Oh Weather, Oh My! Repairing a Bellevue Condo Complex.

We were recently approached by Peter, one of our favorite long-time clients, that also happens to be the president of a local condo board. The condos, built in 2006, were in need of a new paint job and while he intended to use on of our favorite painting trade partners, American Home Painting, there were some additional problems outside of a painter’s purview that required attention. Sales Manager Mark Jensen evaluated the exterior of the condo complex as requested and found several items in need of repair.

The facades of most of the condos were deteriorating much faster than reasonable for the age of the material. As the buildings faced south, they received the brunt of our Northwest climate’s wind, rain and intense sun. Some exterior design elements of the building were attractive, but retained water as they did not have a beveled edge, allowing water to soak into the wood and nearby crevices. The facade contained seams which if improperly flashed, allowed water to egress into the siding. The sprinkler system, while great for the burgeoning planter, also regularly hit the siding and would until the foliage grew up high enough to block it.

While we do live in a rainy climate, our estimation was the significant weather exposure, coupled with inexpensive materials, lack of quality caulking and the design were to blame for the degenerative condition of the 20 affected units. Since the exterior damage was caught early by the condo board, no interior leakage occurred. Residents were well-informed of any interruption and might have seen the top of carpenter, Ray’s head as he quickly got to work fixing the impaired sections with new caulking and correct flashing for siding seams. He replaced the damaged, rotted or suspect trim boards with new versions. Now that the repairs are complete, American Home Painting can get down to business with two new coats of paint ensuring these Bellevue condos are beautiful and structurally sound once again.

To avoid damage like this in the future, we recommend using a licensed contractor that properly caulks crevices and uses appropriate flashing where needed and required. We recommend higher quality materials better suited to our climate like cedar or pre-primed white wood and would have recommended beveled boards to allow water to drain properly off of the decorative elements of the exterior design. If you have areas where you think water or sun damage has affected the quality of your home’s exterior, call us for an estimate. We want you to stay warm and dry this fall.

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