Condo Media - January 2013 - 36

VENDOR SPOTLIGHT

Kelly’s Property Services
Making your condominium property weatherproof takes more than shingles, siding and trim.
by Bryan Kelly ut aside the day-to-day chores associated with running a condo — like landscaping and snow plowing — and you’ll find big projects, including property maintenance and capital improvements are occupying much of your time. Often, construction defects and/or age-related exterior envelope problems may be among the most persistent and even costly issues you face as a board member or property manager. And while aging boilers and affordable insurance may already occupy much of your time, issues associated with water penetration – through roofs, siding and windows – can emerge as a persistent theme for a community whose welfare you are responsible for. Translation: After a recent snowstorm, a combination of rooftop snow followed by rapid freezing and thawing has led to the appearance of ice dams throughout your association property. Without warning, a dozen unit owners awake one morning to discover water streaming down their living room walls. In a region like New England, where community association properties are subjected to the endless depredations of Northeasters (and soon thereafter, the torrential downpours of spring and summer and even the occasional hurricane), proper use of materials and carefully observed construction methods are the only way to guard against the depredations of water penetration.

Quick fixes just don’t work. Natural events combined with the passage of time and the persistence of human error demand remediation. Delay is not an option when the physical comfort and fiscal integrity of your whole community may be at risk. The nightmare scenario of waterlogged condo units can play out in what may appear to be the best-built property or one self-evidently in need of repair. No matter what the circumstance, a basic understanding of construction techniques and options will equip you to better serve the interests of unit owners. The engineered components of roofing, siding and windows may seem commonplace, but when combined with high installation standards they should lead to the comforting probability the exterior surfaces of your property will remain water- and weatherproof. Improper installation of roofing, flashing and drains often emerges as a suspect in water penetration incidents. Shingles have life cycles that can vary from two to three decades, but incorrect selection of materials and improper installation can lead to water penetration long before the useful life of a roof is exceeded. Shingle “spawling” and cracking (carpentry, like medicine, has a language all its own) can be an issue in the inability of a roof to shed water. But among all roofing-related penetration incidents, leaks that develop at cheek

walls – the point where roof surfaces come together at sidewalls, gables or dormers – comprise a substantial portion of roofing failures. Problems associated with snow melt or high rainfall volume often occur at cheek walls, where even modest precipitation can cause the conduits that demarcate variations in roofing angles (often compounded by poor design, including attic areas that can not self vent) carry a high probability of failure. Seasonal snow and ice build-up can force frozen precipitation under shingles or along a drip line where a gutter has become clogged. When rapid thawing and freezing occurs, the outcome can be disastrous as huge ice dams accrue along roofing edges. Similarly, damage done in winter months, while not immediately apparent, may manifest itself after a summer downpour when exceptionally high volumes of wind-driven rain work their way through a roof left vulnerable by winter damage.

Online Tutorials
Manufacturers of roofing products maintain excellent, online tutorials on the specifics of the installation process. Google vendor names like GAF, Owens-Corning and CertainTeed for a quick introduction to the materials and processes required for repairing a failed roof in your association property. Check for guarantees, too. The careful application of weather-

Condo Media - January 2013

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Condo Media - January 2013