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BW ofack of proper veniing
and/or expansion joints.

Duncan said water spreads
the spores of moulds and fungi
thar cause serious. structural
damage in wood frame build-
ings. He told council that 15%
of the moulds are toxic.

The buildings at risk were

nostly built within the last 10
years and, according to
Dunean, the quality of build-
ing and workmanship was

“just not there.”

He said older buildings are
fine but “there are clusters
built within the last ovo or
three years that are failing.
Think of them as large
Cc hristmas cakes sitting in the
nin.”

Duncan said he hopes

“sophisticated” strata councils
that identify any potential
problem areas will immediately
retain an accredited building
envelope specialist to conduct
a detailed investigation.

Depending on what is
found, owners might be
offered “Cadillac, Chevy, or
Volkswagen choices. Quick
action might mean a relatively
cheap Volkswagen solution.”

But Duncan warned against
using inexperienced contrac-
tors or a willingness to accept
quick-fix solutions.

He has been lobbying
Lower Mainland councils for
months to alert its citizens to
the full extent of a problem he
said many people are refusing
to acknowledge.

He also wants the provin-
cial government pressured to
regulate and license the
restoration industry and to
require warranty protection for
building envelope repairs.

Duncan — acknowledged
there are some contractors that
are doing a credible job but
described an clement in the
building restoration business
as “criminal.”

The province has
Homeowner Protection Act
Regulations drafted that
include a requirement for war-
ranty protection. Labour and

NEWS photo Terry Peters

THIS eight-year-old highrise at 1555 Eastern in N.Van
City is undergoing water damage restoration.

materials must be warrantied
for two years, the building
envelope for five years and
structural components for 10
years, Duncan wants the same
requirements legislated for the
restoration industry.

After listening to Duncan's
delegation, council debated
the issue and directed staff to
review his submission and
report on:

@ any further action deemed
necessary over and above the
council resolution of Aug. 31,
1998, including any comments
from the Medical Health
Officer (regarding the toxicity
of moulds associated with
water damage); and

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Coun, Pat Munroe told the
News even one resident would
deserve protection. “I guess
we've never thought of the
total sum before and it’s cer-
tainly worth looking into,”
said Munroe.

The district voted Jast year
in a detailed and wide-ranging
motion to lobby the province
for:

Ba home warranty program,
M@ the licensing of contractors,
developers and property man-
agers; and

@ the authority to waive “leaky
condo” repair permits.

The same motion also con-
tained several directions to
stafY for amendments to the
distist’s Building Bylaw on
the issues of building design
and inspection.

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Those initiatives will come
back to council shorty now
that the provirice has new leg:
islation in place.

Duncan acknowledged he
had not been aware af the dis-
trict motion and described the
council as enlightened and a
leader in the held. However,

he emphasized the issue of

regulsuag reconstruction still
needed to be addressed.

Dunean said the condo cri-
sis is “just the beginning.”

“If you think the condo
problem is bad, you haven't
seen anything ver. Wait until
the mid-rise, highrise prob-
lems start to hit the headlines.”

He predicted an enormous
problem with — “post-ten-
sioned” concrete buildings
where water is rusting the steel
anchor points of poured con-
crete.

“The reality is that some
(he described nwo, neither on
the North Shore) of these
buildings should be knocked
down and nobody wants to

face that. God help them if

there is an earthquake.”

Duncan said money is the
reason nobody wants to face
the extent of the problem.

“People are totally hiding
from it because their biggest
investment is their property.
They are also trusting a system
that is not serving their inter-
ests.”

David Mathieson is a
North Vancouver resident and
the owner of Wismer &
Mathieson Projects Ltd., a
company that has specialized
in building envelope restora-
tions for six years.

He said Duncan’s failure
predictions are right on the
money.

“There are owo dozen
buildings within a few blocks
of the North Shore News,
some not two years old, that

Sunday, May 2, 1999 — North Shore News — 5

acing water damage

are Jeaking or going to jeak.”

Mathieson also agreed with
Dunean’s assessment of the
unqualified nature of the
reconstruction industry.

“There's a dot of people
bailing inte the — business
because construction is down
and repairs are up.

“Carpet cleaners and fire

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There is no question thar a
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tors would be appropriate.
“There is a for of work
being done out there that will
have to be done again. In some
case we dre the third, fourth or
fifth person making repairs.”

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