Why Wood Should Not Be Buried Below Grade
Friday, May 11th, 2012
Type: Residential
Issues: Unprotected wood below-grade
Repairs: Remove and replace damaged sheathing, apply fluid-applied membrane along concrete foundation wall
SBSA was contacted to observe repairs to a handicap-accessible patio home. The patio slab had been poured flush with the door threshold in order to make the unit accessible. But the concrete was blocking the weep holes in the door’s sill pan. Consequently, water was leaking into the unit, buckling the wood floor inside.
Patio door providing rear access to a handicap-accessible patio home. The concrete slab patio was poured up to the level of the main floor without any thought given to protecting the vulnerable wood sheathing and rim joists below.
To perform the repair, the contractor jack-hammered out the concrete patio and removed the first row of hardboard siding. When the siding was removed, it quickly became apparent that this home was going to require more than a simple door repair and concrete replacement.
Buried below the concrete, the OSB sheathing, rim joists and sill plates were rotting away. One wall was covered in building felt below-grade, and the other had one layer of building paper for protection. The rim joists are part of the structure of the main floor. If they rot out, the wall that sits on top of them could fall down, creating a life-safety issue. Additionally, according to building codes, unprotected wood should not be in contact with grade.
To repair this condition, SBSA provided new details to the contractor to protect the vulnerable wood below grade. First, the damaged OSB sheathing and rim joists were replaced. Then a liquid-applied waterproof membrane was applied from 8-inches above the surface of the concrete to 6-inches below the top of the concrete foundation wall. The patio door was reset in a sill pan flashing that was integrated with the liquid-applied waterproof membrane. After backfilling, the patio was re-poured and the siding and stone were installed with a two-inch clearance to the slab. Galvanized flashing and counter-flashing provide an extra layer of protection above the surface of the patio.
Rim joist stained and covered in biogrowth. The PVC pipe under the slab was supposed to drain the downspout, but it was backsloped, further compounding the problem.
Liquid-applied waterproof membrane installed over the repaired sheathing and rim joists. The site is ready for the concrete patio to be re-poured.
Reserve Study Helps Homeowners Association Determine Immediate Repair Needs
Friday, May 4th, 2012
Case Study:
A reserve study was recently performed at a Homeowners Association that is 26 years old. During the observation, the following immediate concerns were noted.
A PVC roof system was used throughout the community. These roofs are 26 years old, and have exceeded their useful life. The seams have begun to fail, which can permit water to enter through the roof and potentially cause damage.
Repair: Replace roof, including underlayment and relevant flashings.
Estimated cost: $400,000.
The asphalt conditions throughout the community were also observed. Roads and driveways were experiencing distress, and needed to be replaced.
Repair: Remove asphalt, recondition the subsoils and to place a new asphalt system down
Estimate cost: $650,000.
The façades throughout the community are board and batten siding. The siding has become warped from moisture and needs to be replaced in order to continue providing a weatherproof exterior.
Estimated cost: $750,000.Repair: Remove board and batten siding, install new weather resistive barrier, install new flashings and install new siding.
Unfortunately, the association has roughly $500,000 in reserves and cannot cover these immediate needs. What are the Association’s options?
Option 1 – Defer the asphalt and siding projects and do the roof project.
Option 2 – Special assess the homeowners $1,200,000 at around $6,500 each and perform all of the necessary projects.
Option 3 – Pay for the roof project and have the association get a loan to cover the $1,200,000 needed for asphalt and siding project.
Option 4 (recommended) – Based on a risk analysis of the consequences associated with deferring any of these projects, the roof and the siding projects are necessary immediately. Moisture is penetrating into the buildings through the failed seams in the roof and areas of the façade. This is causing ongoing and progressive damage, as well as creating potential health risks. Therefore, SBSA recommend replacing the roof using the available funds, special assessing each homeowner $3,700—which is much more manageable—for the siding replacement, and deferring the asphalt until the funds are built back up to afford the asphalt.
SBSA’s Construction & Property Analysis department can help associations determine the importance of various repairs and the potential risks associated with deferring certain repair needs. We take into consideration the available funding of the Association, and balance that with the existing conditions of the property.
Need a reserve study from SBSA? Download our reserve study proposal request form here.
Mile-High Megamess: The True Story of an Epic Building-Rescue Mission
Monday, March 19th, 2012
By Joe Maty, Durability + Design
The Beauvallon Condominiums in Denver started life in 2001 as one of the hottest addresses in the city.
But the upscale condos’ Wow Meter took a big plunge not long after the complex’s arrival on the Mile High cityscape.
The problem? Big-time water damage.
The Beauvallon’s descent into a waterlogged morass—and its rise, Phoenix-like, from multistory sponge to renewed inhabitability—made for one of the more interesting narratives at the RCI International Convention, wrapping up today (Tuesday, March 20) in Dallas.
The story of the Beauvallon, told by Ryan Barnes, a buildings forensics expert with SBSA Inc., Golden, Colo., offered evidence that buildings clad in EIFS (exterior insulation and finish systems) can fall victim to the same woes that plagued the technology early on in its 40-year history in North America.
Read the rest here.
The Beauvallon during reconstruction.
After reconstruction, the Beauvallon was watertight.
Understanding Tile Roof Design and Performance
Friday, October 14th, 2011
Tile roofs may be made of clay, concrete, or manufactured material: strong, versatile, durable materials. For over a century, these roofs have been used successfully. They are now available in many architectural dimensions, adding an aesthetic appeal, be it American Colonial, Spanish Hacienda, or French Provincial. However, as with any moisture-managed product, the proper application of underlayments and flashing and integration with the building’s other weather-resistant systems are crucial. The key to the proper installation of the systems is understanding them and the need for their integration. Any product that has a life expectancy of greater than 50 years will require that the adjoining and underlying systems also meet this life expectancy. Sometimes an expert should be engaged to properly integrate these systems into a project.
Constructing a Better Building Envelope
Thursday, May 19th, 2011
Presented by Ryan Barnes at Habitat for Humanity’s Camp Colorado, “Constructing a Better Building Envelope” addresses issues such as proper installation, integration, and lapping of weather-resistive barriers, sealant joint construction, basic moisture-management systems and their components, as well as the damage that can occur if the building envelope isn’t constructed weather-tight.
View the whole presentation here.
Solutions: April 2011
Tuesday, April 19th, 2011
April’s issue of Solutions includes articles from Ed Fronapfel about Grading Certification, from Megan Danner about SBSA’s participation in the Lego Build competition hosted by Habitat for Humanity, and Colette Armstrong about Infrared Applications in Every Day Cooking.
The new issue of SBSA’s newsletter is now available online here.
Solutions: June 2010
Monday, June 28th, 2010
In June of 2010, SBSA released its first corporate newsletter, Solutions. This newsletter was mailed and emailed to clients, contractors, and property managers. It features articles from Ed Fronapfel, Liberty Lewis, and Ryan Barnes, regarding such topics as log home construction, sealant joints, and on-going efforts by SBSA’s staff to get involved in the community.
Read the entire newsletter here.
Has Your Roof Sprung A Leak?
Sunday, May 2nd, 2010
A member of SBSA’s staff was published in Community Association Institute’s Common Interests magazine issue this May. The article discussed common roof issues and some general ways homeowners can fix their own roofing leaks.
Infrared Diagnostics At ENERGY STAR Summit
Wednesday, December 9th, 2009
Ed Fronapfel spoke about Infrared Diagnostics at the ENERGY STAR Summit in Stapleton, Colorado. Ed’s presentation covers a variety of subtopics, like RESNET certification, the reality of working with RESNET standards and how to identify observed anomalies. SBSA offers Infrared training seminars tailored to your specific needs. Please share Ed’s PowerPoint presentation with your colleagues.
Download the presentation here.
Synthetic Stone Veneer: Why Problems Occur and How to Avoid Them
Friday, November 20th, 2009
Co-authored by Ed Fronapfel, Synthetic Stone Veneer: Why Problems Occur and How to Avoid Them was published in ASCE’s Building Integration Solutions.