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Archives for Building

How Safe Is Your Deck?

May is National Deck Safety Month® and your spring maintenance checklist should include a thorough inspection of your deck and railings. It’s important to ensure their safety before the outdoor entertainment season begins with family gatherings and neighborhood barbecues taking place on your deck.

Here are a few items to consider as you check your deck:

  • Check Connections: make sure all railing connections are secure. Anchorage points for wood railings often rot and may fail. Perform a stress test by cautiously pushing on the railing to make sure it doesn’t give at any point.
  • Stair Railings: stairs with two or more stair risers should have a railing.
  • Guardrails (railings): are required on “open-sided walking surfaces” higher than 30 inches from the ground, including decks. On single family homes, guardrails must be 36 inches high for decks (measured from the deck surface to the top of the rail) and 34 inches for stairs, measured vertically from the tread nosing.
  • Strength & Spacing: both guardrails and handrails must be able to withstand at least 200 pounds of force applied at any point and in any direction. The balusters should withstand 50 pounds of pressure exerted over a one-square-foot area. Spaces between balusters cannot exceed 4 inches to prevent children from getting their heads stuck in the openings or falling through them.
  • Benches: a bench installed around the perimeter does not serve also as a guardrail. The bench may be the required distance from the ground (36 inches), but without a guardrail behind it, which both the building code and common sense require, there is nothing to prevent someone from toppling backwards off the deck.
  • Touchup with Paint: repaint or stain the wood, if necessary (the experts suggest at least every five years). Consider using paint with slip-resistant additives for the deck and stairway riser surfaces.

With regular inspections of handrails and guardrails, you can identify and correct problems before they become an accident you could have prevented. Ensuring that your deck, handrails and guardrails are safe will help to ensure the safety of all who use them from toddlers to seniors.

Related Resources:

  • Your Home – a Criterium Engineers publication “Stairways and Decks Aren’t Safe Unless their Railings are Secure.” This document outlines building code requirements for guardrails and handrails, as well as design elements that may cause problems such as rail height and benches along the perimeter.
  • The State of California has a new extensive law that went into effect January 1, 2019, requiring the inspection of Exterior Elevated Elements (Decks and Balconies) and waterproofing elements for buildings with 3 or more multifamily dwelling units. Information on this bill and its history may be found on CA.gov.
  • The North American Deck and Railing Association (NADRA) provides tools for consumers to Check Your Deck® for the upcoming season.

Note: these resources are provided for consumer guidance only. To have a licensed, Professional Engineer inspect your deck, contact Criterium-Hardy Engineers.

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Water, Water, Everywhere

Typically when I am discussing water problems with the condo’s property manager or the board, the focus is on leaking roofs, foundations, windows, or other building envelope points of water infiltration.  Instead, this article’s focus will be on water damage problems from inside sources and their prevention.

It is hard to talk about inside water damage without also considering a lengthy discussion of insurance matters, but I’ll try.  The short answer is both the board and the unit owner should confirm the correct policies are in place.  The association’s master insurance policy review should determine if the policy covers both as-built and upgrades (i.e. betterments and improvement clause) or just the walls, floors, and ceiling.  The unit owners should consider sewer/ drain back-up coverage, if the policy does not.  Keep in mind, insurance adjusters are looking for ways to avoid claim payouts.  They will look for the source of the water and whether it was caused by accidental reasons or old age wear and tear; lack of maintenance; or your negligence.

So why is internal water damage such a big deal?  It is because it is the number ONE insurance claim in the nation beating out other high profile claims including tornadoes, hurricanes, and wildfires.  And it is growing.  1 in 50 homes experienced an internal water claim in the five year period of 2013 to 2017 per Verish Analytics ISO who provides insurance industry statistical data.  This 5-year claim rate of 2.05% per dwelling is up from the prior 5-year statistical period rate of 1.44%.  This equates to an average $10,000 per claim and $13 billion in total claims for 2017.  It’s a big deal.

So why is this happening?  The short answer is the trends in condo and HOA development and the aging of residential building inventory across the country.  The burst in condo development in the 1980’s and 2000’s have resulted in many more water sourced appliances in risky locations.  Many homes built in the last 20 to 30 years have laundries on the second floor instead of the more traditional basement location where a leaking hose could be dealt with a mop and bucket.

Some homes can have more than 40 water connections including washing machines; water sourced heat pumps; ice makers; wet bars; filtration systems; extra bathrooms; dishwashers; garbage disposals; indirect hydronic floor heat; and the list goes on.  This partially explains why fire damage claims in the US have declined while water claims have increased, not only in numbers but in amount.  High-end properties are the worst for this increase in water claims.  For homes valued greater than $500,000 the claim sizes have doubled since 2015 while homes valued greater than $1 million have tripled in size according to the Wall Street Journal.

So what’s a property manager, board, or unit owner to do?  Protect the home.  Needless to say, each condo or HOA complex has its own factors of importance.  These factors must be considered and a plan should be established to minimize the potential problems each type of complex should address.  One place to start is the creation of a central maintenance log to record all reported internal water events to determine if there is a trend or pattern.  An aging condo may have experienced a rash of washing machine hose leaks.  This may prompt the property manage to notify unit owners to inspect their own hoses for wear or even hire a plumber to inspect all of the units’ water sourced appliances.  Another HOA may have a population of ‘snow birds’ who should be cautioned to maintain their unit thermostats at a certain level to avoid pipe freeze up while they are vacationing in warmer climates.  Sometimes a global reminder to all unit owners of the location of their central water shut off valve for future water emergencies is a good ounce of prevention.

Needless to say, no matter how much a property manager or board thinks about internal water damage, it often comes down to the individual unit owner being responsible to maintain the unit.  Investing in water sensors at some risky or perennial problem locations may be money well spent.  Educating the unit owners through the association’s newsletter or web site is also a step in the right direction.  Reminders of the importance of maintaining caulk in the tubs and showers; hose connections for all appliances; and periodic observations around the home looking for developing rust; drywall damage; and pooling water can go a long way in preventing a trickle becoming a sea of trouble.

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

Published in Condo Media May 2019 edition

Download a PDF copy of this Condo Media Article

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Construction Specifications – Keys to a Successful Job

Managing a capital budget and expenditures for a community association involves greater responsibility and risk than it does for one’s own home – the key is construction specifications. This article addresses some of those differences and ways to control the process to assure a positive outcome and it starts with construction specifications.

Construction Specifications - Keys to a Successful Project!

As homeowners, when there is a major capital expenditure, like a new roof, we call a few contractors to get some competitive bids. Then, we ask a few questions, maybe check some references, and hire the contractor with the lowest cost that we feel will meet our needs.

As board members or managers of community associations, however, the jobs are larger and the money involved is far greater. This also means that the risks and potential liability are increased as well.

For example, the simple task of obtaining competitive bids can result in quotes that are widely divergent. Because costs are greater, the variation can be significant. Criterium Engineers has often been called by property managers to help explain why contractor bids are so far apart. The answer most often is that the quotes are not truly comparable. In other words, it’s not apples to apples.  In order to compare bids, we require detailed construction specifications, without them a project is likely going to fall off track and budget.

Roof replacement is one good example. Different contractors may choose different materials. One may remove the old roof; another may not. One may include costs for permits, disposal, and cleanup; another may not.

The way to get comparable bids is through a specifications process. It is also the way to get a job that meets your needs and perhaps considers money-saving alternatives. A specification prepared by a licensed Professional Engineer is almost certain to include elements that you may never have thought of and ultimately protect your interests as a manager, board member, and as an owner.

What are Construction Specifications?

Construction Specifications are a set of documents that define the scope of the job and the expectations for the contractor. Among other things, it generally includes:

  • Drawings that illustrate construction details
  • Documentation of:
    • All things that must be covered by the quote
    • The manner and format in which the quote is to be provided
    • Methods and materials to be employed (see below)
    • Conditions under which the work is to be performed (e.g., not before 8AM or after 6PM)
    • Required insurances
    • Form of agreement to be used
    • Warranties to be provided
    • Responsibilities of the association vs. the contractor
    • Procedures for effecting changes
    • Construction schedule
    • Terms of payment
    • Site conditions that must be maintained before, during, and after the work is complete
    • Standards and regulations that may govern the work

There are two types of construction specifications, generally referred to as Performance Specs and Prescriptive Specs. In a Performance Specification, the engineer lays out the expectations for the job, that is, how the systems and materials are to perform now and over time, leaving it to the contractor to identify those systems, materials, and method of installation to accomplish the objectives of the specification. For example, a Performance Specification for a roof could be as theoretical as that it must keep the rain out under all conditions and must last 20 years. In more practical terms, the specification may state the type of roof (e.g., EPDM) but decline to name the manufacturer, method of adherence, etc.

A Prescriptive Specification, as the name implies, lays out much more specifically how the job is to be done, what materials are to be used, and the manner in which they are to be installed. For example, a Prescriptive Specification for a roof would most likely list the type AND manufacturer, all details and methods of fastening, etc.

Engineers generally rely on a variety of standard specifications from entities such as the Construction Specifications Institute (CSI) and MasterSpec (AIA). These documents serve as a framework, providing boilerplate and standard clauses, but a true and good specification starts with a field visit to observe actual conditions, and then continues with research to select the right approach.

Value Engineering and Construction Specifications

Developing a specification is the perfect time to consider alternative approaches for the repair or replacement of key systems. Sometimes, a new approach can result in cost savings over the original design. At other times, a different approach may result in greater durability or reliability, thereby reducing costs over time, even though the initial outlay may be more expensive now. Value is the relationship between cost and benefit. Value Engineering, when properly done, is more specifically about the relationship between cost and function. It is generally a “like for like” substitution that generates a cost savings, either initially or operationally, without sacrificing function, intent, or performance of the original design. When developing a specification, the engineer can either perform the Value Engineering himself (Prescriptive Specification) or ask the contractor to propose alternatives (Performance Specification). Either way, the association wins.
Liability for the Board and Property Manager

One of the key differences between owning your own home and sitting on a board representing a group of owners is that you now have a fiduciary responsibility to those owners.

While most board members would not think of awarding a contract to someone just because he was a friend, it can be just as risky to hire any contractor if proper care in the selection has not been exercised. The engineer that developed the specification is also able to assist with pre-bid meetings, contractor selection, and kick-off meetings.

To illustrate how serious this can become, we were recently subpoenaed to produce documents in a case that involved shoddy work by a contractor. While the contractor is the key defendant, so are previous board members and the property manager. Being able to demonstrate that contractor selection followed an industry-accepted, professional, and objective procedure is your best defense in such a case.

Conclusion

Developing a specification for any significant capital expenditure is the best way to ensure comparability of contractor bids, a quality job, and avoid exposure to liability. The best part is, it may actually save money on the overall job. Specifications are developed by engineers or architects who are familiar with the design and installation of building systems. If chosen properly, that person could well be the same engineer who originally developed your reserve study and is familiar with your specific property. We would also strongly recommend hiring that same engineer to monitor the actual construction, repair, or replacement to ensure compliance with the specification. That’s why a local, experienced engineer is the best choice “For the Life of Your Association.”

Learn more about our Construction Management and Monitoring services.

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