Condo Media - September 2016 - 24

SPOT REPAIRS
Most New England condominium
properties were still young when Schernecker Property Services began focusing on building envelope maintenance,
repair, and replacement for the condominium market. That was more than 25
years ago, coinciding with a pause in the
condominium building boom.
The first-generation wood-sided
townhouse condominiums born during
the 1980s were seen as attractive, inexpensive alternatives to single-family
home ownership. Driven by demand,
properties were built quickly. But
labor was scarce, and building materials were often chosen for cost over
quality. Speed, low-quality materials,
and inconsistent installation are not a
formula for longevity. Instead, "build
it fast and cheap" has proven to be a
recipe for widespread building envelope failure as these properties enter
middle age.
As the properties have aged, our
advice to clients about building envelope maintenance and replacement
decisions has also evolved. Initially, we
focused on how to best approach the
shortened painting cycles that required
excessive repairs to inferior pine trim
and low-grade cedar siding. These
repairs are called "spot repairs" since
the work consists of replacing the "spot"
that is damaged rather than entire walls
or systems.
For years, we've cautioned clients
about the perils of getting trapped in
expensive spot repair cycles. But now
we have suﬃcient evidence from a variety of mid-life properties to conclude
that our warnings about aggressive
spot repairs have not been strong or
clear enough.
The bottom line: If you live in a
wood-sided townhouse condominium

built before 1995, the time for spot
repairs has most likely passed. Not
only are aggressive spot repairs at
this stage of the building envelope
lifecycle a poor investment compared
to complete replacement, they may
cause more harm than good. Let me
explain...
THE LIMITED ROLE
OF MAINTENANCE
Every building envelope has a finite
lifecycle. The average building envelope
lifespan for first-generation, woodsided condominium properties has
proven to be approximately 20 years.
While some last longer, we have also
advised communities that their building
envelope should be replaced well before
then-on a few occasions within 10
years of construction.
If you are surprised by this short life
expectancy, you are not alone. In New
England, it's not uncommon for homes
built by craftsmen using premium
building materials to function well after
100 years. But expecting similar results
from New England condominium
building envelopes built during the
boom era is not realistic.
Regular maintenance will help your
building envelope achieve its natural
longevity. But when low-grade materials
in a quickly constructed building envelope system approach the end of their
useful life and begin to fail, maintenance
invariably becomes less eﬀective.
The problem occurs when communities do not recognize the need to
shift from maintenance mode and start
planning for replacement. Often this
happens when maintenance programs
are left on autopilot. Painting and repair
specifications sent out to bid are the
same that seemed to work in the paint-

If you live in a wood-sided townhouse
condominium built before 1995, the time for
spot repairs has most likely passed.
24

CONDOMEDIA

Condo Media - September 2016

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