Your new deck coatings that you just put on
might have maintenance instructions/warranty requirements that mandate
documented inspections. It costs less to caulk a drain than to remove and
replace rotted plywood because water leaked underneath.SERVICES-INSPECTIONS
Here's what one client had to say about our inspection report
In today's world of high cost reconstruction you can't afford to take a risk and ignore your decks-especially those over living spaces. Associations need to keep water intrusion at bay and where is the highest risk of that going to occur? Decks over living spaces. According to a study performed by Robert J. Marshburn, CRM, CIC, ARM of www.Certifiedriskmanagers.com; waterproof decks placed 8th on his list derived from a survey on the top ten most common defects found in homes. This is very significant, especially when one realizes that decks aren't usually on every home built. Mr. Marshburn notes in his article "Common Construction Defects" that whenever he's found decks on 1980's mass produced housing involved in litigation, those decks always seemed to have problems. While builders have been pro-active in finding better materials and using better building practices, the threat of leaks and damage remains.
Attorney's may argue for a long time to come, but our opinion is that decks over living spaces are roofs that we just happen to walk and grill steaks on. The Association probably has strict rules that anyone caught walking on the roofs will be shot on sight (we're kidding, we hope you don't), but do you even have any rules or policies governing the use of your very expensive decks? Figure on average about $25.00 to inspect your decks, and around $5,000.00 each to replace them. It always costs less to be proactive.
In order to avoid costly repairs, an inspection of each deck should be
undertaken. Drains and scuppers need to be checked, the sealant's condition
assessed, observations made as to whether the resident may be hastening the
demise of their deck, and so on.
Your new deck coatings that you just put on
might have maintenance instructions/warranty requirements that mandate
documented inspections. It costs less to caulk a drain than to remove and
replace rotted plywood because water leaked underneath.
Who is going to inspect your decks? The manager? Don't even think about it. They are not qualified to do so, they are busy running your Associations business affairs. Your reserve study specialist? Doubtful, they are usually so busy that they couldn't take the time to do as detailed inspection as ours for the fee we charge . A contractor? Well sure, they'll find something that needs fixing...it's only logical they would, they need work.
The fact is, none of these options are good options. You need qualified advice, accurate information and it needs to be unbiased. For information on what to look for in doing your own inspections, click here. To see a copy of our report, click here.
Waterproofdeckcoatingadvice.com performs independent, unbiased inspections for HOA's, Apartment Communities and commercial properties. Our unique 20 point inspection checklist, combined with digital photography documenting what we find, lets us provide you a comprehensive visual and written report. Our inspection list rates each separate component of the deck, the flashings, scuppers, drains, sloping etc. with easy to read ratings that are designed to let you immediately see what problems you might have and what you need to do about the problem. We also inspect the decks for items that could potentially harm the coating, unprotected chair legs for instance, would get our recommendation that chair tips need to be put on the chairs, potentially saving hundreds in repair costs if the coating was cut through. With accurate information like this, it is easier to assign responsibility for any damages that might occur, allowing the Association to justify billing an owner for damages if they didn't comply with the instructions to put chair tips on the chairs. See a copy of our report by clicking here.
Our inspections will also help you provide proof of due care and diligence in
the event you have defect issues and need to prove that you maintained your
decks, especially since California's
SB-800 Construction Defect Law became
effective a few years ago that mandates that you have to prove you have
performed the recommended maintenance and any repairs-it's likely that you will
have to prove that you were pro-active and did inspections. If your Association
was built in the last few years, the Association should have received HOA
Maintenance Manuals that the Developer is supposed to provide you with. These
contain all the warranties, maintenance information and other pertinent
information for the common area and restricted common area items the Association
is responsible to maintain.
A recent trend on the manufacturer's end is to re-write their warranties,
often limiting their damages to the cost of the materials applied to your decks. Some manufacturer's (and more are sure to
follow suit) are now requiring documented written inspections on a quarterly
basis, one even going so far as to
require you sending them proof of the
inspections via pictures or video!
HOW YOU'LL BENEFIT FROM OUR SERVICES
Prove you are in compliance with warranty requirements, SB 800 and give yourself peace of mind.
Accurate reporting allows fine tuning of your maintenance budget and reserve allocations.
Lower costs are derived from catching problems early rather than paying for extensive repairs and replacement later.
One deck can cost $5,000.00 or more to replace, our average inspection costs around $1,500.00 for 100 decks. We will save your Association money!
Documented damages may help you to seek reimbursement from owners who have caused the problem to occur.
Written opinion to provide to your reserve study specialist-see a sample letter by clicking here.
See a sample report by clicking here.
As an estimator for several waterproofing firms, we have years of experience inspecting Associations decks.
Our experience on the management side of HOA's gives us a different perspective that benefits you, our client.
Quick turnaround, from a signed contract to a completed report in as little as 10 days! We know that you need your information fast; that's why we guarantee that your report will be in your hands within 28 days once all paperwork is finalized or we will reduce our fee by 50%. There was nothing worse for me when I was a manager to have to report to my Board that I hadn't received a bid or report from a vendor when that vendor told me they would have it to me on time for my next monthly meeting.
Contact us to request additional information, get a quote or to begin arranging for an inspection of your decks today!
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