Degrading condo windows expected to
trigger major wave of replacements
Toronto Star
By: Patty Winsa
19 Feb 2014
That million-dollar condo view comes with a hidden price tag as
degrading windows in older buildings are expected to trigger a major
wave of replacements which could cost owners upwards of $100,000, a
university professor says.
“Window walls have already been around in their current form for 20 to
30 years and we expect that they will have a 30- to 35-year lifespan,”
says University of Waterloo professor John Straube, who divides his
time between the civil engineering and architecture departments.
“Over the entire face of a large condo, they could cost $100,000 (a
unit)” to replace, said Straube, noting the figure is a projection
because “we don’t actually have that much experience.
“What we do know is that’s what it has cost to replace glass in limited
buildings to date.”
The adhesive, gaskets and sealants used to install window walls
eventually degrade due to temperature changes and exposure to the sun,
allowing moisture and water to get in. The glass wall’s aluminum frame
becomes pitted and disfigured over time due to corrosion. The cost of
replacing the glass walls could be “five to 10 times” what
it cost to replace windows in a home because the windows have to be
stronger and they are harder to reach, Straube said.
As well, the glass walls result in higher energy costs.
“Technology may offer slick solutions and reduce this cost,” said
Straube. “We just have little experience.”
Owners often don’t anticipate all the repairs associated with condo
maintenance and consumers must be more informed, he said.
“This is not the same as buying a house. These will require a much
larger proportion of our dollars to operate and maintain,” said
Straube, who has consulted with Toronto apartment owners on how to
repair and retrofit their aging buildings.
Straube said the province should change the building code to include
more consumer protection as well as standards for building safety.
Curtain walls
Since the ‘70s and ’80s, the building industry has had experience with
curtain walls, a more expensive glass wall used in commercial buildings
and high-end condos. The walls sit in front of the concrete slab —
hence the term curtain — and are clipped on with pieces of aluminum.
Less contact with the concrete means better insulation.
Window walls
On the other hand, window walls sit on the concrete slab and are less
durable. “They’re cheaper, the aluminum frame is thinner and they have
more joints that are finished with less durable sealants,” said
Straube, adding they were invented to improve affordability in the
residential market.
Other experts, though, say it’s hard to predict a doomsday scenario
where condo owners are soon paying thousands to repair the window walls.
“Because we’re relatively new to this amazing condo market, we’re not
sure about the life of these buildings,” said Graeme Stewart of Toronto
firm E.R.A. Architects.
But he noted condo owners should probably be saving more for long-term
maintenance.
“There’s an expectation from the buyer’s side that (the units) are
going to potentially last forever (but) there is an ambiguity about how
long they’re going to last.” People must realize condo buildings have
regular maintenance cycles,
like homes, said Stewart.
The architect is looking at innovative ways to retrofit and reclad
Toronto’s aging apartment buildings, which were predominantly built in
the ’50s and ’60s. Stewart said it’s much more cost-effective to repair
the concrete
structures, which can stand for centuries, rather than raze and replace
them.
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