Cladding Cleaning Services

Location: London
Project Value: £200,000

Wellington Hospital was purpose built in 1974 and remains the largest private hospital in the UK. We were approached by the main contractor during refurbishment works to provide a detailed report of the external building condition of both the North and South buildings. This was carried out via rope access.

The external is cladded using an unusual Travertine panel which due to its porosity sucked in both water and dirt as well as leaching minerals out onto the glass and frames.

On completion of the report, samples were carried out and noted that the soft substrate required a sympathetic approach, so we prescribed the use of a super-heated water system such as Thermatech and DOFF at low pressure.

Why rope access and super-heated water?

Here’s why we recommended our choice of method and equipment:

No damage to the already soft surface
No chemical use or overspray risk to the public
26,000 litres of water saved compared to pressure washing
Minimum environmental impact
No scaffolding required which saved a huge sum of budget
The team we used

The works were carried out using a team of six IRATA trained abseilers, a site manager and a two-man ground security team to ensure the safety of the staff, patients and visitors while working around the entrances.

Other work we carried out

On completion of the cleaning, we then carried out a range of remedial repairs to damaged and loose panels, window frames and gaskets.

Location: Bedfordshire
Project Value: £80,000

We firstly undertook a thorough structural survey of the hangars via rope access, and discovered that due to the holes in the roof there was a huge amount of debris in the netting that would need to be carefully and safely removed before we could even begin to replace it.

Why rope access?

With such a unique, large-scale complex structure, rope access was the only option – any mechanical cherry pickers or scissor lifts just didn’t have the reach! Rope access meant we could be very agile and manoeuvre around the large space quickly and safely.

The team we used

We assigned a team of eight IRATA trained rope access technicians and two project managers who developed a detailed and fully safety-checked plan to dismantle the netting and lower it to the ground along with the debris inside.

The results

Over a seven-week period we first removed over four tons of debris and broken roof panels in the existing netting, then removed the damaged netting – which weighed more than two tons – and replaced it with a new, high quality netting which will ensure the safety of those below it for many years to come.

Location: Milton Keynes
Project Value: £25,000

The client had approached other companies in our field to rejuvenate the very tatty looking exterior cladding panels but without success, as after the newly-cleaned panels dried, the stains re-appeared.

We conducted an initial site visit and full inspection using mechanical access methods to discover that the panels had a combination of surface staining, silicone bleed and hydrocarbon deposits from vehicle exhausts. This was going to be a very specialist job; but we had the knowledge and contacts to source a unique prototype product from Sweden. When applied to a test area and left for a few minutes it removed the stains completely and just required a gentle rinse with water to make the exterior look brand new again.

Why mechanical access?

Mechinical access offered a stable and mobile platform to reach every part of the building, whilst also allowing us to carry the tools required for the job with us. We used two 85ft self-propelled booms that were perfectly suited to the job in hand.

The team we used

We put together a team of four IPAF trained technicians to work on the project, and security personnel on the ground to ensure the safety of the public on the busy thoroughfare.

What our client said:

“We commissioned kaizen to undertake a thorough clean of a 1990s office block that was past its best. We were given a demonstration of the service Kaizen could offer with a test panel being cleaned and returned to a virtually new looking finish. We then commissioned the cleaning of the entire external elevations and the result is a building that stands out for all the right reasons! Kaizen managed the process very efficiently indeed and the work was carried out on budget and on schedule with minimum disruption. We will definitely be using Kaizen again.”