exterior stairway Replacementsteps

In 2000, my company acquired a 144 unit, 16 building multi-family apartment community
through the purchase of a California developer. The property was built in 1978 and located in
Wytheville, Virginia. I was assigned asset management responsibilities.

On my initial visit to the property, I discovered numerous stairwells with missing treads that had
been blocked off with caution tape. The manager informed me that all the steps were failing. I
have been involved in property management for 35 years and was skeptical. I was wrong. I fell
through two separate unsecured staircases on that first visit.

I contacted a General Construction Co.that had developed creative solutions to construction
problems for me in the past. We visited the property and discussed the long term goals for this
property. The goals and considerations were:

Cash Considerations - The property had sufficient reserves to replace the existing treads, but if
they failed again in the same time frame, no funds would be available for another replacement.

Hold Period - We planned to own the property for at least 20 years.

Time Considerations - The current condition of the stairways was an extreme liability issue and
demanded immediate correction.

Weather Considerations - Winter was approaching and due to the severe conditions in western
Virginia, work had to proceed quickly.

Resident Considerations - The stairs on the two to three story walk-up buildings were the only
means of resident access so the stair replacement had to be accomplished quickly to provide
safety and convenience for our residents.

Code Considerations - The product had to meet local codes.

Safety Considerations - The product had to be slip resistant.

Loading Considerations - The treads had to withstand both foot traffic and the load of residents
continually moving in and out.

Resistance to snow removal products - Due to the fact that management could not control the
products that residents choose to apply to their stairways, the product had to be resistant to
de-icing chemicals.

The General Contractor had researched many products for me, but they all fell short in one area
or another, except for fiberglass. He designed a mold and contracted with a fiberglass design
company to construct a step to be fitted between the existing stringers and meet all code
requirements. He then engineered the actual step himself and had the proper testing done by a
structural engineer.

The result was the most attractive exterior step I have ever seen, not to mention the strongest
This product has now withstood five mountain winters and four summers and still looks as
though it has only a few months wear. It is truly remarkable. I highly recommend its use on all
exterior stairs in all climate conditions where it might be applicable to stair design replacements.

I have been in the Property Management Business for 35 years now and have had to replace
many, many, stairs in all types of conditions. Stair replacement is one of the most costly rehab
items on property assets and is never a pleasant installation. This replacement was done faster
and turned out better than any I have even seen done, and the probability of the fiberglass
meeting a 20 year projection* is very high, thus making it a very profitable upgrade, as you
could expect to replace the same stairs at least twice during the same time frame, plus lots of
costly upkeep in between. *Replacementsteps says that the construction properties of the
steps actually indicate an estimation of a 30 yr. longevity, thereby eliminating a third
replacement, and garnering even more $avings.

Also, let me add that these stairs, since 2000, have not had to have one cent spent on upkeep.
Once again, I highly recommend these steps as replacements.

Most sincerely, Rick Heron
Property Asset Manager
Ambling Management, Inc.