Refurbishing Facades on Commercial Buildings

The construction industry has suffered in recent years during economic hard times, so refurbishing facades on existing commercial buildings has been a cost effective way of uplifting the built environment. A thorough survey of a business property will highlight areas where restoration is needed.

Heavy duty structural repairs may be essential and some necessary measures could include steel replacement, resin injection and concrete or brickwork renovations including brick re-facing. Stone repairers and repointing services are widely available for any stone and brick restoration and stucco work can also be remodelled.

Damp can become an expensive problem, so keeping moisture out is a vital part of property maintenance. Rendering and brickwork can be waterproofed by a professional company to maintain the integrity of a building, but sometimes a façade may need re-rendering.

Chances are, the building functions perfectly well, so refurbishing the exterior may simply mean giving an elevation a good clean with a high pressure washer. Perhaps graffiti has made the property seem in a worse state than it actually is. Graffiti can be removed by using specialist products or through blast cleaning (either grit or soda blasting). Then an anti- graffiti coating can be applied to protect the underlying surface which will make the subsequent removal of graffiti easier.

Often, refurbishing façades is about entirely changing the appearance of a commercial building. This can be achieved by fully removing a wall envelope and attaching a new one to the current structural support frame. Overcladding is an effective way of transforming an elevation. Walls and roofs can be clad in metal, stone, wood or a material that resembles wood.

The replacement of cladding or indeed any architectural metalwork may not be essential and it is worth considering cheaper options. Any cladding, window or door frames including entrance canopies can be re-coated and this is an ideal solution for previously powder coated metal that has failed in some way. Architectural metalwork inevitably deteriorates over time. The original coating may have faded or peeled and perhaps cut edge corrosion has set in. If so, minor repairs and over-painting is a common solution to overhauling building elevations on commercial properties that have seen better days.

The Benefits of Refurbishing Metalwork on Facades:

1. The aesthetics of the building will improve if it is cleaned up or re-coated. Cladding that has been re-painted or curtain walling that has been electrostatically sprayed will give the positive impression of a thriving business.
2. As well as looking good, a fresh coat of high quality paint will protect the underlying metal which will make it last longer.
3. Metal on buildings that has an intact coating will in turn protect the integrity of the property as a whole.
4. If the underlying metalwork is in good condition, there is no need to replace it at a great expense or cost to the environment, so refurbishing facades is a way of saving energy and money.
5. Even if there are damaged areas on the substrate such as rust or dents, a professional on-site paint spraying company will be able to carry out repairs as well as recoating surfaces.
6. Technological advances in the development of paints means any metalwork can be covered in a product that prevents moisture from penetrating the surface and therefore protects against corrosion.
7. New coatings can be chosen in any colour which is ideal for matching an unusual original colour or for re-branding.
8. Some products are resistant to UV rays and extreme temperatures, so colour will not fade and the coating will not blister or flake off.
9. Re-spraying surfaces is a quick and easy process.
10. Reconditioning an exterior can be achieved without disturbing the activities inside a building, so businesses can carry on running as normal.

A professional on-site spraying company will have experience in refurbishing facades on commercial buildings, so that exterior metalwork can be revamped to look and function like new. Any operatives working on buildings should have certificates for working at height such as IPAF and PASMA as well as CSCS cards to demonstrate they are qualified for working safely on building sites.