[CondoOwner16]

I own a townhouse in a 70 unit condo complex. The condo board recently held an information meeting about exterior replacement work that they are proposing and I would appreciate some input from the experts on this forum.

The board had an engineering study done and is now proposing to do the following work:
- Replace the wood siding with vinyl.
- Replace all windows - note that the windows were previously replaced 8 years ago.
- Replace all doors.
- Re-shingle (and re-board where necessary) the roofs.

The engineer and board told us that it is best to do all of the work at the same time and that the windows should be done again because the contractors doing the siding would take the windows out to replace the siding. All of this comes with an expected price tag of $27,000 per unit.

************

Since that time, I have been told by a friend in the home construction business that the windows should not be taken out to do the siding and that the roof and siding do not need to be done at the same time.

He thinks there is a chance we are being duped into getting too much work done.

**************

Sorry for that wall of text, but now that the background info is out of the way, my questions are:

1. Do the windows really need to come out just because the siding is being replaced? Is there any good reason why you would replace 8-year old windows just because you're doing siding?


2. Is there any benefit to doing the siding and roof at the same time?

 

[kwikfishron]

Doing the windows, doors and siding at the the same time does make sense especially if the windows are new construction style with a nailing flange.

As far as the roof, if there are roof to wall connections where the roofing terminates into the siding then doing it all as one project makes sense too.

I can't really comment on the 8 year old windows with what info you provided. If 8 years ago the wrong type of window was installed for the application or they are failing for whatever reason then maybe.

The part that caught my attention was the 27K per unit. That's 1.89M. How many buildings are there? How many windows per unit? What part of the country are you in?

BTW, Welcome to the forums.

 

[craig11152]

There is a difference between needs and wants.
Most of the time a new roof is a need because they have a limited life span no matter what you do.
Doors often are a want....properly cared for they can potentially last hundreds of years. so are they a want or a need?
Windows are often a want...they can be inefficient and annoying before they fail to the point of structural damage. Are they a want or a need?
Wood siding, like doors, if cared for can last hundreds of years. Another want/need question.

As to sequence I disagree with the moderator. As a 30 year roofer I figured out how to get new step flashing behind existing siding. It would have been swell if the siding came off but that rarely happened. As to the windows it seems highly unlikely the old ones are " new construction style with a nailing flange" if they were replace 8 years ago with the existing siding in place. No reason the new ones need to be if the siding is staying in place. If the windows are truly failing that is a different story. But if you have 70 units of 8 year old failing windows that sounds like a law suit to me.

Seems like somebody needs to seriously decide what is a want and what is a need. Then decide what wants people are willing to buy. Sequence should not be in the discussion other than what the needs are.

 

[kwikfishron]

As a 30 year roofer I figured out how to get new step flashing behind existing siding.

Please...Share that trick.

 

[craig11152]

Please...Share that trick.

there isn't a "trick" it sometimes takes work, sometimes its easy. Sometimes we pull some nail's sometimes we don't. But i never in all those years didn't figure something out.
edit: I worked with dozens of guys in those years and we all figured out how to put new step flashing in behind existing siding. I bet thousands of roofers do it every year.
I get that you don't like me. Your a moderator just freaking cancel my membership.

 

[kwikfishron]

there isn't a "trick" it sometimes takes work, sometimes its easy. Sometimes we pull some nail's sometimes we don't. But i never in all those years didn't figure something out.
edit: I worked with dozens of guys in those years and we all figured out how to put new step flashing in behind existing siding. I bet thousands of roofers do it every year.

Okay, it's not a "trick". How do you get the the full up the wall portion of the flashing (step or roof to wall) behind the siding and also on the correct side of the weather barrier without compromising the integrity of the assembly and without removing or cutting the siding?

 

[CondoOwner16]

Thanks for the replies. There is some good info there that I will take to our AGM on Thursday (and I'm planning to try to get on the board).

We have 70 units and each unit has 9 windows (excluding basement which are not being done).

I have no idea what kind of windows were put in 8 years ago but will bring that question to the board as well.

 

[Fix'n it]

i was on a condo board once, for years.

be advised = some people have no common sense.