Proactive Maintenance Saves Dollars and
On Your Paint Projects “Sense” Tim Jergens
Deferring maintenance, though sometimes a financial necessity, can be quite costly in the long run and proactive maintenance can often extend the dollars that you spent to maintain your buildings. For example, let’s say that you finally decide to paint the exterior of your home. After choosing a reputable contractor, the job is complete and you are satisfied with the final product. So, what’s next? You could wait five to seven years before painting again and that should save some money. Right? Truthfully, most good quality paint projects can last well past the seven-year mark and could very well exceed ten years with proper maintenance and upkeep.
Pressure washing and chemically cleaning every other year, painting horizontal surfaces as needed, and keeping plants and trees trimmed away are just a few very good maintenance practices that will extend the life of your paint job. Typically a homeowner or association will raise the funds, hire a contractor and complete the painting project but not build in yearly maintenance of the investment. After about five years, the finish begins to break down due to UV light and general northwest weather conditions, the surfaces will have gathered dirt and mold, and exposed areas will have begun to break down completely. You are now back to where you started.
The good news is, there is a more economical approach that will extend the life of your investment. Instead of neglecting the surfaces until they “have” to be re-painted, establish a maintenance agreement with the original contractor at the time the project is being completed (or possibly a different contractor chosen for just maintenance purposes). The project should be inspected annually for signs of deterioration. A written report of conditions and an estimate to address problems found should be provided. Application of an environmentally approved dirt and moss cleaner along with a light pressure washing will not only brighten up a paint job but stop the first step in coating failure. This, along with “touch up” painting of any areas that are in need, can get you many extra years of life from your original paint project. This preventative maintenance program can be used in all aspects of painting from residential and commercial to large-scale condominium complexes, and should be the staple plan for anyone trying to keep their investment looking great and well protected.
10 Community Associations Journal | April 2016
The breakdown of coatings and the damage to underlying surfaces is, in many cases, avoidable. Water intrusive rot to wooden components is one of the most common and costly issue seen because of deferred maintenance. It normally involves contracting a carpenter to replace the rotted areas of wood, which in turn also require painting. A good inspection and maintenance plan would have identified the areas in need and a couple of extra coats over the years would have been enough to keep the water from gaining access to the raw wood and causing the rot in the first place. Another common problem is plant and tree growth. While landscaping is beautiful, it can also be the cause of serious problems including insect intrusion, mold growth and coatings breakdown, just to name a few. Any one or a combination of these can aid in moisture intrusion and a shorter life of a paint project. A good practice is to keep all plants about a foot away from your finished surfaces if possible.
In the case of condominiums, apartments and commercial buildings a preventative maintenance program is not always enough. The next step can be a building envelope study to assess all surfaces. Building envelope inspections are useful in the fact that they identify areas of moisture intrusion, which can lead to larger problems such as rot in the structure. These inspections often reveal structural problems that are in need of immediate correction for the structural integrity of the building and the safety of its occupants. Other times, the building envelope inspections reveal smaller building envelope defects that can be corrected prior to larger problems developing. These reports typically include roof surfacing, siding, masonry, windows, doors, decks, sheathing, weather resistant barriers and all visible flashing and seals.
In closing, deferring maintenance to save money does the exact opposite contrary to popular belief, and will actually cost you or your association more in the long run. A good formula for a successful painting project and the maximum life of its coatings is to hire a reputable contractor with a well-written warranty and a relationship with his product vendors, choose quality premium grade products, establish an ongoing relationship with your contractor and come up with a comprehensive maintenance plan that fits your budget. This will all help keep your investment looking new and protected for years to come.
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