Railings Maintenance Project Gets Underway
A number of the terrace railings are showing signs of corrosion. So your HOA arranged for them to be refinished with a durable, long-lasting coating. You or your Property Manager will need to coordinate access so that the work can be done.
The Problem
Almost all railings are showing signs of corrosion. To arrest the degradation, the HOA decided to refinish them all with a protective, durable coating. We debated: Should they simply be re-painted? Sand-blasted and electroplated? Elastomer? Something else? If so, what color - black or the deep Las Mañanitas brown?
You wouldn't believe the number of different technologies and vendors your HOA evaluated during 2021. Finally, in the autumn of 2021, we selected Enecon and a proprietary refinishing process that necessitates removal of the railings and taking the railings to the Enecon shop.
Supply chain difficulties and the high-occupancy season pushed the project into May. But the project is moving right along now.
What Happens In Each Unit
1. Removing the existing railings
When Enecon is ready for your unit, an appointment will be set up for a specific time/date.
For property security reasons, either you or your Property Manager will need to be present for the entire time when the railings are unbolted and removed from the building.
Because having you or your Property Manager on site protects Enecon from liability for property loss or damage that they didn't cause, Enecon will pay the Property Manager directly in the amount of $60 for opening the unit and remaining there while they are working. The Property Manager will also supervise Enecon's work to ensure no property loss or damage in your unit. Most Property Managers accept $60 as full compensation for their time. However, YOUR Property Manager may charge you more, which will be your responsibiity; check with them.
While the railings are off-site being refinished, Enecon will put up temporary top and bottom rails, but only warning tape (like police tape around a crime scene) in between. The tape is only a warning -- it won't stop anything from falling through! Each Owner will need to ensure that guests -- especially children -- are kept away from the edges, as falls could be fatal!
2. Recoating the railings
The refinishing process will take two to three weeks, so you should plan on not having your Unit's railings for at least that long. Enecon will try to minimize this time, but complication with a particular railing and scheduling with your property manager (see next point) might delay things
3. Re-installing the railings
Again, for property security reasons, either you or your property manager will need to be present for the entire time when the railings are reinstalled. Again, Enecon will pay the Property Manager $60 for his or her time (but your Property Manager may charge you more).
We recognize that this is a hassle and an inconvenience, but it will a) preserve the structural integrity of the safety railings by arresting the corrosion, b) preserve/advance the beauty of these very visible elements of the architecture, and c) extend the life of the railings and avoid HOA fees in the future. Please cooperate with Enecon and the Community Manager in scheduling the visits listed in steps 1 and 3 above.