Feb
2020

Are Leaky Condos Still a Thing?

February 25th, 2020 | in Building Envelopes

Purchasing a building with a poor envelope or leaky condo is one of the crazy expensive risks that you can encounter.

In Canada, the federal government changed the structure codes in the 1980s to boost the energy efficiency of structures in response to the energy crisis of the 1980s and 1970s.

Nowadays, leaky condos still exist. They existed 50 years ago, and they still exist now. There are always shoddy builders, and there are always buildings that need work. It's not unheard of for stratas to try to avoid doing the work that is needed to keep a building in good repair.

A leaky condo or building is one of the more gross things in the condo market. However, you might be able to buy a condo or building for a song if you know that it's leaking.

But there are ways to detect a leaky condo.

Tip # 1: How and when the structure was built

The time that is known as the leaky condo era is around 1984 to 1998. If a structure was constructed within this period it is in the leaky-condo-syndrome era. During this period, building styles that performed well in dry warm climates came to the Pacific Northwest, where there is a distinct rainy season on the west coast of Canada.

If there was poor air circulation in the building, water would get into the building, and it could not get out. This made the building rot creating mold and other different problems.

Tip #2: What the contractors are doing and saying

One excellent way to do research if the structure is leaky or not is to check the strata materials of the building. The strata team is comprised of all the building owners, and they have one meeting annually. There should be notes on leakiness even if it is not addressed

Tip # 3: Hire a professional

In any city, there are hundreds if not thousands of condo structures. After going in and out of numerous condos every year you will know the good structures and mostly which building to avoid. Hire an expert to do professional research for you.

We’re experts on this type of work, so feel free to talk to us about a condo or condo building that you suspect is leaky. We’d be happy to give you a free estimate for repair.

Westerly Restoration, provides building envelope and restoration services in Vancouver, BC, and throughout the lower mainland. If you have any questions about this article or would like to talk to us about building envelopes or restoration, please call us at (778) 881-2877 or use the convenient form on our Contact page.