Design Intent Statements states:
.1 The installation of the exterior sheathing membrane is intended to improve the air tightness of the building envelope.
We are unable to use our shower due to mould that we can't get rid of.
We replaced the tiles, grout, and sealant but it just came right back.
BC's Housing and Construction Standards states:
While ventilation strategies can have a significant impact on energy performance, ventilation is primarily a health and safety issue. Inadequate ventilation can lead to mould, a high concentrations of CO2, and other indoor air pollutants, which can lead to adverse health outcomes.http://www.housing.gov.bc.ca/building/green/energy/index.htm
With respect to Sunridge Estates, at least half of the 2-bedroom units have a natural cross draft when all the doors are opened. None of the 3-bedroom units do. Our unit, number 409 is a 3-bedroom unit.
I did my best to solve ventilation problems - most of which I thought would be a concern in not just our unit, but in other units also - and was subjected to astonishing oppression and abuse as a result.
Owners, and even some council members, were kept in the dark - critical decisions were made and not recorded in the minutes. One or more members of Council sabataged, ignored, or denied my requests for various upgrades during the building envelope project which we were prepared to pay for. Instead, the complex was seriously downgraded and about half a million dollars of special levy funds were diverted to demolish and reconstruct extra decks and destroy the landscaping to create unobstructed panoramic views, to the detriment of others, and particularly Unit 409.
I must have been niave, but I thought the building envelope project might be an opportunity for a practical remedy for a variety of concerns, which I reported, but council never investigated or responded to. I was silenced with threats of police action for criminal harassment when I reported ventilation issues, including:
Bedroom - I advised of heavy black mold in the windows and requested a ventilation upgrade;
Bathroom - I advised of black mildew in the ensuite and a substandard bathroom vent with a reduced opening and requested a larger vent;
Windows - I requested an upgrade to insulated safety glass to help resolve heat and security issues;
Fireplace - I requested an upgrade to fresh air ventilation to our fireplace and advised that we could not burn it without smoke entering the room.
An unidentified person decided against all of the above upgrades without giving owners or council a chance to have a vote and without publishing the decisions in the minutes as required by law. I was able to get fresh air ventilation for the bedroom in Unit 409 only, but nothing else. An unidentified person charged me $500 for a $20 vent, which was so scandalous that another unidentified person refunded the money to me. Contrary to the law, the minutes do not record such harmful shenanigans.
Mold still prevents us from using the shower in our ensuite, the air still doesn't move in our fans, our vents are still blocked by construction defects, smoke still prevents us from using our fireplace, heat from the summer sun is still a problem, and fear still disturbs me when I am home alone.
Details
March 18, 2003
I reported heavy black mold that I scraped from our bedroom windows
and asked council to provide a ventilation report to owners from the building envelope professionals to include a price estimate and method of upgrading it.The strata corporation asked me to provide some research for council's consideration.
April 14, 2003
I received an email from Al MacLeod with respect to reports I submitted on awnings and landscaping saying, "Dianne, since the beginning of this process you have demonstrated a sense of purpose in acquiring information and your willingness to share it with council is quite impressive. As an owner here, it is much appreciated"
April 19, 2003
I delivered my ventilation and mold report to council to the strata mailbox and requested added ventilation to meet the current building code and ventilation performance requirements of the Canadian Standards Association.
The Bathtub Guys looked at the ensuite in Unit 409 and told us they had never seen mold go up so high on the wall before. They advised that the developer had not installed the tub correctly, which is why installing cement board and new tiles would never stop the mold. The developer also installed the ensuite fan incorrectly. An improper overlap reduced the size of the vent's opening. They refused the job on the basis that having seen the conditions they would not be able to guarantee their work.
August 15, 2003
I attended a council meeting and presented in writing 12 proposed motions, which council voted to attach to the minutes. Instead, 12 different items drafted by Mr. Mac were attached to the minutes, as if I were the source. On August 28, 2008, I delivered to the owners an addendum with my 12 proposals, which included motions for consulting an arborist and/or landscape architect, and for the building envelope professionals to make recommendations on fresh-air ventilation and other concerns
September 12, 2003
I was informed that my April 19, 2003, ventilation report was not distributed to the members of council and that council would like to receive a copy, so I emailed a copy of what I had delivered. Mr. Mac hit the reply button claiming that he had been advised by legal council to call the police to press criminal harassment charges if I sent anymore email to members of council. I was shocked. Although I could not imagine any lawyer who would give such advice, Mr. Mac's accusations upset me so badly that my nightly sleep became seriously disturbed
September 18, 2003
Richard F. Taylor from Morrison Hershfield wrote in response to sketches of architectural design proposals I submitted and said that adding awnings could be an option that reduces the vulnerable elements of the building and in their opinion my comment regarding making the rooflines simpler, rather than restoring the original design, would potentially result in lower costs.
The left side of this drawings shows changes I suggested.March 3, 2005
I emailed the strata corporation my doctor's advice that I was suffering from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and that I require clean air for my lungs and asked for authorization for ventilation to be added to Unit 409.
A fresh air vent was eventually installed in our bedroom, but not until BC Homeowner Protection Office intervened on my behalf. I attached a hepa filter to it that runs automatically, and the improvement it makes in the air quality is so noticable that I feel thankful for it every day.
This vent is one BIG reason why we don't want to move. Since it was installed we have much less black mould.
****
We got the vent in Unit 409 - but it sure wasn't easy.
April 1, 2005
The strata corporation told me that I had to pay a non-refundable $500.00 up front prior to council having Heatherbrae and Morrison Hershfield investigate and provide pricing and a change order.
April 28, 2003
I provided the requested cheque payable to the strata corporation in the amount of $500 and requested that 2 vents be placed in the most suitable locations, one to bring in fresh air and the other for an exhaust to vent interior air outside.
I stated that I would install my own equipment after Heatherbrae placed the vents in the building envelope.
May 8, 2005
I emailed the project manager confirming that I was in agreement with having Heatherbrae's sub-contractor take care of providing and installing suitable vents.
May 18, 2005
The project manager emailed me to advise that Morrison Hershfield would not do anything until I provided Engineered Shop-Drawings from a registered and certified Mechanical Engineer for approval.
All of the units in Phase 2 were constructed with these vents included in the downstairs
bedrooms. It was therefore quite surprising that similar vents were not to be added to Phase 1, and that installing such a vent in our upstairs bedroom would require Engineered Shop-Drawings.May 27, 2005
I jumped through all kinds of hoops trying to figure out the ventilation until the Home Owner Protection office confirmed that it was not possible to obtain Engineered Shop-Drawings from a registered and certified Mechanical Engineer because the vents to be installed were not a mechanical device. They advised me that the strata corporation's building envelope engineers/consultants should be the ones to make recommendations as to what needs to be done to address my ventilation issue to prevent another envelope failure and comply with the warranty coverage.
June 16, 2005
Heatherbrae cut a round hole under the window in the master bedroom of unit 409. Several weeks later a round vent like the ones the hardware store sells for $15 was stuck through the hole.
I would like those responsible to compensate me for motel bills
and personal injury from toxic sealant formulated for outdoor use being applied inside 409 by Heatherbrae in copious quantities
The strata eventually installed the vent, replaced the toxic sealant, and returned our $500 cheque, but continued to retaliate by removing surrounding trees and threatening us with lawyers in attempts to intimidate me into removing these blogs, the accuracy of which has never been disputed. Our requests for reinstatement of the original windows and doors and trees, structural repairs, and correction of faulty installations of the bathtub and ensuite exhaust fan in our unit are continually ignored or denied without owner votes.
December 16, 2013
Below are some excerpts from a free ASHRAE guide for professionals
to acceptable indoor air quality in buildings
1. Manage the Design and Construction Process to Achieve Good IAQ;
2. Control Moisture in Building Assemblies;
3. Limit Entry of Outdoor Contaminants;
4. Control Moisture and Contaminants Related to Mechanical Systems;
5. Limit Contaminants from Indoor Sources;
6. Capture and Exhaust Contaminants from Building Equipment and Activities;
7.ReduceContaminantConcentrationsthroughVentilation, Filtration, and Air Cleaning; and
8. Apply More Advanced Ventilation Approaches.
The summary guidance is available as a pdf file for free download at www.ashrae. org/iaq. The detailed design and construction guidance is sold on CD. Hopefully it will contribute to improved IAQ for many years into the future, beginning by having a major impact on today’s efforts to promote sustainable buildings.
References
1. EPA and NIOSH. 1991. Introduction to Indoor Air Quality. A Reference Manual. EPA/400/3-91/003, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, U.S. Public Health Service, National Environmental Health Association.
2. SMACNA. 2007. ANSI/SMACNA 008-2008, IAQ Guidelines for Occupied Buildings Under Construction. Sheet Metal and Air Conditioning Contractors’ National Association.
Andrew Persily, Ph.D., is group leader, Building and Fire Research Laboratory, National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, Md. Martha Hewett is director of research, Center for Energy and Environment, Minneapolis.
