Condo caulking: a guide for the condo association

The building envelope is a shared concern

Caulking seals the joint between a window or door frame and the wall. On the outside, it keeps rain out. On the inside, it stops warm, humid air from escaping. According to the Government of Quebec, air leaks alone can cause 25% of a home's heat loss.

In a condo, these leaks don't stay with one neighbour. Water that gets in through a cracked joint can run down inside the wall and reach several units. Humid air escaping through a poorly sealed frame can condense inside the wall. The Government of Quebec notes that this hidden condensation can damage insulation and lead to mould and rot in the structure.

That's why we treat caulking as envelope maintenance, just like the roof or the masonry. A joint redone on time costs less than a wall that has to be opened up.

Who is responsible: the association or the owner?

The answer is in your building's declaration of co-ownership. It says whether the windows, their frames and the exterior joints are common areas, restricted common areas or private portions. Every building has its own rules.

In many cases, the exterior joint is part of the envelope and falls to the condo association. The interior joint is sometimes left to the owner. Before starting work, have the split confirmed by your property manager or a condo law professional. We don't give legal advice: we follow what your declaration sets out.

Once the roles are clear, everything gets simpler. The association can have the exterior of the whole building redone, and each owner can, if they wish, have the inside of their unit done during the same visit.

Adding caulking to the maintenance log and the contingency fund

Since the condo reform, associations must keep a maintenance log and have a contingency fund study done. Deadlines and review frequency are set by regulation. Check the version in force with your property manager or on LégisQuébec, as the rules are still being clarified.

Caulking belongs in both documents. In the log, record the condition of the joints, the façades inspected and the work done. In the study, plan the replacement of exterior joints as a recurring expense. This avoids having to vote a special assessment the day leaks begin.

For these documents to be useful, they need to rest on real observations. A detailed quote for each façade, with the type of joint and the proposed product, gives the board a solid basis for planning.

Inspecting and documenting the joints

A visual inspection already reveals many problems. Look at the joints around windows, doors, balcony patio doors and wall vents. Note the façade, the floor and what you see.

For upper floors, don't take risks: inspect from the ground with binoculars, or hire a professional equipped to work at heights.

• Cracked or crazed joint
• Joint pulling away from the frame or the wall
• Hardened, crumbling or missing joint
• Water marks, stains or blistered paint under a window
• Complaints of drafts or frost in certain units

Doing the work in phases

A building is rarely redone all at once. You can work by façade, by floor or by building, depending on the approved budget and the condition of the joints. Façades that already show cracks go first.

The Government of Quebec recommends caulking the inside first to control humid air, then the outside against rain, and working from top to bottom. In a condo, that means coordinating access to units for the inside and planning access equipment for the outside.

We handle this schedule with the board and the property manager. That way, owners know ahead of time when we'll be at their place. We caulk year-round and our lead times are short, which leaves room to fit the work into the budget at the right time.

Choosing the product and the warranty

On the outside, we mainly apply DOWSIL™ 791 and CWS silicone sealants. The 791 comes with a lifetime warranty on materials and labour, under the terms set out in the contract. If the association already has a specification calling for another product, or supplies its own product, we apply it on request.

A note on grants: the LogisVert "Roof insulation and caulking" measure is aimed at houses. According to Hydro-Québec, condos and plexes are not on the list for this measure. So don't count on it to fund caulking for the building.