Case Study:Abseiling Sash Window Repairs

The facades of five blocks in this West London property required external redecoration and Spectrum Specialists won the tender to deliver this major project.  The work required full external redecoration to all woodwork, metal work, render repairs and essential external repairs to the building.

The Project

The main task was to restore wooden sash windows across all floor levels and the project required a pristine cosmetic result as well as delivering all the structural repair works to the highest standard. We have delivered projects for this client before and were delighted to be appointed to this specific project as it makes the most of our expert skills, combined with our favourite approach using rope access and portable anchorage.  In avoiding scaffolding, we also saved our client costs in the region of £60,000.

The Site

The wooden sash windows were in extremely poor condition, requiring extensive repairs to 100 linear metres of timber prior to decorating. Accessing the back of the property required specialist anchorage equipment which we brought to site.  By setting up A-frame anchors this allowed us to abseil safely without having to install a safety system or eye bolts.

The Logistics

Rope Access:

Not only did we save our client significant costs of £60,000 by avoiding scaffolding, there were other equally valuable considerations, in terms of the impact on residents and visitors staying in the hotels on the square. Scaffolding is undeniably disruptive, visually an eyesore and requires holes in the structure for scaffold ties. It reduces natural light for residents and poses greater security risks. With our rope access method, we were able to reduce or eliminate all these issues for residents which is a priority for us and our client.

Surveyor Access:

We employ several ways to ensure surveyors can inspect our work thoroughly, allowing for the fact that we cannot expect them to abseil with our team. In this project we used camera equipment connected to our team’s helmets so that the surveyor could view the footage live from the safety of the ground. They would be in radio communication with the team so that they can request specific areas for closer inspection.

Our Team

The team on this project had complete IRATA rope access training and, in addition to the extensive window repair, they undertook essential repairs to metal work, the render and the building, picking up on every detail to ensure a complete result. The combination of individual skills in carpentry, decoration and exterior repair, combined with a readiness to work from ropes, ensured rapid progress at a high standard.

Delivering Refurbishment Results

At the end of this project, our team was able to completely restore every element of this client's property. From their render to wooden sash windows,  not a detail went untouched! Not only was every exterior element of the property refurbished to the specifications of the major works contract, but they displayed the craftsmanship of our operatives on substrates such a wooden sash windows.

Our client was pleased with both the transformation of their property, but also with the major cost savings we were able to provide through the use of abseiling instead of scaffolding! 

Helping Customers Save Time and Money

“We were especially pleased to receive positive feedback on the large cost saving and the high standard of quality of our work, especially as our client was sceptical at first about taking a different approach, without scaffolding.”
-Lucian Ivan, Spectrum Managing Director