. Your preventive maintenance program needs to include a qualified tow company, in contract, with signs posted at all times.
As you can see from construction to towing, committing to a maintenance program is the answer to minimizing major costs. In construction, regular inspections followed by maintenance and repairs should keep the “Big One” at bay. Please, don’t let your complex be the subject of another MRP article.