A CONVERSATION ABOUT LEAKS BETWEEN FRIENDS
DG: Hi Wendy, Dylan here. So, we decided to talk about our collective experiences with leaks. Obviously, for both of us leaks are important because water intrusion is what does the most significant damage to homes in California. We need our homes to last.
DG:
So, what’s the worst leak at an HOA that you have ever seen? WB:
WB: Honestly, that is tough to answer because so many “invisible” leaks have reeked unimaginable damage and havoc. I would have to say that seeing enclosed stair stringers and entryways that showed very little cracking or staining opened up to show rotting wood that looked like shredded paper. It was absolutely terrifying. To give you a better picture, let me try to describe it with details you can envision. Walking up, all we could see was this beautiful stucco mid-rise that appeared to be only a few years old. Tere was water pooling under the stairs and some minor surface rust on the internal supports. We were looking for a water source and inspecting a very minor
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issue, so we thought. During the investigation, that yielded more confusion than answers, we used an infrared camera to try and find the water source. Te camera showed such an array of colors in areas that spread out much further than we could have imagined which had us a bit baffled. Ultimately, our crew opened the stucco and the result was nothing short of complete devastation. It was truly miraculous that the stairs and structure had not collapsed; while I would like to say this is the only time in my career this has happened, it, unfortunately, was not. HOAs simply cannot rely on visual inspections to determine whether their buildings are performing properly.
DG: Wow that sounds awful. What ended up happening?
WB: Emergency shoring, temporary access and major repairs in the upper hundreds of thousand of dollars. Given that we have collaborated on some pretty serious cases in the past, I know you have seen a ton of scary situations as well. What is your most impactful memory?
DG: WB:
Opening the flood Gates:
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