Creative thinking delivers huge savings
OneFifty has just completed a large StoRend render cleaning project in the heart of Bristol’s Harbourside area. Balmoral and Waverley House - two eight storey buildings - are situated on either side of Cathedral Walk, a wide tree-lined pedestrian walkway.
MAKING THE RIGHT IMPRESSION
This is a popular area and the buildings need to be kept looking clean and smart, but being near the water’s edge they are constantly exposed to the elements and the pretty pastel facades had become weathered and discoloured. OneFifty had previously carried out a very successful façade clean for The Crescent - a residential development adjacent to Cathedral Walk. Being keen to achieve the same high standards of cleaning on this project, the property managers chose OneFifty to do the work.
Creative thinking delivers huge savings
The property owners wanted to have the building façades cleaned and then repainted, but the cost to scaffold the buildings alone was estimated in the region of half a million pounds. This meant the proposed costs would exceed the available budget and everything would have to be put on hold for the foreseeable future!
By working in close collaboration with Jones Building Company, we came up with an access plan that would allow us to get the job done, without scaffolding the building. Our plan saved enough money to allow the project to be completed within the available budget and so, to everyone’s delight, the work went ahead.
Unique challenges
The location, the unusual shape of the building, and the extent of the work required all conspired to make this a challenging project.
It would take around three weeks to complete the work, but because there are shops, offices and leisure facilities on the ground floor, and residential apartments on the upper floors, we would not be able to close off access during that time.
The height of the buildings was not an issue for our staff who are IPAF trained and used to working at height; and the painters were also soon trained up to do the same. However, the restricted access and the curved shape of the buildings – including a Bull nose - did make this a particularly tricky project to work on.
Our solution
We used special access equipment, including cherry pickers and spider lifts with booms, to allow us to reach the full height of the building as well as the really difficult-to-get-to areas of the facade. We have considerable experience in this field, so knew exactly what was needed. We also managed to manoeuvre our kit into place, often with just millimetres to spare.
By working in close partnership with Jones Building Group we were able to plan and implement the work so as to allow our operatives to share the access equipment. As we completed the cleaning of a specific section, their painters were able to start painting.
Minimum interruption to residents or businesses
All work was carried out within normal working hours (between 08.00 and 17.00), so great care was taken to ensure minimum interruption to residents or businesses and any passers-by. Strict Health and Safety measures were adhered to at all times throughout to ensure the safety of people moving about within the vicinity, as well as of the operatives involved in the project.
The painting work is being completed as we publish, and has been a huge success. The building owners, residents and property managers are all very happy with what we have achieved – and the buildings are looking amazing.
For more information about our high level access or render or façade cleaning please contact Max or Andy Morris on 0333 234 1445 or email your enquiry and we will get back to you.