Maintenance Workshop-October 2003

A number of interesting matters arose at the Maintenance Workshop held at the Semiahmoo Library on Saturday, October 25, 2003.

Allan Dobie of Central Mortgage and Housing described how his agency can advise Strata Corporations on the most effective means of organizing a regular maintenance program. CMHC has recently released a number of publications on this topic specifically designed for multi-family dwellings. Many of these documents are free and can be obtained from their regional office.

Titles include:

• Condominium Buyers Guide

• Managing Major Repairs: a Condominium Owners Manual

• Operations Manual for Maintenance and Custodial Staff

• Operations Manual for Owners and Managers (includes directions to create an Operations and Energy Management Plan)

• Moisture and Air

• Clean Air Guide

• This Clean House video

• Clean-up Procedures for Molds in Houses.

Best Practice Guides aimed at professionals (not free) may be useful for stratas facing major repairs. These include titles such as:

• Wood Frame Envelopes in the Coastal Climate of British Columbia

• Wood Frame Envelopes in the Coastal Climate of British Columbia

These publications will be very useful to many Strata Councils. To obtain copies, go to the CMHC website, www.cmhc.ca or call Allan Dobie at 604-737-4074.

Mr. Dobie emphasized that most moisture penetration problems in high rise buildings occur at interfaces between walls and window assemblies and between walls and decks. The importance of flashing and caulking is evident. Both require constant attention and systematic maintenance. Engineers and architects have changed their definitions of best practice for flashing around windows and Bill Mielty of Residential Warranty Insurance Services Ltd. outlined in some detail the preferred methods of sealing windows. Many strata corporations would benefit from a careful assessment of their window flashings and caulking. Rob Black of EPS Westcoast Ltd. described current technical practice in both caulking and painting. He also noted that his firm, like several others, can prepare a regular maintenance program for your building.

Two topics that have been described recently in the Chronicle were developed in more detail at the workshop. Tim Altizer of the Roofing Contractors Association of BC presented an account of the care and maintenance of roofs. Randy Christie of West Coast Pipe Restoration explained why copper piping is particularly prone to attack by the soft water of this region (the well water provided to the residents of White Rock excepted) and described the options available for stratas with this problem. The useful working life of copper plumbing can be as low as ten years, particularly for systems that have hot water recirculation loops. Rate of attack is temperature-sensitive. Options for repair are replacement with copper, replacement with plastic materials, or an epoxy lining system, which uses an in situ flow system (CuraFlo.

David Kristmanson is the Education Director & V.P. for the Pacific Condominium Association.