CLEANING
When considering an exterior clean, using a unique system that does not require the use of scaffold, such as the non-abrasive ‘facade gommage’ by Thomann-Hanry, is a huge benefit not only to the safety of workers but to the functioning business as works take place. There are a number of high profile banks and hotels and interestingly many leading property companies – Land Securities, Grosvenor Estates to name a couple – have chosen the scaffold-free technique when cleaning their own buildings, which has to be simply the best endorsement ‘going scaffold- free’ can get.
Thomann-Hanry has spent many years refining their masonry cleaning system - a highly effective, fast, eco- friendly and cost-effective cleaning process that does not require the use of scaffold. Originating in France, where it has impressively cleaned the entire Le Louvre, it has operated in the UK since 2006.
In place of scaffolding frames, cleaning and restoration can be undertaken from a cabin fixed to a hydraulic boom which methodically travels up and down the building. The formula uses an ultra-fine, nonabrasive cleaning powder, softer than the surfaces being cleaned yet strong enough to weaken dirt without causing damage. Once removed, the dirt is collected and recycled.
Recent examples of companies opting for the scaffold-free approach include The Ritz which was cleaned in just 16 days and Oxford Street’s Topshop.
THE RITZ Situated in Piccadilly, The Ritz is one
of London’s most celebrated hotels. Unfortunately, over time the British weather and pollution have taken their toll on the appearance of the stone , so Thomann-Hanry set to work to bring it back up to standard.
The alternate method of polishing the building’s portico was much faster than the standard technique. The hotel’s 3,600m2 of Portland stone and Cornish grey granite, including intricate molding and decorative carving, was cleaned in just three
www.tomorrowsfm.com IT HAS IMPRESSIVELY
CLEANED THE ENTIRE LE LOUVRE
Stephen Boxall, MD of The Ritz said, “We are delighted with the results of the recent clean to the exterior masonry of the hotel. We were particularly conscious that the work did not cause any inconvenience or disturbance either to our hotel guests or to pedestrians and traffic in Piccadilly. The efficiency and speed with which Thomann-Hanry were able to complete the project has been quite astounding.”
LANSDOWNE HOUSE Lansdowne House is a landmark
eight-storey office building on an island site on the south side of Berkeley Square which has been home to many iconic businesses such as Saatchi & Saatchi. There are also five retail units on the ground floor, so the building houses very large numbers of office staff and retail shoppers.
In just 17 days the unique process cleaned 5800m2 of limestone and granite from a cleaning platform
weeks, where other options could have taken four to six months.
Crucially, no scaffolding was required. The operatives gained access to the walls from a special cabin supported and maneuvered by a crane on the ground below. The unique benefit to the client being that room occupancy remained unaffected during the work, saving the Hotel thousands in otherwise-lost revenue.
while smaller platforms followed behind simultaneously carrying out stone repairs and replacing mastic. Traffic is particularly busy in this part of Mayfair and the building is very exposed to wind and rain; in addition the parapet and details were causing large amounts of water to be shed down the facade, creating unsightly green growth and causing damage. In this case it was necessary to take steps to protect the stone by applying a proprietary solution for the long- term protection of buildings to repel water, contaminants and pollution whilst still allowing the building to breathe.
MARKS & SPENCER Marks & Spencer’s flagship store
on Oxford Street boasts 170,000 square feet of prime West End retail space. It was opened in 1930 and remains the Company’s largest and most profitable store. Although cleaning the Portland stone had been considered on several occasions, the timing never seemed right for Marks & Spencer to have their most valuable retail premises covered in scaffold for three to four months. This is understandable when you consider the store’s revenue can reach £1 million in one day. With such valuable retail space even a 5% reduction in turnover due to months of scaffold could easily amount to several million pounds.
The Marks & Spencer management team wanted to use a cost-effective, realistic option that did not require scaffold that can be risky and unsightly; the cleaning work was completed in just 14 days, meaning that the store could continue trading as normal throughout the process.
So it appears that it is possible to scrub-up your sky-scrapers and clean out the cracks without resorting to potentially dangerous and dated cleaning techniques. With health and safety matters an ever- growing concern for FMs, scaffold- free cleaning services could be the answer for 2015, reducing risks and securing the safety of workers.
www.thomann-hanry.co.uk TOMORROW’S FM | 33
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74