Is your HOA looking repurpose underutilized assets? Here’s is an engineer’s perspective on one way to utilize the tennis courts on your property and once again make them an asset for residents. The article takes a fun look at a fast-growing sport that may be a good fit for your community association.

An Addictive Phenomenon

I will take some of the blame, but in all fairness, I did not know it was addictive. I am talking, of course, about the sport of pickleball. Six years ago, in this section of Condo Media, I presented the article “Pickleball, Anyone?” My goal was noble; I wanted to provide a solution to the many idle tennis courts in condominium and HOA communities due to aging boomers with bad knees and arthritic limbs putting down their tennis rackets. This has resulted in unused common assets that were both expensive to maintain and difficult to convert to other uses given the bylaw restraints.

At the time, I observed this trend while performing reserve fund studies and hearing the complaints from the board or property managers who requested options in dealing with unwanted tennis courts. My research of pickleball around the country revealed the sport provided a win-win solution. Rather than doing away with under-utilized tennis courts, the community could convert each court into two pickleball courts of 20 feet by 44 feet, each with an economical portable 34-inch-high net. The investment in personal equipment was minimal. Good athletic cross-training shoes were a must, but the clothing was anything comfortable and casual. The solid composite material paddle was inexpensive, being only twice the size of a ping pong paddle. Indeed, the sport has been described as playing ping pong while standing on the table. In fact, it is sort of a combination of ping pong, badminton, and tennis. The ball is like a thick skinned whiffle ball with a top speed of less than one-third a tennis ball.

RULES OF THE GAME

So as not to sound like a set of IKEA instructions, I will be brief on the specifics of the game. There are only 5 basic rules:

• Rule 1: The ball must stay inbounds.
• Rule 2: There must be one bounce per side.
• Rule 3: You must serve at the baseline.
• Rule 4: Serves cannot land in the no-volley zone (called the kitchen).
• Rule 5: The game ends at 11, 15, or 21 points.

With all the serves being underhanded and the ball traveling at modest speeds, the players do not have to be exceptionally athletic. The underhanded serve must bounce once on both the serve and return, and then it only must be kept inbounds. Balls returned without a bounce (called a volley) must be at least 7 feet from the net to prevent spiking. Typical games are played to 11 points, and like most racket sports, a player must win by two points. Points can only be earned while serving.

Beginners can learn the game quickly at their own pace while experienced players can have quick, fast-paced, competitive games. Players can be of mixed ages. The average player across the country is 38 years old with 53% being male and 47% being female. Whole families—from the grandkids to the grandparents—can participate in the same game. It is a very social game. It is usually played with doubles and with games ending with a low number of points, the quick turnover of the games allows many people to play in a short span of time. As the games are usually played close together, it is an ideal activity for people to meet others on a casual basis, allowing new friendships to blossom.

ADDED BENEFITS

Given the demographics in many condo communities, perhaps the greatest gift of this sport is the health benefits to community members of all ages. It gives a boost to the cardiovascular system to help prevent unwanted aging problems such as hypertension, stroke, and heart attack. At the same time, it improves balance, agility, reflexes, and hand-eye coordination without putting excess strain on the body. Perhaps this explains why in the last two years, pickleball has reportedly been the fastest growing sport in the United States with over 4.8 million players and tournaments and venues seeming to pop up everywhere.

As I said earlier, when I first recommended the sport, I had very little playing time and was not in a position to warn you of its addictiveness. Now with more experience, I must add this additional warning from the USA Pickleball Association (USAPA): pickleball is “highly contagious.” The consequences of introducing pickleball to your community may be irreversible.

 

Written by Jack Carr, P.E., R.S., LEED-AP, Senior Consultant Criterium Engineers
Published in Condo Media

Analyze Cost and Replacement Options

When was the last time you hired a contractor? When was the last time you checked construction material costs? You are in for a shock. With a shortage in skilled workers, supply chain uncertainty, and inflationary pressure on petroleum products (shingles, underlayment, etc.), just finding a contractor willing to commit to a schedule or budget will be a challenge.

Whether your community has a single roof or multiple buildings, your annual inspection by a qualified roofing consultant or engineer should provide a reasonably accurate roof surface replacement schedule. Often, a roof surface is one of the most expensive components in a building to replace. This makes the decision to resurface a roof a difficult one for building owners and managers. The temptation is to postpone the inevitable for one more year. A roof can be nursed along year after year, but this is likely to prove to be a false economy.

In the long term, it makes economic sense to replace a roof surface earlier rather than later. If the life of a roof is extended much beyond its useful life, maintenance costs are likely to increase beyond prorated replacement costs. There is also the danger water penetration (some of which may not be visible) will cause damage to the underlying structure or other building components. The reduction in insulation value of wet insulation and the resulting increases in heating and cooling costs are other factors that contribute to making roof replacement a good economic decision. Finally, the liability of a major failure must be considered.

Thus, roof problems are among the most frequent areas of concerns for condo associations. Here are a few helpful thoughts about roofs for your association:

Surface materials have been improved.

• Shingles:  These consist of a composite base (asphalt, fiberglass, etc.) and sand wearing surface. They are relatively easy to install and moderately priced. The thickness (weight) generally defines the likely service life. In other words, a thicker shingle will last longer. The weight is given as pounds per square (100 square feet equals one square).
• Membrane roofs: These have become the primary way to cover flat roofs within the last 20 years. Membrane roofs are typically somewhat more expensive than the other alternatives for flat roofs. However, they generally last longer and have fewer maintenance problems.
• Metal roofs:  Metal roofs are becoming more common in northern New England. There are a variety of reasonably good products on the market. Metal roofs are used on sloped surfaces. A successful metal roof is very dependent on good workmanship. Unskilled hands installing a metal roof will almost always lead to problems.

Flashing is at least as important as the surface.

The roof is a system that includes the sheathing, underlayment, flashing, and the roof surfacing. If you are having problems with your roof, it is important to understand there are several different components involved.

The roof flashing is as often the cause of leaks as the roof surfacing. Repairing flashing requires skill. Caulking flashing leaks is not adequate. If there is a flashing problem, the only effective repair usually requires installing new flashing. That work, to be successful, must be done by someone specifically trained and experienced with flashing work.

Workmanship makes the difference.

Roof problems are more frequently the result of poor workmanship than material deficiencies. While there have been some defective roof materials, our experience inspecting thousands of buildings in New England has shown us that workmanship is more commonly the problem. When you select a roofer, you should check their references.

Five steps to a better installation.

1. When you evaluate your existing roof, make sure you have an independent consultant. If you ask a roofer to evaluate your roof, it is very likely the conclusion will be the roof needs to be replaced very soon.
2. When you decide to install a new roof, you should prepare a detailed set of construction documents. The documents should:
   • Define exactly how you expect things to be done, what is the scope of the project, what materials are to be used, and what is the intended schedule for completion.
   • Be very specific about the materials to be used.
   • Be very specific about how waste material is to be handled.
3. Retain the services of a consultant to prepare the construction documents and to monitor the work while it is underway. As an association, you need someone knowledgeable about the construction industry who does not have any direct interest in your project other than serving your best interests.
4. You should choose time proven materials. You should not experiment with untested products and/or installation techniques.
5. You should make sure there is a three-to-five-year guarantee against problems with both material deficiencies and workmanship backed with a bond.

Roofs are expensive and disruptive to install. Diagnosing problems objectively is difficult. You should always work with a good, independent consulting engineer or roofing consultant. That person can help evaluate problems, prepare construction documents for repair or replacement, and monitor the work to be sure it is done well. Using a consultant also means that the officers of the association are less vulnerable to liability from the owners.

Article written by Jack Carr, P.E., R.S., LEED-AP, Criterium Engineers
Published in Condo Media

Lighting Safety – Exterior Lighting Plans and Considerations

Condominium and homeowner associations recognize a need for security tools such as key fobs, Ring doorbell systems, cameras, gates, and guard houses. Of all these systems, perhaps the most important is well-designed lighting. The highest priority of any community is resident safety. When neighbors feel safe, the community value increases.

Exterior lighting is a common element found in every type of condominium complex, yet the permutations of light fixtures, placement, and site design make this item one of the community’s most unique assets. With the net age of condominiums increasing, capital repair decisions related to light fixture replacement, function, and location placement will be an agenda item for more and more buildings and grounds committees in the coming years. A new illumination plan is not just about switching to LEDs.

Lighting Design Plan

Space will not permit us to explore the new products and applications available, so instead, let us shed light on the goals and issues to be considered in making any lighting design plan. The first thing to do is inquire if your municipality has a policy governing site and exterior lighting. This code or design guideline will form the basis of any plan. All good lighting plans should have input from members of the community who know the site and its lighting problems.

Knowing some of the technical jargon is often helpful in reading local lighting ordinances and talking with illumination professionals. The unit of “foot-candle” is used for measuring the amount of light falling on a surface whereas the term “lumen” is a measurement of light energy emitted by a light source. The word “luminaire” is used to describe the complete light fixture including the lamp (bulb), lens, and wiring of the fixture. Finally, some municipalities require a photometric plan which lists not only all of the luminaires and their locations but also describes the horizontal illuminance on the site and the vertical light trespass around the perimeter of the site.

Whether or not your committee will have to deal with the submission of a photometric plan in your location, consideration should be given to several important issues in developing your lighting project’s objectives. These issues include controlling glare, promoting effective security, minimizing light trespass onto adjacent properties, minimizing direct upward light emission, and avoiding interference with the safe operation of motor vehicles.

Questions Around Illumination

When considering these objectives, the levels of illumination needed for the various areas on your site will come into question. During these deliberations, there should be a constant mantra whispering in your ear, “less is more.” The human eye needs very little light to function. A sunny day on Old Orchard Beach has over 30,000 foot-candles while a cloudy day has 1,500, yet only 0.1 foot-candles is needed to read the fine print in your condo bylaws.

If one area of the complex is very bright, it will create the illusion of the properly lighted area nearby to be under-illuminated. Competing light levels detract from our sense of safety and security and defeat the very purpose they were intended to serve. In fact, for a feeling of security it is often more effective to be able to see far ahead with clearly defined escape paths than have extremely bright lighting.

Energy and Environmental Considerations

Reducing the level of illumination will of course save on energy, but there are many other means to this goal. Though the initial selection of lamp type, ballast, luminaire type, quantity, and location can have a significant effect on life-cycle costs, the control strategy can be even more important. Not all outdoor lighting needs to be on full light output all evening. Many methods are available to reduce the hours of lighting operation including timers, motion sensors, photosensors, curfew dimming, and step switching. Even infrared fixtures and cameras might be elements to consider for special circumstances.

The environmental concern of light pollution is getting a lot of visibility lately. The results of this ever-growing problem are glare, skyglow, and light trespass. Often these issues have common solutions. They arise from improperly directed fixtures and inadequate lamp shielding. Cutoff fixture is a term to describe a luminaire designed to focus light exactly where it is needed. When determining the height of a pole fixture, it is often better to have more fixtures at a lower level than fewer fixtures higher up. Tall fixtures tend to illuminate the area directly around the pole and not the area needing the light.

Glare can also be controlled by diligently locating fixtures. Uncomfortable and unneeded light can reflect off a wide range of surfaces such as building windows, wet pavement, and landscaping features. Glare and a lack of uniformly distributed light can temporarily reduce vision function and create a sense of unease or confusion. This will not produce the curb appeal to make the condo shine in this market.

With the current trend to use hardscape design elements on the grounds of many condominium complexes, care should be taken to avoid up lighting landscape features and to use shielded fixtures such as path lights, bollards, and post-top lights with minimum intensity levels. Effective lighting design is not only good for the environment; it also makes cents.

Lighting Safety Article written by Jack Carr, P.E., R.S., LEED-AP, Senior Consultant Criterium Engineers
Published in Condo Media