April 3, 2013

Polygon: An Expert Developer’s Recommended Maintenance And Warranty Requirements

I had the opportunity recently to review Polygon’s official building envelope review submitted to a strata for which we provide maintenance services. It was a welcome chance to add this expert developer’s recommendations to our own, and share with you the insight obtained by reading their recommendations and why the items below should be addressed.

Here are direct quotes regarding what Polygon recommends in their literature to ensure buildings in Vancouver remain structurally sound through the use of programmed maintenance.

Exterior Walls

(relates to building facade cleaning service)

“The exterior cladding of a building is the first line of defense against water penetration. Any damage, deterioration, or organic residue build-up must be addressed immediately to prevent the build-up of moisture against the sheathing membrane behind… Strata should monitor and maintain exterior cladding as part of a regularly scheduled maintenance program.”

Important note: Potted Plants

“Potted plants and other items were located against the exterior building surface. Items stored against exterior siding must be removed to prevent debris and moisture build-up, and to limit access for insects that can damage the building envelope.”

Exhaust Vents

(relates to dryer and bathroom fan cleaning service)

“Clothes dryers, bathroom fans, and range hoods exhaust a significant amount of moisture laden air from a home. Vent covers and/or exhaust hoods should be visually examined and cleaned on a regular basis to ensure they are free and clear of lint and debris, and residents need to clean their dryer lint screens after each use. The strata should arrange for regular duct cleaning through a professional cleaning company. Also, there needs to be regular reviews of ducting and duct connections to vents, especially after duct cleaning, to ensure they are intact with no air leakage; and remember to inspect that damper flaps are operating properly to limit the entry of birds and insects.

These maintenance initiatives need to be incorporated into the strata’s maintenance program. A compromised ventilation system can be very costly to the owners. If the mechanically exhausted air becomes impeded due to clogged vents or debris filled ducting, condensation will form in the ducts resulting in water damage to the ceiling. A more common problem is the buildup of unacceptable humidity levels in a home. The most common non-warranty issue for residents during the cooler months of winter is condensation due to humidity. This is almost always due to either a compromised ventilation system due to lack of maintenance or residents failing to use their exhaust fans…”

I always welcome information from experts in our industry or related industries that help further the understanding of what should be done to maintain our homes.  By sharing this knowledge, everyone wins.

June 15, 2010

Really? They Don’t Believe in Programs?

A Message From David Benoit

In my 12+ years of working with property managers and building owners I have found the most effective property managers have their properties on some form of plan or program.  As you know there can be quite a turnover of property managers in the industry; they can get overwhelmed by having to respond to  buildings’ needs.

Looking back from this point the managers that are still in the industry are generally proactive in their approach.  This is a “Win-Win” for all parties involved.  The buildings get attention, the property manager can spend their time leading the buildings and the contractor will provide more competitive pricing.

Over the years the 1 most common objection I hear from property managers is, “the strata doesn’t believe in programs.”  My response to this is, “really?”  They don’t believe in cleaning their carpets, gutters, windows etc?  That tells me that the strata members would prefer to own in a building where they can’t see out their windows, where their gutters overflow and their carpets are disgusting and wearing out.

I think the truth is the strata’s haven’t thought it through and the property manager didn’t spend the time needed communicating to them the benefits of an overall plan. You can have 3 to 4 different contractors, but the key here is one calendar of when items will occur and by whom.

On a side note, the most successful property managers I know have only 2 trades they work with in each category.  This helps them stay on top of things and these contractors will do their absolute best to ensure that their customer’s buildings are taken care of with the fear of losing all of the work at that property manager’s buildings. Well run strata’s don’t use the council president’s nephew to clean the carpets.

I have never understood why buildings need to gather quotes every year for services that are generally done every year.  Does the strata think the pricing is going to come down?  If they did their due diligence in the initial process then why would that change?  Of course, if a contractor did not perform according to expectations or agreement, that’s a different story.  The truth is that most contractors will not raise prices on a yearly basis if the work is committed to and ongoing.  At ServiceMaster Clean Residential, we have carpet maintenance programs that are 10 years old and the pricing is still the same.  However when asked to quote on a yearly basis pricing generally trends upward. If we have a relationship with a building and our crews are familiar with the project we are grateful for the work and don’t see the need to raise pricing.

So in summary if you want to have a less stressful longer career make a plan for your buildings maintenance, my recommendation based on over a decade of experience and relationships with hundreds of property managers: only deal with a few trades and take the time to educate your stratas and building owners on the benefits for everyone of being proactive, having a plan, and maintaining your strata buildings.

Thanks for your time and consideration,

David Benoit

Features of ServiceMaster Building Maintenance Programs

Not CONTRACTS we keep our customers based on our performance not a signature

Can consist of a variety of our services carpet cleaning, windows, gutters, dryer vents etc…..

Our Carpet maintenance programs will ensure your carpet WARRANTY is valid

Your buildings will be taken care of by a company that has specialized in building cleaning services for over 20 years.