So you are a condo owner and you are concerned you
have a problem or know you do. The first reaction is “what do I do now?” Well
it may not be much consolation but you are not alone. It is estimated that over
200,000 people in BC are affected by this problem. Here is a rough guide
getting started with your condo:
Do you have problem? If you meet any of the
following criteria chances are you do or should be investigating:
· Is your building
a condominium built since 1980?
· Is your
building clad in stucco, siding or anything other than a solid titanium shell?
· Does
your building lack an overhanging roof?
· Have
there been any reports of water getting in where it shouldn't?
· Is your
building near the water, or exposed to wind?
Okay you meet some or all the
criteria, how do you know for sure? First do a bit of investigation yourself:
· Are
there any funny organic smells? If so this can be mildew or rot.
· Is there
any water damage to the drywall? This can show up as punk spots or stains.
· Is there
any visible damage? Railing attachments in which the screws are loose, stucco
coming off the walls, spongy deck areas, cracks in the stucco.
Even if there is no apparent
damage you are not okay yet. The chief problem is not so much that the condos
leak but they don't leak enough. Water finds it's way into the wall structure
and because there is no air circulation or way for it to drain, it stays there.
If you have wet wood eventually Mother Nature takes over and rot sets in. You
can have no outward signs of damage and still have a condo that is ready to
collapse.
How do I know for sure? The only
real way is to have your condo inspected by a certified building envelope
specialist. Typically they are either an Engineer or an Engineering
Technologist. Here is how they can establish if you have problem or not:
·
Cut tests—a hole large enough to see into
the wall cavity is placed at an area prone to damage. By doing this around the
building the extent of the damage can be established.
·
Moisture probe test—a small
hole is drilled into the wall and a probe is inserted to detect the moisture
content of the wall structure. This will tell if there is excessive moisture in
the wall.
·
Thermography—this test is fairly complicated
to apply—it requires a cold still night, no dryers on or heat sources like
lights, and expensive equipment. Basically a picture is taken of a wall using
infrared film. Because moisture compromises the insulation value of most
insulation products the wall will loose more heat in these areas and show up on
the picture.
·
Sprinkler tests—these are done by
spraying areas of concern with water and checking through a hole in the
interior wall for seepage. Typically done around windows to test the integrity
of the window frames or installation.
·
Selective demolition—this
literally means taking a wall apart to see what is going on inside.
The problems—#1 $COST$—all these
tests require funding to perform—#2 Some people, including council members,
would rather not know. They have an obligation to find out what is enforceable
by the Strata Property Act. As an owner you can first try encouraging
them, if that fails contact a lawyer to determine your options. By delaying,
your repair costs can increase dramatically. Damage from rot is not a linear
function—that is the damage increases say by 2x this year, 4x the next, 16x the
third. The best approach is:
Start small, some simple tests
in the areas most prone to damage.
Engineers love to do tests, it
is kind of fun cutting holes in someone else's building, spraying water around,
and it gets them out of the office—but I digress. Tell them exactly how much
you are willing to spend on preliminary tests and make them fit it to your
needs to your budget. You can expect to pay anywhere from $1000 and up
depending on the amount of work your building needs to be assessed.
If damage is not found—breathe a small sigh of
relief, but make sure you go back on a regular (yearly) basis and do follow up
testing.
If damage is found make sure you get a full written
report. You are about to enter the world of the Leaky Condo. Get and read the
Homeowners Protection Office guide to repairs—do it now before you start
repairs. It’s at this URL: http://www.hpo.bc.ca/PublicationsForms/MMR/index.htm.
The biggest issues to deal with on a Leaky Condo
are the emotional side and the funding. If you have a problem start seeking out
resources such as this site and contact the CONDUIT group, Homeowners
Protection Office and the help of legal and engineering professionals. You can
plan on having to deal with some or all of the following issues:
· Statute
of Limitations—under the law you have a fixed period of time from
discovery of the problem to entering into legal action. The legal process
itself takes some time so one of the first things you do should be to contact a
lawyer. It can be discouraging too; legal actions literally take years to come
to courts. If you are planning to finance repairs through proceeds from a court
case - forget it. At best you will have to front the costs and hope for a
settlement. The best approach is to deal with the reality that you the condo
owner will have to foot the complete bill.
· Denial—some
people won't admit there is a problem, they can't see water running across the
floor - how can there be a problem? It is not what you see that is the problem;
it is the insipid moisture in the walls doing the dirty work. This is where
having a professional envelope specialist come in and talk to owners is
important. Even after this there will be those that will choose to deny there
is a problem, human nature I suppose, it is easier to deny than to deal with.
· Anger—people
seem to need something or some one to focus their frustrations on. Since the
culprits that really are responsible aren't around, people are quite willing to
take it out on council members, those that reported the problem or small dogs.
· Irrational
or immoral behaviour—some people are intent on making this someone
else's problem. There will be those that refuse to pay (being unable to pay is
a different story and I will cover it next), try to flog the unit on some
unsuspecting sort (which is illegal if they don't disclose what they know), or
suggest the "patch-up" approach. These people will engage in all
sorts of behaviour to try and confuse the issue. It is important to have the
facts in black and white so rest of the people are well informed and not swayed
by ranting (you have to get 75%+1 approval on the vote for a special assessment
for repairs).
· People
who can't pay—there are going to be people who can't pay and will have
to default. In spite of the claims by HPO this is a reality. This is a pretty
tough decision, you should try to make sure that these people are aware of the
resources available to them such as HPO, and that they have sought the advice
of a lawyer.
· Costs of
repairs—it is a brutal reality but in order to meet the required
standards and to do an adequate repair it is expensive. Patching up costs more
in the long run as does delaying. If you are going into repairs make sure you
have sufficient money including a contingency to complete the repairs. There is
nothing worse than going through the entire vote and everything else, getting
ready to repair or getting into the repairs and finding out you either can't
meet the bid price or run out of contingency money in mid repairs.
At this point you are probably starting to feel
overwhelmed. Keep the faith, others have gone before you and we are willing to
help you through this.
DISCLAIMER - the above
information is offered as an opinion based on experience. You should seek
professional guidance on legal, engineering, safety, and other matters.