I read a report entitled Exterior Building Maintenance and Repairs

This was a study commissioned by the BOD in 1998 to review the options available for exterior siding with an eye towards achieving a long term solution to the current problems of maintenance (this wording is contained in the report). The architectural firm PMR, reviewed three different types of siding, vinyl, cementitious wood, and natural wood and assess their relative value towards creating a long term, cost effective solution to the siding issue.  The conclusion they reached is that natural wood is the most cost effective, long term solution for Coburn Woods.  Additionally, they advised that by working together with the maintenance staff, they could review the areas to be re-sided in wood and make some modifications that would make the installation more permanent.

“It is doubtful that the resulting installation will cost significantly more and it is our expecation that by properly treating the flashing and details at roof and wall intersections and on overhangs, water can be directed away from the interior of the buildings and as a result rot and deterioration will be significantly reduced. If we are retained to review the assessment prepared by your saff, we will make specific suggestions in the form of sketch details to show how we would address each of the conditions of deterioration which presently exist with an eye towards reducing long term maintenance costs. Based on these, cost impacts can be analyzed by your staff and you can be kept informed of costs.”

I think we’re asking the wrong question.

We segued from looking at vinyl siding as an option to enhance the value of our homes to how to remedy the rotting siding. In that transition the question of how to pay for it should have gone from us, as homeowners, to Evergreen–but it didn’t. Many of the homeowners are stressing over how they are going to manage paying for this. I don’t understand why this is part of the discussion. Part of Evergreen’s responsibility is to maintain the siding. From what I can see, there has been gross negligence on their part. Therefore, the question to them from us should be when and how are they going to fix this.

Why do all roads in the Woods lead to vinyl siding?

We’ve seen it coming for months now–the push for vinyl siding. Despite the concerns of many of the homeowners, both the board (or at least some of them) and the management company have pushed this agenda to the forefront. When the appeal to the owners to increase the value of their homes by “upgrading” to vinyl siding didn’t fly, tours of homes with wood rot were given. I attended one of the meetings and had to agree with one of the attendees who said she was not pleased with the scare tactics being used to present the case for vinyl siding.

No one can argue that there is wood rot on some of the homes, but the management company would have you believe that you could walk up to any unit, punch a hole in the side and find damage. How did they know which houses to go to? From what I know, many if not most of the owners of the homes on the tour had put in work orders or notified Evergreen in some manner that there were problems. For a variety of reasons, these notifications went unheeded, some of them for years.  Additionally, the siding that was done in the recent past was done in a slap dash manner, everything from only partially addressing the issue to using unpainted wood.  Of course it’s hard to expect perfection when the work was done by non-professionals during winter stormy weather. (The work in my cul-de-sac was done in January in cold, sleeting conditions, and the workers had to keep going under the tarp where a gas burner was used to keep warm).

It’s amazing to me how neglect on the part of the management company now becomes our problem. Aren’t we paying them to keep up, maintain,  the property? While some of the wood rot comes with the territory, simple maintenance and prevention (like removing overhanging branches) should address much of that.  

Unit #13, which has become the poster child for the vinyl push, is in drastic shape. Aside from design flaws, the requests for remediation from the owner went unanswered.  Now the situation is so bad that extensive work has to be done. As if that’s not bad enough, it seems that professional help wasn’t called in, and apparently the remedial work being done might not be up to par. The owner has a right to expect that his situation be addressed immediately and the work be up to code. Instead, we’re told that vinyl siding will save the day here, and that a vinyl siding company has agreed to do this for free.  Not only will the look of vinyl siding disturb the design integrity of the Woods, it may cover up existing problems.

I think that all wood rot should be remediated as soon as possible. After the water project is done and after the road project is done, we can look at the vinyl siding proposal. Hopefully when it comes to that time, we will be able to weigh the findings of the siding committee and come to a logical decision. In the meantime, I hope we can go about this in a reasonable manner.

  

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