Get down to brass tacks (not to mention green dollars) with a comprehensive maintenance and repair plan.
A 264-unit high-rise condominium community in Alexandria, Virginia, recently imposed a special assessment of almost $9,500 per unit to fund a $4-million exterior repair project. The project concentrated on repairing spalled concrete on balconies and refinishing stained and discolored window units.
Why was such a basic project performed on such a grand scale, with such a huge price tag? Lack of regular maintenance. The community had failed to maintain cementitious coatings on the balcony decks and ledges, to replace deteriorated non-shrink grout around balcony railings, or to periodically clean windows, resulting in sand from the brick veneer reacting with and staining window glazing.