Cladding cleaning is part 2 of the project and the largest part of it.
15 metres high by 180 metres across the back fence is the longest single run on the works. The problem last time and the problem this time – access.
The working space is 1.5 metres at the widest point and down to 1 metre at it’s narrowest. No chance of using any access equipment at either end.
The only way to work on with this is to get underneath it. Get the waterproofs on, extend the lances and think about your ‘happy place’ as all the extra water fountains down, literally right underneath a waterfall.
‘Not too bad you say’, maybe not but wet to the skin within 5 minutes of starting and then spending 7 hours ‘sloshing about’ – happy place!!!!
The cladding was cleaned with a mix of water fed pole cleaning & pressure washing, using extending pressure washing lances up to 45 foot. That takes some holding onto.
When commercial buildings are built there seems to be no consideration for future cleaning requirements, the rear access on this one is exactly the amount of a fire escape, it isn’t anyones fault in particular, it’s almost common practise but 10, 15, 20, 25 year old buildings are needing to be cleaned and a level of resourcefulness is needed and a very big ‘happy place’.
The rest of the cladding cleaning on the job is far from a piece of cake but with great access is nowhere near as demanding.
With a 200 metre, 3/4 inch hose from the water outlet being laid around the building to the works area, laid in such a way that it was safely against the building, anywhere it crossed paving, highlighted with cones and across the service yard laid into rubber conduit with further signs highlighting it we could put water on site wherever we were working and not need to move the van. This helped with the cladding cleaning massively.
