Condo Media - September 2010 - 34

COVER STORY

impossible barrier for most boards to overcome. Because relinquishing ownership of their roads will not be an option for most communities, boards should focus instead on making sure paved surfaces do not reach the point at which maintenance and repair costs become an impossible financial burden. This is not as difficult as it might seem. As is true of most community association management challenges, common sense and careful planning are the keys. “Proper planning and preparation prevent poor performance,” observes

they will allow water to seep below the surface of the asphalt, where expansion and contraction during the winter will quickly transform small repairs into larger and more expensive projects. There is no question that filling cracks aggressively “gives you the biggest bang for the buck,” Gosnell emphasizes. “Just look at the federal government,” he points out. “No one owns more asphalt, and they have a major, ongoing crack-filling program. They wouldn’t be spending that kind of money if it didn’t work.” While some might question the

approach to the maintenance of parking lots, roads and other paved areas in a community. “If you have a maintenance program in place, you can do things properly, without cutting corners,” Gosnell says. For new clients, he suggests a comprehensive evaluation that forms the basis for the five-year maintenance program he will propose. He also recommends an annual review so the plan can be adjusted, as needed, to address new concerns as they arise.

Sealcoating — Yes and No
After the parking lots and other surfaces have been stabilized in the first two years, by filling cracks and addressing any other significant repair needs, communities can focus on cosmetic repairs, such as sealcoating and repainting parking lines. Sealcoating invariably triggers a lively discussion. What sealcoating will do, everyone agrees, is make faded asphalt look new. Where they disagree is on whether it is worth the cost. The fading process occurs because a newly paved asphalt surface will leach oils for about a year. As the oils seep out, the black surface fades gradually to gray. “Some communities don’t like that look,” says Pete Garrett, CMCA, AMS, PCAM, a principal in Maine Properties Inc. “They want their parking lot to look fresh and black all the time.” Sealcoating restores the original black sheen. The problem, Garrett says, is that the sealcoating fades quickly. “To maintain the look, you have to sealcoat just about every year,” which is fine, Garrett agrees, as long as the community has the necessary funding and thinks black asphalt is a priority. But Garrett doesn’t think this is the best use of association funds. For the cost of repeated sealcoating, he says, after a few years, “you could have repaved the lot instead.” Contractors say sealcoating has some maintenance benefits, as well as cosmetic value. It can hold the binder in new asphalt a little longer, which will reduce cracking “somewhat,” Gosnell says. Sealcoating also can protect the surface from the corrosive effects of

New-looking asphalt and freshly painted parking lines in a community create curb appeal — literally — for prospective buyers.
Kevin Gosnell, owner of T&K Asphalt Services Inc. in Whitman, Mass. An asphalt parking lot is like a roof, siding or any other component, Gosnell says. “If you take care of something properly, it will last longer and cost you less over its life.” assumption — that the federal government doesn’t spend money on programs that don’t work — Gosnell’s point is clear. Filling cracks on a regular schedule (Gosnell recommends every two or three years) both controls repair costs and reduces potential liability concerns.

Five-Year Plan
Gosnell recommends a five-year plan, focusing in the first two years on essential repairs — filling small cracks before they become much larger ones, and addressing potential liability (sprains, strains and falls) concerns. In the liability area, repairs should target, in addition to cracks, uneven curbs, handicapped slopes that aren’t angled properly and areas where rocks are pushing up from below the surface creating potholes in waiting. You want to attack these problems when they appear, Gosnell cautions, because asphalt plants are closed in the winter. So if the pothole threat you identify but ignore in September erupts in December, it will require two treatments — a temporary patch, and then a permanent repair in the spring. Cracks also require careful attention, Gosnell emphasizes. Left unsealed,

Do It Right!
As with most maintenance strategies, there is a right way and a wrong way to address pavement cracks. The wrong way: “You don’t just pave over it,” emphasizes Richard Goldman, owner of R.L. Goldman Company Inc., a paving company in Westborough, Mass. The contractor should cut out the failed area, fill in the gravel subsurface and then pave over that; otherwise, the repair won’t hold for very long. Goldman also doesn’t recommend the infrared treatment — softening the existing asphalt and re-spreading it — for most repairs. “It can be effective for a limited water problem,” he says, but in most cases, “it won’t give you the long-term fix you want.” Both Goldman and Gosnell emphasize the importance of an organized

CONDO MEDIA • SEPTEMBER 2010

Condo Media - September 2010

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Condo Media - September 2010