No Scaffolding Rooftop Leak Detection

After hearing about our leak detection abilities on another project, our client approached us to investigate a leak which has been present in the roof of their property for quite some time. A number of other companies and contractors had been called in to address the issue, but none of them had been able to resolve it. 

The Project

Spectrum was asked to carry out a leak detection survey on the roof of a residential property. Due to the building’s cultural significance and the owner’s personal preferences, it was important that the job was carried out without disruption or lasting impact on the building. Furthermore, budgetary concerns and time constraints meant that elaborate techniques like scaffolding would have been impossible. Therefore, it was decided that our team would make use of their expertise in portable freestanding abseiling anchors to safely examine the roof for leaks. Upon completion, they were able to provide the client with an in-depth report detailing their issues and suggesting the maintenance work that will address them. 

The Site

The client was not prepared to face the cost presented by scaffolding, and they also wanted to minimise the disruption to nearby residents. Thankfully, we were more than capable of setting up a system of manoeuvring the property which was discrete, safe for our team, cost efficient and left no lasting impact on the culturally significant building.

The Logistics

There were several logistical balls our team needed to juggle when meeting all of the requirements outlined for this job: we had to cause minimal disturbance, leave no lasting impact on the property and remain cost-efficient for our client all while scaling an unusually designed property and detecting a hard-to-find leak.

Scaffolding may have made navigating the unusual face of the building easier, but it would have also been expensive and time-consuming; what’s more, scaffolding is an undeniable eyesore, a fact that would have been particularly unpleasant for the local residents.

Instead, our team chose to make use of their IRATA training and set up a series of anchor points to abseil the building. Of course, many anchoring techniques require drilling holes into a surface, which, in this case, would have worked against one of our client's requirements. That’s why we instead implemented portable anchors, which allowed us to safely and efficiently abseil the building, detecting the leaks and gathering the information for a full service report without leaving any lasting impact.

Leak Detection with Freestanding Abseiling Anchors

After holding an initial consultation with our client, we jumped into action carrying out a full safety assessment for the job ahead, including the inspection of our portable anchors prior to usage. The building’s geometry presented some unique challenges, but thanks to their IRATA training, our team was confident in their ability to abseil the building safely, efficiently and to the client’s exact specifications.

After holding an initial consultation with our client, we jumped into action carrying out a full safety assessment for the job ahead, including the inspection of our portable anchors prior to usage. The building’s geometry presented some unique challenges, but thanks to their IRATA training, our team was confident in their ability to abseil the building safely, efficiently and to the client’s exact specifications.

All of our experts are trained by IRATA (Industrial Rope Access Trade Association), the lead authority in industrial rope access. When it comes to ensuring that your tradesperson follows industry-leading rope operating procedure, there’s nothing that carries the same weight as the IRATA seal of approval. That’s why we enroll each member of our team in a IRATA training course: it’s the only way that, in situations like these, we can ensure our team follows proper procedure and gets the best possible results for our client.

Once the portable anchors were attached to the roof, our team was able to descend with ease, systematically assessing the roof for any sign of leaks. Sure enough, we spotted several points of concern on the roof which seemed to be causing our client’s issues, including some spots in-need of urgent repairs. We documented our inspection thoroughly with high-quality photographs, carried out the much-needed building repairs and, upon returning to the ground, debriefed our client with a full post-service leak detection report.

Committed To Finding The Best Solution For Our Clients!

 With this job, our team perfectly demonstrated their IRATA training and extensive experience with portable anchors to carry out a safe and efficient rope access roof inspection. We identified the issues, tackled any urgent repairs and provided our client with a full report detailing all possible leaks, suggested maintenance work going forward and a catalogue of relevant photographs.

In this job, we expertly navigated our client’s specific requirements to carry out leak detection and building repairs efficiently, unobtrusively and without damaging the exterior of the building. Furthermore, not only was our client unprepared to pay unnecessary amounts of money for the job, we didn’t want to present them with a sizable bill when cost-effective alternatives exist.

Client-Focused Solutions

Our client was overjoyed that we were able to carry out a successful leak detection job where others had failed, all while meeting each of their unique requirements. With winter approaching, they felt relieved that their property’s ability to withstand the harsh weather had been renewed. In fact, they were even surprised to find how painless the whole inspection was!