We're renters in Northern California, and our apartment building recently experienced some water damage. While our unit wasn't affected, it seems that the windows throughout the building are not watertight and will need a large-scale waterproofing project soon. There will be scaffolding and work done on about 20 units, with an estimated 5-6 windows per unit. My wife is pregnant, and we're worried about the potential effects of the products that could be used during this process. In the past, a contractor used Bondo on a different building's exterior, and the smell was unbearable, forcing us to stay elsewhere for a few days. I've heard that sometimes just flashing tape is used—can anyone shed light on what other materials might be employed? Is it common to use something like Bondo to seal gaps? We're trying to understand what sort of impact this will have on us and how long the work might take—especially for each window since we're unsure how much disruption to expect. Thanks for any insights!
1 Answer
If the waterproofing is done properly, they will likely remove the trim around the windows, add extra sealing tape, replace the caulking, and possibly do some painting too. The work overall will probably be done outside, so that might help with the smell. As for timing, it’s hard to estimate how long it will take since that can vary significantly depending on the crew and conditions.
Thanks! Do you think caulk will be the main "smelly" product then? I assume the sealing tape won’t have much of a scent? I remember Bondo being horrible—how typical is its use if there are gaps? Also, any idea on how long they might take for each window? Like hours or days?