Is it worth painting stucco on a 1990s building that went through leaky condo remediation or will the problems just come back?

If your 1990s building underwent proper leaky condo remediation, painting the new exterior should be perfectly safe and the problems should not come back, provided the remediation was done correctly. The original leaky condo crisis in Metro Vancouver was caused by a combination of factors including face-sealed stucco systems with no drainage plane, inadequate flashing, and building envelope designs that trapped moisture inside walls. Properly remediated buildings have been re-clad with modern rainscreen systems that include a drainage cavity, improved flashing details, and weather-resistant barriers that meet current BC Building Code requirements. The new stucco or cladding installed during remediation is a fundamentally different system than what failed originally. That said, the quality of the remediation work matters enormously. Before investing in painting, review the remediation warranty documentation and check whether the building envelope warranty is still in effect, as many carry 10 to 15 year terms. If you are part of a strata, your council should have these records. A post-remediation paint job with elastomeric coatings designed for stucco actually adds an extra layer of weather protection. Choose a vapour-permeable elastomeric paint that allows the wall assembly to breathe while keeping bulk water out. Avoid high-build elastomeric coatings that might trap moisture if applied too thickly, as this can create problems even with a rainscreen system. Your strata should also budget for regular building envelope maintenance inspections every three to five years, which is standard practice for remediated buildings in the Lower Mainland. As a next step, request a copy of the remediation completion report and have the building envelope consultant who oversaw the original work confirm that painting is appropriate at this stage.

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