Structural problems with condos
Posted May 15, 2011 8:56 am.
This article is more than 5 years old.
Do you live in a condo complex that’s developed structural problems?
You’re not alone.
An industry expert warns troubles with leaky condos in Calgary and the province could be far worse than what the industry and government are indicating.
Michael Ball, Associate Senior Project Manager for building and facilities with Morrison Hershfield Limited, tells the Calgary Herald he can can point to at least 200 condo suites in the city that are currently being restored, all of them less than 10 years old.
Much like British Columbia, the problem with leaky condos first surfaced in Alberta in 1997. In the ensuing years, the Alberta Government issued bulletins to builders urging higher building standards, after a 1999 study found that design and construction of multi-family complexes, as well as stucco exteriors, were common factors in moisture problems with the buildings.
Ball notes during the boom times in 2008, over 7000 units were constructed in Calgary, adding that even less attention to detail was paid by developers.
He says it can take up to five years for design problems to surface, adding we may be in the infancy of understanding the problem.
