As our collective building stock ages and as the Leaky Condo crisis evolves the allocation of large sums for repairs and maintenance is claiming much more attention from the owners of buildings.
The components of a building from the top of the roof to the bottom of the foundations have a typical projected use life based on original quality of construction and standards of building maintenance.
The roof and building envelope are designed to withstand the elements of the sun, wind and rain. The mechanical systems such as the central heating, mechanical exhaust fans and make up air are designed to maintain comfort to the occupants and maintain acceptable humidity levels. The plumbing systems are designed to supply domestic water and central heating systems such as boilers. The electrical systems are designed to supply electric power to operate the mechanical equipment for various uses. With this in mind it is plain to see the buildings various life systems will all have to be repaired or replaced as the building ages.
Key decision-making is necessary to make the complex decisions for effective use of your maintenance budgets. Planned maintenance and building evaluations are the natural consequence.
The results of comprehensive building evaluations generally include an improved day to day maintenance operation and a more orderly and cost effective replacement of big-ticket items such as roofs, envelope repairs, boilers and waterproof membranes that protect the concrete parking structures for underground parking garages.
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But there are other beneficial reasons why building owners should undertake a building check-up.
The benefits of a building condition survey are that the information provided would give you the necessary plan for the needed life cycle replacements of the various building systems and components and will give you the replacement costs for adequate replacement reserve funds and provide you with a plan for preventative maintenance.
The Scope of a Building Condition Survey should include the following major elements:
- Visual inspections of the property, interior and exterior to include the buildings components and envelope water management performance.
- Interviews with the owners, property manager and facility users.
- Review of design drawings, operating manuals, historical records and building component repairs or replacement details.
- Compliance with basic building code analysis.
- Inventory and condition survey report on all major systems and components and budget costs for repair or replacement.
- Identification of maintenance and operational problem areas with recommendations for correction or further study.
One little tip to remember. As a committed Building Science Specialist we have done our homework and can provide building owners with the necessary tools to help you relax and enjoy your lives by being informed and making the right decisions for you and your families.
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