Water is a necessity for living—but it’s also a potential hazard for all types of buildings, on both micro and macro levels. In the form of extreme weather, water can cause serious damage to building envelopes that can lead to leaks that slowly damage building systems from the exterior masonry and concrete to the interior steel superstructure. The collapse of Champlain Towers South in Florida a few years ago is a glaring example. Left unchecked, even the smallest leak can compromise structural integrity, foster mold growth, trigger insurance battles, and diminish property value. Timely and proper attention paid to water infiltration is key to preserving the integrity of our properties.

All Leaks Great and Small

In general, there are two types of water infiltration: envelope leaks and plumbing leaks. Either type can be minor, or catastrophic. If it’s severe enough, a plumbing leak can cause as much damage as an envelope leak. One New York City manager who requested anonymity recounted the tale of a burst pipe in a pre-war building their company managed. The leak started on the top floor on the eve of a Labor Day weekend. Over three days, with the building’s managing agent, board, and majority of residents away, the water made its way all the way down to the basement, and caused extensive damage to every unit in the line.  

Both plumbing and envelope leaks require immediate attention—no matter how trivial they may seem. “It’s very important to report any leak immediately,” says Giulia Alimonti, an architect and building envelope specialist located in New York City. “Your property manager must monitor and track any moisture infiltration on any exterior surface, because it may lead to damage to the structure of the building.  Water corrodes metals, and will corrode your underlying steel structure. In cold climates, when it freezes it expands, and will crack the masonry as well. If the water infiltrates into interior spaces, it may cause the drywall to mold, which can remain hidden for a long time until it becomes so pronounced it can appear as a black stain on the walls.” Mold—particularly the black mold Alimonti references—poses serious health threats to residents and pets, including eye and respiratory irritation, worsening asthma and emphysema, even mood and behavioral disruptions. Mold exposure can be especially harmful to infants and young children, elderly residents, and anyone in the building with an underlying health condition or compromised immune system. 

Get Ahead of It 

The quickest and most efficient path to preventing leaks and their potential for damage is regular inspections. “The roof, and other exterior envelope components on most structures have warrantees, usually 20 years,” says Ben Messerschmidt, COO of Epic Forensics & Engineering, an engineering firm with offices in West Palm Beach and Orlando, Florida. “Within that period, regular inspections by your roof maintenance contractor are recommended. The standard is twice a year with a corresponding report on conditions. It’s baseline health. The report should also include recommendations for any problems or potential problems in the next year.”

“While there’s not a lot of proactive things that can be done to track potential problems with the exception of casual visual inspections,” says a professional building envelope engineer located in New England, “they should be completed on a regular schedule. Invasive inspections, more in depth and thorough, are generally reserved for some type of observed condition with a suspected underlying problem.”

“The first line of defense is a rigorous inspection program,” says Antonio Argibay, managing principal at Meridian Design Associates, based in New York City. “Exterior inspections are intended to identify deteriorated masonry, compromised flashing, or roof failures before they allow water inside. These inspections should not be viewed as a legal burden but as a critical opportunity to prevent damage that multiplies once water infiltrates a structure. They are mandated to occur every five years in New York City.”

Interior Complications

As mentioned above, one of the most ominous and dangerous complications from water leakage is the development of mold. Mold infiltration can happen in any climate, and while mold growth is often a result of flooding from natural disasters like hurricanes and floods, it can also result from untended or unknown interior leaks unconnected to heavy rain or building envelope leakage.  

“Inside the building, leaks from poorly sealed bathrooms, aging plumbing, or faulty dishwasher and washing machine hoses are equally dangerous,” says Argibay. “A slow, hidden leak can saturate finishes and insulation, creating the perfect environment for mold, which can trigger respiratory issues and other health risks. Mold remediation is costly and disruptive, and it almost always starts with water infiltration that went unnoticed or ignored.”  

It should be noted that many municipalities have building codes or regulations in place that prohibit ‘wet-over-dry’ construction—meaning that a builder or a resident doing renovations in a multifamily building cannot construct a kitchen or bathroom over an otherwise ‘dry’ area on the floor below, such as a living room or bedroom. Hence why bathrooms and kitchens in mid- and high-rise buildings are stacked over each other in ‘lines’. This layout keeps plumbing infrastructure concentrated, making it easier to maintain and repair, and limiting the spread of any leaks that occur. 

Cracks or flaking in the ceilings of bathroom and kitchen spaces are typically the result of old paint or dry heat; water infiltration tends to show up more as caking or crumbling plaster, wet areas in drywall, or worst of all, as mold. Damaged areas around windows and door lintels are common sites for leakage that spreads into walls—and even the ceiling, if severe enough. No matter where it appears, residents should report any drips, stains, damp spots, or mold growth to building management immediately.

An Ounce of Prevention…

The key to preventing leakage and infiltration problems is diligence. As one pro puts it, “Inspect, inspect, inspect!!

“For a typical high rise building,” says Alimonti, “we do various types of inspection by scaffold or drone every five years at minimum  Ideally, we also do a yearly inspection with binoculars and drones from rooftops and other nearby buildings. For parapets, we do these inspections every year, as it is required in New York City. Unit residents must provide access to their apartments to do an interior assessment, which is regulated by building rules and coordinated by management.  They must allow inspectors to come into their units and see what damage there might be. It’s disruptive, but in the best interest of the residents.”

“Ultimately, it’s like brushing your teeth,” says Messerschmidt of preventive measures. “If you diligently maintain your building, that maintenance very substantially minimizes the time, expense and repair that will be needed in the event of a problem. Your maintenance program should look like a manufacturer’s suggested program to keep their product in top condition. For instance, a roof contractor will have a recommended maintenance program. Management companies generally include these suggestions in their procedures, and you as the property owners should follow these recommendations. Each component part—roof, masonry, etc.—will have a different cycle. Everything can’t be done by your staff; use your suppliers and warrantees. There’s also a vendor network to support these complicated structures.”

Insurance

As with everything related to property, especially these days, the question arises as to whether insurance will pay for needed repairs and preventative measures. “It depends on the building’s insurance,” says Alimonti. “It also depends on how the damage happened. Was it a result of a repair program that caused new leaks, or was it a maintenance problem? Insurance may cover only part of it.”

“Insurance does cover some of these things,” adds Messerschmidt. “It boils down to nuts and bolts. Most associations’ policies will cover [damage] up to the inside face of drywall. Beyond that, it’s the owner’s policy. Also, coverage may fall back on costs, and whether [a leak] was properly addressed. Insurers are asking for very specific language as to the structural safety of properties these days. ‘Structural safety for intended use’ or ‘free of defects,’ which is way more broad, determines insurability.”

Argibay notes that insurance carriers “increasingly scrutinize water damage claims. Repeated leak-related claims can cause premiums to skyrocket—or policies to be canceled altogether. In condos and co-ops, disputes often arise between boards, managing agents, and individual owners over who is responsible for repairing damage from a leak. Failure to address chronic water infiltration not only leads to higher deductibles and reduced coverage, but also exposes boards to liability claims from shareholders or unit owners who suffer repeated damage. In many cases, insurers will classify water damage as a preventable loss, making it difficult to recover costs if inspections and maintenance are proven to be neglected.”

To Manage or Not to Manage? 

Another factor in assessing and addressing leakage and infiltration problems is whether a property is professionally managed or self-managed. “The logistics of accessing units in a self-managed association can be complicated as there isn’t a manager pacing the property regularly,” says our New England based engineering professional, who notes that many condominium associations in New England are on the smaller side and tend to choose self-management. “Deferring that aspect to property managers or vendors is generally preferred. Otherwise the board of directors will usually have to take on that role.” Professional level expertise should be considered critical here.

In regions where local government is deeply involved with enforcing proper maintenance for the sake of both the residents’ and neighbors’ safety, efforts to correct potentially dangerous situations caused by leaks may even lead to additional problems being discovered. Almonti recounts an urgent unsafe condition at one building where she did some repair consultations. The repair work was done immediately, and when it was finished, they took down the sidewalk shed—only for the DOB to come back to confirm the repairs and find that still more work was needed. 

“They got a violation and had to start again,” she says. “Always get a second opinion to make sure you’re doing the right thing. A peer review of whatever recommendations you’ve been given. Put another set of eyes on it. Especially before you finish and demobilize the job.”

No matter where you live, water infiltration is one of the most preventable causes of building damage. With regular, thorough inspections, a proactive maintenance program, and a culture of early reporting, boards and managers can protect their residents’ health, preserve property values, and avoid unnecessary insurance disputes. In the long run, prevention is always less expensive—and less disruptive—than remediation.

A.J. Sidransky is a staff writer/reporter for CooperatorNews, and a published novelist. He may be reached at alan@yrinc.com.