Condo – Pools and Waterproofing – On the House
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Condo – Pools and Waterproofing

By on March 4, 2014
pool

Question

I work at a large 500 unit condominium complex in the East Bay. The maintenance department and the management office call contractors occasionally to supplement the staff we employ. We have contacted many companies for estimates and the responses were fearsome. This is considering the work should be done the same way, with the same materials used by the different contractors.

Some of the residents have mentioned your column, and in reading it, I find your information very easy to follow. Could you recommend one or two companies that are involved in swimming pool tile repair? After dealing with two or three companies over the past five years, attempting to fix the pools, it would be helpful if you could recommend someone with a good reputation for this work.

Also, we have had many leaks in the waterproofing membrane (concrete slab to the building). This is where our plaza level (tennis courts, swimming pool, recreation lounge, landscaping, etc.) stops at the high rise buildings. The waterproofing should keep the water from going to the three levels below, without using a drainage system. There are also cracks in the garage which allow water to drop onto the vehicles. Could you also recommend a few companies with a good reputation in stopping such leaks? We have had the cracks injected and the membranes replaced and patched as needed. We still end up diverting water with corrugated aluminum to keep the cars from getting wet and to stop possible damage to the garage structure. Thank you for your time and consideration.

Mike

Answer

Since your problem involves a 500 unit condominium complex we thought perhaps that we should rename this column just this once, “On The Condos”. Actually, the problems of a 500 unit condominium complex are not unlike the problems that most owners of single family dwellings have with their homes. The basic difference is that most of the maintenance problems with a complex this size are slightly magnified and often multiplied because of the density of construction. And, decisions to resolve problems can be further complicated by the number of people involved in the decision making process. Eeks! And you thought that dealing with your spouse or significant other was tough. While we can’t make specific recommendations for contractors we do have some advice which we hope will be helpful.We are sure that if you did some checking around with other large apartment or condominium complexes, especially ones that are similar in construction, you would find that they too, suffer from many of the same maintenance maladies. You will probably also find that they can make recommendations for competent contractors and services that relate to your specific problems. Conversely, they will also be able to tell you who to stay away from. We believe that one of the best ways to gather this type of information is to network with other condominium owners and associations. In Northern California do this via ECHO (Executive Council of Homeowner’s Association). For more information call (408) 297-3246 or visit their website.

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