PRESS ROOM

Climate-Specific Homeowner, HOA Maintenance Manuals Now Available Coast to Coast

June 5, 2006 (SAN DIEGO, CA) Master Manuals, the California-based homeowner documentation and information solution provider announced the completion of the climate-appropriate, homeowner and homeowner association maintenance manuals for every state in the continental U.S.

The manuals, presented to homeowners or HOA Boards by homebuilders upon taking possession of a new house or community, document the various maintenance requirements that help residents take proper care of their homes and maintain their investment in the community.

This month Master Manuals unveiled versions of their manuals for states in the Northeast and Midwest. Prior to this release, the company already produced custom manuals that cover other areas of the country including California, Florida, Texas, Georgia, Arizona and Nevada.

“These new manuals close the loop making us the only company to provide the homebuilding industry with professionally-reviewed maintenance documentation that is specific to the region and the state,” said Master Manuals CEO Steven Fabry. “By going beyond the generic offering, we offer performance guidelines that meet the distinctive needs of a region and meet each state’s Notice of Repair and other defect laws. That's what builders truly need."

The proprietary content developed by Master Manuals use Köppen Climate Classification, a universally accepted system that categorizes and maps the climates of the world, to address the specific needs of a region.

As every region of the country has unique, climate-specific needs, each version of a maintenance manual is based on variables such as seasonal precipitation, temperature swings, geological features and variances in material characteristics and design.

Additionally, the maintenance and preventative care recommendations presented in each manual have been reviewed and approved for usage by experts in each specialty field. Some of the many forensic specialists reviewing, and, in some cases, shaping the content include Rimkus Consulting Group, Building Analysts, a division of Salerno-Livingston Architects and James Cohen Consulting.

“Strong applicable content makes all the difference between a 'hope-it's right' manual and an effective documentation solution," noted Fabry. “Content must be user-friendly, accurate, community-specific, and educate homeowners on proper methods. But just as mission-critical is that it minimizes a builder’s risk…that it can stand up in court; that it can potentially create an affirmative defense for Construction Defect Litigation in states where it is provided.”

Master Manuals uses these region-specific manuals as a base and work with individual residential builders to modify and customize each manual to meet the specific needs of the communities they build.

The solutions produced by Master Manuals apply to single-family residences, multi-family dwellings, condominium complexes, communities managed by HOAs and high and mid-rise buildings.