Case Study:Saving Our Client £20K on Access for Their External Redecoration Project

Introduction

These beautiful properties in Kensington Square Gardens needed extensive exterior redecoration. No redecoration had taken place for over 10 years, leaving these properties in need of refurbishment. We have been completing several other maintenance services for these heritage properties, such as roof repairs, brick repairs and repointing, downpipe and gutter repairs, and metalwork repainting. In this case study, we will discuss the redecoration process.

The Project

Kensington Garden Square was built in 1692 and is located in the heart of West London. These beautiful period properties feature some of the most classic London architecture in the area and are Grade II listed for their architectural and historic merit.

These privately owned luxury dwellings are spread across six storeys, including basement flats. Uniquely, the residents' community manages the maintenance of the building themselves and employs a surveyor to assist them with quotes and contractors.

We have previously worked with this surveyor, who recommended our property restoration services because they knew we could complete the desired renovations without the need for scaffolding, which was very important to the residents. The overall project is an extensive refurbishment of the entire property exterior, which hasn’t been done for at least 10 years. We have repainted the entire property, including facades, window frames, and iron gates.

The Logistics

The success of this project was all in the prep work. We spent a week preparing the facade by cleaning the masonry, removing all flaky paint, and sanding the facade to ensure a smooth application of the new paint. During this time, we also prepared the timber window frames, which cover about 30% of the property's facade. We sanded off the old black gloss paint from the window frames, provided timber repairs to damaged or rotten pieces as required, and applied two coats of high gloss timber paint.

To prepare the facade of the property, we delivered a DOFF cleaning service to remove any pollution or algae while also highlighting areas of loose and flaky paint. Our operatives then abseiled down the facade, sanding rough areas and removing all flaking paint. After a rinse to remove all dust, which allowed ample time for the walls to dry fully, we began the painting process. Our abseilers completed drops from the top to the bottom of the building, traversing along the facade.

Our team wore comprehensive PPE due to the nature of the products we were working with. These measures were especially important to keep the team safe. We wore chemical-proof overalls and gloves, breathing apparatus, goggles, and the usual PPE for carrying out abseil services. These measures kept our team safe and enabled them to work continuously and maintain productivity.

Our Solution

By offering this service via abseil, we avoided the need to scaffold the entire property, which thrilled the residents. Residents of these stunning heritage properties benefit from beautiful high ceilings and windows that allow ample natural light. Installing scaffolding would have been completely disruptive and would have ruined the appearance of the property. By choosing Spectrum and our hybrid access approach, we not only avoided an eyesore but saved this client around £20,000 on access methods alone.

These properties also have beautiful balconies covered with well-established potted plants and garden furniture. One problem we encountered was the weight of these plants when trying to move them to a safe area while we worked. To ensure the safety of the residents' belongings and maintain safe manual handling practices, we removed these potted plants and lowered them to the ground using our cherry picker. Some pots weighed around 50kg and would have been extremely difficult to move without machinery.

Challenges

Something we are proud of is our readiness to liaise directly with residents. In this case, it was a necessity as there was no property manager to communicate with, so we formed a close connection with the lead members of the residents' committee. We know how important it is to maintain good communication and consistently meet expectations when working on people's homes. We have received lovely feedback from the residents who were thrilled with our team's friendliness.

“So happy and impressed with Spectrum, so hard working and always on time... On site at 7:30 and off site at 3 pm, not always usual for contractors! Their due diligence has been fantastic.”
– Susanne, Resident

To prevent any drips of paint potentially blowing in the wind onto other properties or onto areas it shouldn’t be, like balconies or the pavement below, we used ample protection and ensured the team did not overload their brushes while painting.

The Results

This property has now been reinstated to its original glory, with decorative stone features looking clean and the masonry facade freshly painted. All exterior metal features like gates and railings have been repainted, while timber window frames have had minor repair works completed before being finished with fresh paint.

Our direct and friendly approach means we were able to turn a large-scale, complex project into a routine and seamless display of high-quality building maintenance and re-decoration services.

Got a project in mind? Contact us for more details about how our redecoration services can support your property today.