Why hospitality buildings develop distinctive defects
Hospitality properties are built to be used hard and judged closely. Guest rooms, pools, spas, kitchens, and outdoor decks put water, heat, and traffic on assemblies that must also look finished. Many resorts add buildings in phases, so new construction meets older work at roofs, decks, and walls.
Hotels, lodges, and resort villas share many of these conditions as a building type. Bathrooms stacked floor over floor, balconies over occupied rooms, and continuous mechanical loads all raise the stakes when water gets where it should not. Damage often stays hidden behind finishes until a guest notices a stain or an odor.
Our expert witness experience includes vacation resorts and restaurants. Gregg de Haan’s construction litigation support also includes casino hotel work, and owner associations and resort properties in snow country, from Lake Tahoe and Truckee to Mammoth Lakes. Our associates are active in the building trades and familiar with current building materials, from cement plaster and siding to roofing, decks, and windows.
Mountain resorts and snow country
Resorts in mountain settings face conditions that lower-elevation buildings rarely see. Heavy snow loads, ice dams at eaves, repeated freeze-thaw cycles, and long periods of meltwater test roofing, sheet metal, decks, and wall assemblies. Snow shedding from upper roofs can also damage lower roofs, railings, and walkways.
We are snow country building specialists, and Gregg de Haan specializes in high alpine waterproofing, roofing, and general construction. That focus is directly relevant to failures that appear only after a hard winter or during spring melt. Some surface only after several winters of exposure.
Gregg also specializes in plan reviews as they relate to waterproofing above and below grade. Resort buildings often depend on both, from roof decks and balconies to below-grade parking and service levels. Comparing the drawings with field conditions helps show where a waterproofing system departed from its design.
- Snow load on roof framing and overhangs
- Ice dams at eaves, valleys, and roof transitions
- Freeze-thaw damage to concrete, masonry, and sealants
- Meltwater at decks, balconies, and door thresholds
- Snow shedding onto lower roofs and walkways
Restaurants and food service areas
Restaurants, whether inside a resort or standing alone, combine wet floors, grease, heat, and intensive plumbing in a small footprint. Floor waterproofing, drain connections, cooler slabs, and rooftop exhaust penetrations are frequent sources of concealed damage.
Kitchen floors are washed down daily, so a failed membrane or drain connection can saturate the structure below for a long time before it shows. Rooftop equipment adds curbs, penetrations, and foot traffic to the roof, and each one is a potential leak path.
Our investigative specialties include mechanical/plumbing, electrical, concrete, and roofing and sheet metal. Those are the systems that carry most of a restaurant’s load. Floor sinks, grease lines, and hood exhaust routing are frequent points of inspection.
- Floor waterproofing and drain connections
- Walk-in cooler and freezer slabs
- Rooftop exhaust and refrigeration equipment
- Grease and waste piping
- Electrical and kitchen equipment connections
Investigating occupied hospitality properties
Field documentation is one of the most important aspects of construction defect conflict resolution. At a resort, it has to work around guests, events, and seasons. Room access, testing, and any destructive openings are usually agreed with the property beforehand. Peak seasons, weddings, and holidays often narrow the available windows.
We use camera and video documentation techniques to provide trial-ready exhibits. We generate comprehensive field reports, photo documentation, conceptual repair scopes, and cost estimates promptly. Where water entry is in question, window and door water testing can separate a product failure from an installation problem.
If a product appears to have failed, we are aligned with several laboratories that test and analyze product failure. We also take field samples to store at our office in case they are needed at trial. Preserved samples remain available after a seasonal property has been repaired and reopened.
Expert witness services for resort disputes
We provide expert witness services for settlement conferences, mediations, arbitrations, depositions, and trial. We are retained by attorneys, insurance carriers, building owners, homeowner associations, and contractors in California, Arizona, and Montana. Gregg de Haan leads field investigations, gathers field data, and attends expert meetings, mediations, and arbitrations.
Research supports that testimony. We perform plan and detail analysis for constructability and for code compliance, informed by a library of present and past product literature and testing data. We also perform change order, project cost, and RFI analysis for litigation purposes.
Our aim is accurate, organized information that makes complex building deficiencies understandable. The firm’s aim is a balanced, educated opinion for fair resolution, whichever party retains us.
What makes these buildings demanding
- 01Guest rooms, pools, spas, and kitchens concentrate water in and around occupied space.
- 02Balconies and decks over living space depend on continuous waterproofing and flashing.
- 03Phased expansions create transitions between construction of different ages.
- 04Snow loads, ice dams, and freeze-thaw cycles stress roofs and decks at mountain properties.
- 05Seasonal occupancy can leave leaks unnoticed until damage is extensive.
- 06Restaurant floors, drains, and exhaust penetrations face grease, heat, and daily washdown.