Located in Westbury, Long Island, the residential apartment complex incurred serious structural deterioration due to water infiltration and mold proliferation. The buildings were vacated so that a complete facade restoration could be performed to remedy the defects. Engineered Building Inspections, P.C. was retained as the resident waterproofing and engineering expert. EBI was on site every day and performed multiple services including pre-construction documentation, documentation of original construction revealed during demolition and quality assurance inspections related to reconstruction.
The Archstone apartment complex consists of twenty residential 3-story apartment buildings, all of which were wood framed construction including vinyl windows, vinyl siding and artificial cultured stone veneer. Water intrusion created deterioration and mold proliferation throughout the building envelopes necessitating complete reconstruction of exterior facade elements of all the buildings said to be valued at over $20 Million Dollars.
During the two year project, EBI performed surveys of the original construction during the demolition process and generated reports with photographic documentation cataloging conditions observed.
Once the exterior siding and moisture barriers were removed, EBI performed mark-outs of degraded sheathing and framing elements requiring replacement. In many instances complete wall sections required replacement as a result of wood decay. This required temporary shoring of the surrounding structure during construction.
Reconstruction included moisture barrier systems with window flashings, drainage systems, liquid and tape flashing, deck coatings, flashings and metal pan systems around the building envelopes. EBI performed careful verification of the reconstruction with particular attention to the moisture barrier and drainage systems installed for compliance with project specifications. Reconstruction was sequenced so that written EBI sign-offs were necessary in order for the contractor to proceed with reconstruction.