HOA Vigilance on Upkeep
Since you have a luxury condo in the Hoboken/Jersey City area of New Jersey, you don’t have the headaches of single occupancy home owners concerning upkeep and renovation. The Homeowners Association takes care of that. However, if you are on the HOA Board, it is a concern. Even as a resident, you may want to at least check into the policies on keeping the property looking fresh and trim.
Multi-dwelling facilities, just like single homes, have to be maintained. The trim, and sometimes things like siding, have to be painted on a regular basis. New construction on the site also must be considered. The quality of the paint-job can have a direct bearing on the level of your fees to the HOA. If the paint deteriorates often because of poor workmanship or product inferiority, the cost of re-painting has to be paid more often than necessary.
One of the big reasons why paint may fail too soon is that the surface being painted wasn’t primed. A primer is necessary to ensure that the paint bonds to the surface properly. This is especially true of wood and some sidings. Some surfaces are pre-primed by the manufacturer, but that is not common with items like wooden trim. Be sure any painter the HOA hires knows that you are aware of the importance of priming.
Temperature can affect the outcome of a paint job. After a long hard winter, like this year’s promises to be, painters are understandably anxious to get back to work. They may try to push the season and paint when the temperatures are still too low for proper bonding. The surface being painted should be at least 50 degrees, and remain so during the drying process. This is especially true of latex based paints. Oil paints can be used at lower temperatures, but oil paint deteriorates faster than latex.
Another factor is humidity and wetness. April showers can be taxing on a painter’s patience, and if there’s a let-up, they may paint on surfaces that haven’t dried properly. This will make the paint fail prematurely. Sometimes, in wet climates, the only way to get a paint job done is to paint on damp surfaces. People who live in these places know that they have to paint more often.
Yes, it’s great not to have to deal directly with the struggle of home maintenance. However, you don’t want your HOA to be the condo version of the proverbial “money pit”. A little vigilance can prevent that.
Does your HOA Board know how to hire a good painter?
Edward