Photo courtesy AGC of Washington A new courtyard was built with concrete pavers on short pedestals over a hidden drain field at the Lochshire condos.

Black walls, a pervasive mildew odor and even mushrooms growing in a bedroom were just a few signs of serious water intrusion in the 100-unit Lochshire condos in Kirkland.

Substandard original construction had caused moisture pooling from the topping slab of the courtyard into a below-grade garage and into adjacent units. Charter Construction was hired to replace the leaking slab, remediate anchor bolts and stacked floor hold-downs, replace all siding and roofing, and conduct extensive interior repairs.

Building the new courtyard involved installing 24-inch concrete pavers on short pedestals over a new topping slab and membrane system. Each pedestal was individually measured and cut to maintain a level field that also allows surface water to flow to a new hidden drain field below.

The contractor used MG-Krete, a fast drying polymer-based concrete, for the topping slab, since immediate access to the units via the courtyard was needed by several residents.

All residents remained in the units during construction. Charter assigned an on-site liaison to the job, a task typically performed remotely. The liaison gave residents direction on how to prepare for work, and fielded calls 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

The contractor paid close attention to residents’ needs, from special wheelchair accommodations for a tenant with multiple sclerosis to consolidating tasks to minimize effects on a severe asthma sufferer.

There were no recordable accidents or safety problems during the course of construction.