What happens in a major leak repair?

[editor@bccondos.ca]

What happens in a major leak repair?

Have a look at the case studies with photos we refer to at the CMHC link under Condo Link Reviews and also at Rotting Wood Framed Apartments -- Not Just a Vancouver Problem by Kevin Chouinard and Mark Lawton at http://www.morrisonhershfield.com/papers/paper2.pdf, which also has pictures. Read particularly Concluding Comments at the end of the paper, which may assist a strata council currently considering whether damage is sufficiently advanced to warrant immediate attention:

In all cases, the condition of exterior cladding gave little (if any) indication of the extent of hidden damage. For this reason damage to the wall framing is often in a very advanced state by the time the problem is found. This has been realized on a very large scale in the lower mainland of British Columbia.

[Guest]

Step by step home repairs

We also liked this June, 2003 posting from the Electronic Law Library at http://www.bccba.org/Guest_Lounge/dialcontent.asp?id=409. It gives a reasonable heads-up on the repair procedure from acquiring the building permit, hiring a contractor and deciding what to put in the contract through to builders' liens. However, the latter remain even more of a mystery after clicking on the builders' liens tape. That material clearly was not written for condo owners.

We haven't been able to find any good material on builders' liens so far, but we'll post it here when we do.

Ed.

Note: We found some very readable material on builders' liens recently. Search 'liens' at our Condo Law FAQs forum.

[Guest]

Case Studies

Are there any more case studies like the one at http://www.cmhc-schl.gc.ca/en/imquaf/himu/bebufa_020.cfm?

We have not been able to reach the contact person listed at the bottom of that feature, and we've made inquiries at CMHC, but still no response. We'll keep trying.

Ed.

Note: We finally found him and now we're talking. Please go to CMHC under Condo Link Reviews.

[Guest]

Getting a building permit

We like the information bulletins at the City of Vancouver. Click on http://www.city.vancouver.bc.ca/commsvcs/cbofficial/bcodeinfo/permitreq.htm to find out when a building permit is required and again on http://www.city.vancouver.bc.ca/commsvcs/developmentservices/enquiry_centre/Permits/buildingpermits.htm to find out how to get one.

Ed.

[Guest]

From: cliff matheson
To: Editor
Sent: Monday, December 08, 2003 8:13 PM
Subject: Infrared

Dear Editor,

Sorry for the late response to your interest on rainscreen construction. When I have more time I will put together a few photos of the different construction procedures used for rainscreen. It really doesn't matter on the wall design, what matters is the attention to detail. I call the rainscreen wall application a living design, as it continues to change and develop at the whim of the consultants involved.

You may find our website interesting: http://www.mmiinfrared.ca.

Regards,

Cliff Matheson

[Guest]

From: editor@bccondos.ca
To: cliff matheson
Sent: Tuesday, December 09, 2003 9:09 AM
Subject: Infrared

Great. Thanks. We'll get that up right away. Send us more when you can. Sooner is probably better than later -- not because of www.bccondos.ca deadlines but because leaky condos have been a hot topic in the House for over a month now. The government seems to be looking seriously at changing the current scheme. It's a good time to be talking about the effectiveness of current rainscreen technology.

Ed.

Note: We did visit the new website today and especially liked the Maintenance link with its discussion of case studies at http://www.mmiinfrared.ca/maintenance.htm.