MAINTENANCE by Fred Schernecker 3BIGGEST MAINTENANCE MISTAKES THE And How to Avoid Them Mistake #1 Repainting Peeling Siding and Trim Is repainting your siding and trim a waste of good money? The answer is “yes,” if your peeling paint is evidence of a bigger problem. All paint peels, and paint that peels toward the end of its natural lifecycle is no cause for alarm. For wood-sided buildings in New England, the natural lifecycle for new paint is five to seven years (depending on location and weather). But if your siding or trim starts to bubble and peel within months or even a couple years after painting, there is something else wrong. You can hire the best painters. You can buy the best quality paint. But you do not have a painting problem. You have a siding and trim problem. More specifically, moisture transfer, low-quality materials or a combination of both is probably causing your peeling paint. Moisture transfer occurs when siding and trim absorb W e all know what happens to a car when you don’t change the oil. It’s just a matter of time before your engine — and your wallet — pay the price. An oil change costs less than $30. A new engine can easily cost $3,000. Neglect your vehicle maintenance long enough and you’ll need a new vehicle much sooner than you think. It’s the same with preserving your building envelope. But the price that associations pay for neglecting building maintenance makes the cost of a new engine pale in comparison. Just ask any unit owner who has paid a special assessment for new roofing or siding 10 years ahead of schedule. Want to get the maximum number of years from your siding, trim and roofing? You need a maintenance plan, and you need to stick to it. And it also helps to avoid the common maintenance mistakes that befall even the best-intentioned associations. Here are the three biggest: 42 CONDO MEDIA • SEPTEMBER 2010