Pre-Painting Inspections Help Reveal Concealed Damage, Avoid Duplicate Work
Kris Eggert and Jens Johanson
For many condominium associations, painting is the largest element of routine common-area maintenance. A properly maintained paint finish can extend the life of wood and fiber-cement finishes and will help maintain and increase property values by improving the aesthetic appeal of the property. A poorly maintained paint finish can lead to extensive costs for the association when upkeep is eventually undertaken. It goes without saying that the paint on the exterior of any building is a very important component of any maintenance plan. However, associations sometimes proceed with painting projects under the false impression that as long as they keep the siding and trim looking good, everything must be fine underneath. An association board may believe that it is properly maintaining the building, when, in fact, adding a fresh coat of paint could be concealing much more pressing issues.
Deferring the common area maintenance of an association, though sometimes necessary, can have negative and lasting effects. Deferrals are occasionally a financial necessity. Postponement of necessary maintenance projects may also be seen as a way
18 Community Associations Journal | March 2014
to save money in the short term, while ignoring the long term implications. Deferrals are a product of oversight, in other words, when damage and defects are out of sight, they are out of mind. The root of the issue arises when these defects unexpectedly come to light and an association comes to the realization that it just exhausted its exterior painting reserves only to now have an expensive repair that will require painting all over again.
In a typical paint job, contractors have a list of items that should be performed to prepare the materials intended to receive the new finish. This includes identifying any decayed trim or siding that requires replacement, removal of loose paint, replacement of sealant joints, priming bare wood, and cleaning and treating areas of mold or mildew. A painting contractor’s responsibility is to ensure that the product that is applied does not fail. The contractor’s interest lies in the condition of the substrate to which the material will be applied, and not in how that material is performing in conjunction with the weatherization of the building.
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32