Building Enclosure Repair Nathan Seney
Regardless of their design and construction, as building exteriors age, they will require maintenance, repair, and eventually replacement. When replacement is required, a building enclosure architect is engaged to design improvements and observe the process. An attorney should be consulted as well to see if damage to the building is a covered loss under the association’s property insurance. The following is a case study that outlines the steps involved with a building repair project partially funded by insurance.
The Sunrise Condominiums Constructed in the 1970s, these condos rest on a waterfront site. Consisting of two wood-framed, three-story buildings with 23 residential units, they were built over a below grade parking garage. The buildings were originally clad in cedar siding and had an open-air walkway connecting the units with stairs and elevators. Each unit has a large, waterproof deck with views of the lake. The buildings began experiencing water intrusion issues early on that became visible within 5-10 years. Walkways and built-in planters were not well sealed, and the original siding and deck coatings also proved vulnerable to hard rain driven across the lake.
In the late 1980s, the open walkways and stairs were partially enclosed with windows and skylights, and the planters were covered over. More significantly, the buildings were wrapped in a barrier exterior insulating finish system (EIFS) consisting of a thin surface sealed coating over foam (now known for lack of redundancies and many failures). Additionally, home owners made modifications to the buildings like adding windows, removing interior walls, and enclosing decks apparently without the assistance of an engineer or architect. Because there was no oversight of this work, it was carried out with varying degrees of competency, and structural and weather proofing effectiveness.
16 Community Associations Journal | October 2018
This combination of factors led to prevalent water intrusion and serious decay. Staining and swelling of sheetrock was observed in several units, near windows and exterior walls, and organic growth began to appear on the exterior siding and throughout the building. The water intrusion in the garage occurred primarily under planter areas and the plaza surrounding the buildings. Water made its way through waterproofing, the topping slab, and the precast planks, and into the garage, where a series of improvised collection devices and internal gutters prevented water from dripping on parked cars.
Revised Code of Washington 64.55 requires any multifamily building undergoing ‘rehabilitative construction,’ which is any exterior work with a value greater than 5% of the assessed value, have building enclosure design documents submitted for the permit, and that a periodic review of the installation is conducted. Code also requires the reviewer to prepare a letter certifying the installation was performed ‘in substantial compliance’ with design.
In an effort to restore the building, the HOA and their management company solicited proposals from several firms in order to meet these Code requirements. While cost is an important factor in the selection of an architect, experience with similar projects and working for HOAs is essential. Perhaps the most important factor is the communication between the architect and the board since the architect will be the HOA’s representative throughout the process. Based on our experience, our communication and our references OAC was selected for the job.
For these projects, OAC recommends insurance policies are reviewed by an attorney to evaluate the potential of recovering funds to contribute to the repairs. Documenting the extent of the
A Case Study:
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