Metal Building Restoration

At Spectrum, we continually strive to augment our professional expertise. As such, we invest heavily in researching the properties of all materials that we expect to encounter during external building refurbishment.

Understanding both the physical and chemical properties of a material is key to the success of any refurbishment. This is particularly important when working with metallic surfaces and structures. The most common materials in buildings are iron, steel and aluminium. Regardless of the surface treatment, all these materials are subject, as a matter of their physical and chemical properties, to oxidation and corrosion.

Our research has led to the development of patented equipment that allows us to carry out metal works to a higher standard, all while remaining cost-effective and minimising disruption for our clients.

Where possible, we prefer to work from ropes, abseiling down building exteriors to efficiently repair metal surfaces. As well as being the only viable option for many high-rise buildings, it also offers key advantages for most metal buildings:

1. Fast: Projects can commence sooner after initial surveys.
2. No scaffolding: It’s less disruptive for traffic and residents, while preserving natural daylight for building occupants.
3. Save money: With scaffolding avoided, the cost savings can often run into five or six figure sums.

If you are close to major road systems or in an exposed location, pollution and weather will eventually have an effect on your building. As soon as you see any unsightly staining or damage, which can escalate into major problems, that is the time to review the whole condition of your metal cladding and any features too, such as metal guttering, metal roofing and rails.

Our experienced restoration team will have tackled a metal restoration problem like yours before and will know exactly which cleaning and repair processes will achieve exceptional results. Even where there is severe rust damage, we always aim to remove all staining as well as fix and seal the problem areas.

Whatever your building needs, our exterior metal building and cladding restoration protocols have been designed to fix a wide range of issues across commercial and industrial buildings.

The lifespan of metal cladding varies, typically from a few decades up to 100 years, depending on the material quality, installation standards, and your maintenance regime. Regular professional cleaning and repair can significantly extend this lifespan. By addressing issues such as oxidation, corrosion and general wear early, the structural integrity and appearance of metal cladding can be preserved for longer, maximising its durability and aesthetic appeal.

Fixing metal cladding involves a series of steps tailored to address specific issues such as corrosion, staining, and physical damage. Initially, the metal cladding is thoroughly cleaned using specialist equipment to remove any surface pollutants or oxidation. We then carefully repair all structural damage and remove any panel edge stains (black streaks which can appear suddenly on steel or aluminium). The final step usually includes repainting or applying new protective coatings to restore the cladding's aesthetic appeal and protective functions.

It is the degradation of a metallic surface due to the natural chemical process that takes place when a pure, uncoated metallic surface is exposed to air and moisture.

In iron and steel, it typically manifests as flaky or crumbly brown iron oxide on the surface, i.e. rust, which eventually reduces its physical strength.

Adverse environmental conditions can accelerate this oxidation process. For example, atmospheric pollution in the form of acid rain and the presence of sodium chloride (e.g. salt sea-spray in coastal areas) will cause corrosion rates up to 5-10 times higher than normal. Even low-grade stainless steel will degrade in the presence of a chloride ion and the surface may become pitted.