Condo Media - September 2016 - 26

SPOT REPAIRS
Take a classic spot siding repair,
for example. In addition to the failed
exterior siding, the repair includes
replacement of any failed housewrap
beneath the siding. Housewrap is a
breathable membrane that keeps water
out while allowing interior moisture
vapor to escape. This underlayment
material is a standard part of modern
siding systems. When installed and
flashed in a continuous layer, it does
a great job of protecting against water
penetration.
Unfortunately, in our experience
with first-generation townhouse
condominiums, this is rarely the case.
Housewrap materials, coverage, and
installation methods vary widely and
rarely meet acceptable quality standards or prove effective at shedding
moisture.
When housewrap is installed in
smaller "patches"-as is typical for
spot repairs-your building envelope
is still vulnerable and often even more

so. Once water enters the building
envelope, it can penetrate the seam
created at the border of the new
housewrap patch. There the moisture
becomes trapped against the sheathing
and causes rot. To make things worse,
water diverted from the site of the
spot repair may result in damage to
adjacent areas.
"Fixing" spot repairs can feel like
a game of building envelope "whacka-mole." No matter how many times
you think you're winning the game, in
the end you never get them all. And
it is not possible to create a continuous, properly flashed underlayment
system without removing the entire
wall of siding.
IS YOUR BUILDING ENVELOPE
AT THE TIPPING POINT?
The average lifespan for firstgeneration, wood-sided New England
townhouse condominiums is about
20 years. But the specific "tipping

point" at which your property moves
from maintenance of a functioning
system to planning a full building
envelope replacement depends on
many factors.
For this reason, the best way to determine the remaining useful life of your
building envelope is not with a calendar,
but with a comprehensive physical
inspection by a qualified contractor or
engineer.
So the next time you hear about or
see a spot repair being performed on
your property, start asking questions.
The more you know-and the sooner
you know it-the easier it will be to
make the right long-term building envelope decisions for your community.

n ERIC CHURCHILL IS THE
PRESIDENT OF SCHERNECKER
PROPERTY SERVICES IN
WALTHAM, MASS.

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26

CONDOMEDIA

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Condo Media - September 2016

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