The Parish Committee of this north side Greek Orthodox Church had concerns that the iconography (pictured) under the Church domes was deteriorating due to the intense heat, particularly in the main dome. They investigated the possibility of more air circulation by redesigning the glass panels which were fully enclosed.
Iconography inside main dome …note the windows
Church before restoration
Redesigning the twenty four glass panels to provide airflow was never going to be the cheapest option, especially given the building design would require scaffolding on the tiled roof.
The pressed metal roof has absolutely no insulation. The Committee was keen to have the domes painted in a lighter colour before the approaching summer took a further toll on the quality of the artwork.
We suggested they seriously consider a quality Insulation paint and supplied them with the relevant technical data for NXT Coolzone. This remarkable heat reflecting roof coating utilizing revolutionary Thermal Protection Technology, was developed by Nutech to keep buildings cooler in hot weather.
(Tests indicate roofs coated in NXT are up to 30 degrees C cooler, which translates to an inside drop in temperature of 10 degrees C. Nutech guarantee for this product extends to twelve years.)
We opted to use a large articulated boom in lieu of roof scaffolding. These large booms require skilled operators to ensure no contact is made with the building, as this could prove disastrous. With an outreach in excess of twenty metres at almost twenty metres up it’s critical to effectively manage the movement when slewing sideways to avoid accidental contact with the roof, and particularly the metal domes.
Large booms used for access to domes
Our personnel have had years of experience operating this equipment and we are pleased to report no adverse outcomes. They are also accredited for Safe Work at Heights and use safety equipment which is regularly inspected to comply with the relevant Australian Standards. Our Public Liability Insurance, in the amount of $20,000,000 covers this type of work without height limitation.
Templates on windows prevent overspray
We cut out cardboard templates for the windows to prevent overspray, applied a metal primer and two liberal coats of NXT Coolzone.
The terracotta tiled roof was cleaned & repointed
The terracotta tiled roof was cleaned and re-pointed plus new valley seal installed to address leaks inside the Church.
Lichen growth and in need of a re-point
Colour change in progress
Where once there was White this has been changed to Terracotta and vice versa.
The benefits of NXT Coolzone extend to the darker colour too. Gone are the days when you had to stick with light colours to derive the benefits.
The Committee is extremely pleased with the results and the rate of deterioration of the artwork has slowed dramatically.
Finished product…looking good
Colours accentuated by looming storm
Looking to have something similar done to your local Church or perhaps a Commercial Building?
Call us on 3300 6100 or 0418 733 068
Pressure Cleaning Concrete
Exterior
Commercial pressure cleaning Brisbane is a large part of what we do on a daily basis, often on weekends and at night time, whilst Brisbane sleeps.
Another before shot of commercial driveway
Commercial driveway before cleaning
So we sprang into action one Saturday morning using commercial grade water blasters to restore appearances.
It wasn’t necessary to use chemicals on all bar the paved path to the Office entrance.
You can see the difference in the pictures below.
High volume equipment & relatively low pressure optimizes the result
A real lift to appearances
Interior
Beyond the roller door is a sizable warehouse with a floor that also needed a little TLC.
The owner had misgivings because the adjacent Office was carpeted and he also had concerns with the painted walkways. This required more sophisticated equipment using low volume, hot water and vacuum extraction. We undertook the task the following weekend and guess what …the carpet remained dry, the paint intact and the warehouse looks a lot brighter and user friendly.
Industrial Shed Ceiling, Wall & Plant Clean
Our internal cleaning also extends to removal of caked on dust from Factory ceilings, walls, plant and equipment as well as floors.
Check out this recycling facility in Murrarie.
A depressing & dusty fire hazard
Not much natural light getting in here
Air compressor used to clean over switchboards prior to taping up
Wall cleaning in progress
Our visits involving Commercial Pressure Cleaning Brisbane invariably have a positive effect on staff at these establishments. It’s easy to see why when you look at the after shots …
It took our team of five a whole weekend to clean this factory from top to bottom. Not bad considering the total area cleaned roughly equates to the playing surface area at Lang Park. We did have large knuckle booms and a scissor lift but the set up areas are very confined due to the huge amount of plant. Having had twenty years practice at the same shed however, does help to get it right.
Incredible transformation over just one weekend
Some of the “product” awaiting recycling
Different Industrial Shed …Roof
Filthy cliplock roof on Brisbane’s southern outskirts
Quite a contrast with skylights looking good
Power saving clean up
After clean… much cooler inside plus more light
This large industrial shed was the subject of a Make Good at an End of Lease revamp which included cleaning the roof as well as reinstating various electrical fittings inside.
The electricians were pretty much working in the dark below, without power but were so grateful for the clean skylights which had a huge impact on visibility and their ability to effectively carry on.
Shopping Centre General Clean
Pavement & Ceilings & Roof
Badly soiled pavement before hot blast
After the clean
Ceiling & floors cleaned
Bullnose & lower roof section cleaned
Shopping Centre Air Con Tower Clean
Who could blame the maintenance guys for kicking up about working in these conditions.
Accumulated bird droppings at shopping complex
This has to be worse than Basil Fawlty’s hampster on the loose
Wearing a P3 mask is essential when cleaning up this mess …people have died from inhaling too much of this, so after scraping, bagging and commercial pressure cleaning Brisbane …things are back on track.
Good to go
Makes you wonder what the shoppers were breathing in down below
Scaffolded Building Clean
Concrete cancer had taken its toll on the rear of this twelve story City building requiring urgent remedial action. The concrete window hoods were falling apart, but before any jack hammering it was necessary to pressure clean to fully reveal the extent of the damage.
All ready at ground level
Hoisting up the hose using a rope & pulley
With everything in place the work begins.
Window hoods cleaned up
Putting things in perspective
Footpath Walkway
This one definitely had to be done at night. It’s in the busy city fringe with lots of restaurants, which translates to lots of pedestrians likely to walk into a shower of chemicals. We have to tread warily indeed to ensure nothing goes wrong.
Footpath awning up for a clean followed by a repaint
High and slippery wet surface for the operator
Looking good the morning after
Roof pressure cleaning
Terracotta
The owner of this residence contacted us because he was impressed with our work next door …wait for it…some six years previously. He wanted the job done professionally, with no broken tiles and zero water ingress. Like his neighbour’s roof (also terracotta) we advised the best way to go would be to use a boom lift.
The before shot below, of a front section, was fairly indicative of what lay ahead for us.
This represents a build up of mould & lichen growth over a thirty year period
That’s more like it
Getting there …next door’s roof in the background
Read more about the neighbour’s roof by clicking the following link: –
Colorbond
A shed on the same property with a colorbond roof was pretty typical of what happens when they are let go. Lichen growth is particularly attracted to light coloured colorbond roofs …no exception here, but it cleaned up OK.
Lichen growth can bite into the paintwork if let go
Much better
We trust this gives you an impression of the various types of commercial pressure cleaning Brisbane we get involved in.
If you have similar work in mind, why not give us a call on (07) 3300 6100 or 0418 733 068.
We do a lot of rusty iron roof restoration, often involving replacement of sheets,but sometimes all that’s needed is a bit of TLC.
The roof pictured below, although an eyesore, was found to be in reasonable condition, so we set about preparing it for painting.
This old roof is ok with just superficial rust to make good
Cleaning & Rust Conversion
We firstly disconnected the down pipes to ensure no chemicals or waste water entered the tank. It’s also important to ensure no waste water enters the general drainage system. This is done by damming up the street gutters and pumping the waste back to a suitable area on the property.
In this instance we treated the roof with a chemical mixture which converted the rust to something approaching bare metal.
This was followed by fixing new fasteners where required, then water blasting to provide a solid key for paint to adhere to the surface.
Etch Priming
No rusty iron roof restoration should be attempted without the application of a decent etch primer. Here we used a quality acrylic primer.
Rust conversion, water blasted & etch primed
Whereas the first photo was taken looking up the roof from the water tank, this one was taken looking down towards the tank.
Topcoats Applied
Finally with two coats of ten year warranted acrylic coating our rusty iron roof restoration is complete.
Looking more like a new colorbond roof
So, whether you’re selling or just wanting to improve appearances…why not give us a call.
We’re good at high pressure cleaning… not high pressure selling – like some in the industry.
Remember if you don’t have insulation installed you can take a short cut by speaking to us about affordable NuTech NXT Coolzone. This product makes a remarkable difference to the inside temperature during the hot summer months.
Yes were based in The Gap and have painted lots of roofs in the The Gap and surrounding suburbs. Occasionally we venture as far North as Bribie Island and half way to the Gold Coast in the South plus Beaudesert in the South West.
Call 3300 6100 or speak to Kevin direct on his mobile 0418 733 068 for a obligation free quote.
As members of the Master Painters Association the past twenty years, we’ve been involved in some large scale commercial roof restoration as well as domestic and residential dwellings.
Due to our work at heights experience we often get the more difficult tasks requiring access equipment or rope access.
Recently we assisted in restoring approximately 12,000 square metres of colorbond roof as well as the helipad at a major south side hospital.
Putting things in perspective
This sprawling building within the hospital complex is approximately 7,500m and shows various stages of completion. The cream colour has recently been water blasted with our heavy duty equipment, the white depicts a quality metal etch primer and the ocean blue, the first of two top coats.
This photo was taken from the vantage point of the helipad, which has a perforated floor requiring application by roller. This was done following thorough cleaning using a biodegradable detergent in combination with hot blasting to negate the effects of spilt fuel on the deck. The photo below shows the chemical application.
This multi story building at Woody Point (Redcliffe Peninsula) is currently being revamped by a team of experts in the business. It’s one of several we’ve helped prepare for building rejuvenation for this team of specialists.
Their challenge is to repair concrete cancer, refit/replace windows (that, incredible as it seems, were originally….almost a decade previously… installed upside down), track water seepage and rectify the resultant problems …then, finally repaint the building exterior.
Historical Perspective
Woody Point is historically renowned for being the landing spot of Mathew Flinders in 1799 and almost two centuries later , the Bee Gees, who launched their spectacular careers from the Palace Hotel. Situated near the beach is the rusting hulk of the HMQS Gayundah, which acts as a breakwater, protecting the shore from erosion. The Gayundah was, until the end of WW1, used as a mine sweeper. It first took to the water in 1885 but was decommissioned in 1958 and towed to it’s final resting place.
Building rejuvenation at
Woody Point
Wreck of the Gayundah
A view to kill for from the penthouse of this apartment block
Waste Water Management
Our part in the building rejuvenation has been to pressure clean the external painted surfaces starting from the penthouse and working down by accessing the balconies at each level. The stippled balcony ceilings were noticeably dirty from ground level, and generally the paint was oxidized. This combination, together with the prevalence of salt air, presents difficulties for paint adhesion. Cleaning the oxidized paint resulted in cloudy waste water so we needed to take precautions to ensure it did not enter the bay through the drainage system. In fact the Moreton Bay Regional Council paid a visit on the second day but appeared satisfied with the measures we had adopted.
To date all has gone to plan with the building rejuvenation with only the remaining shear walls to be scaffolded for painting.
It’s extraordinary how frequently we see botched concrete pressure cleaning like that shown in the photos below. By following these simple Concrete Pressure Cleaning Tips, this damage can be so easily avoided if the operator and equipment are up to scratch.
Which Country’s Flag Is This?
The problems are easily addressed if the equipment is suitable and the operator alert to potential problems.
Gouging
The gouging is caused by using too much pressure or a combination of too much pressure and too little water volume. The rings can be the result of leaving the rotary head in a fixed position, using too much pressure and/or insufficient water volume being used (the former translates to operator inattention whilst the latter can be traced back to inappropriate concrete pressure cleaning equipment).
It’s important to assess the situation prior to commencement of the concrete pressure cleaning project.
Determining Concrete Strength
We suggest you roughly determine the strength of the concrete and without unnecessarily complicating things you can presume that an exposed aggregate driveway is capable of withstanding more pressure than a wooden trowelled, plain concrete path (as depicted in the photos), in contrast to a steel trowelled (shiney finish) shopping centre car park capable of withstanding heavy vehicle traffic.
The residential/commercial paths/patio slabs are the most likely to cause you concrete pressure cleaning grief.
Choosing the right equipment, particularly when dealing with “soft” concrete is equally as important as your choice of operator.
Causes of Gouging
Gouging the surface can be caused by too much pressure with a low volume machine. Most commercial operators use a 5000 psi 21 litre per minute water blaster thinking that will be ok. Generally, if the operator is alert enough it is OK, however inexperienced operators can come unstuck as they move the rotary head too slowly across the surface in a vain attempt at being thorough. Hence the resultant “zebra” lines and, if they stop to answer their phone (heaven forbid – if they are driven to distraction by continuing to engage the trigger in a fixed position) …indelible rings, as shown in the photos above, will result.
The important thing to remember is that low volume equipment requires smaller jets on the rotary head, so when operating under high pressure the jets tend to cut into, rather than more evenly clean the surface. The cutting action is why you are more likely to get stones dislodging from exposed aggregate with that type of equipment.
Remedies
This can be largely overcome by using higher volume concrete pressure cleaning equipment in the order of 35 + litres per minute but set at a lower pressure of around 3000 psi. This type of equipment actually has more cleaning capability than the higher psi gear and it’s not necessarily using more water because it gets the job done faster.
Concrete Pressure Cleaning Tips
We purpose-build our own concrete pressure cleaning equipment to our own specifications, to address these issues so we can optimize the result without damaging the surface. Please click the following link for more detail https://www.waterworks.com.au/responsible-pressure-cleaning/
“Asleep at the Wheel” is a fairly apt photo title, and indeed, criticism of the operator …why you would continue doing this much damage, after it became obvious within the first 30 seconds, simply beggars belief.
When the high rise residential building opposite the Polo Club (Mary & Felix Streets) was being built roughly a decade ago the crane burst a hydraulic hose, showering the 127 year old building in oil from the roof down, requiring a heritage building clean.
We cleaned the whole building including the roof at the time and returned on a regular basis for routine cleaning of the lower front facade.
It hasn’t been cleaned for a number of years now, but some restoration work is now in progress necessitating another clean.
The building fronting Mary Street was almost black with carbon(road) grime and required special chemicals in combination with hot water pressure cleaning to restore it to an acceptable standard.
The pictures below tell the story, particularly the first one in the sequence, which shows the carbon deposits dissolving on the facade.
A Brisbane Landmark – Naldham House
And just down Mary Street we recently cleaned another heritage listed building, formerly the Belgian Beer Garden and now the Buffalo Bar.
Arriving in the early hours for both buildings ensures we don’t fall foul of pedestrian traffic, some of whom need to steady themselves before negotiating faster moving objects such as buses and taxis. Actually the early morning revellers are generally a good-natured lot, but our staff are reassured by the back-up they can give one another if things do go pear shaped. The Buffalo Bar facade also suffers from heavy soiling due to the high volume of traffic and requires a similar approach in cleaning technique.
Over almost three decades we list heritage building clean at Newstead House, Customs House, and the Old Museum at Bowen Hills among our clientele.
Buffalo Bar spruce up
Buffalo Bar looking good at dawn
This sprawling home in the leafy suburb of Chelmer had some Waterworks housewashing in late January 2015.
Originally we cleaned the roof of the client’s mum, who still lives in Ashgrove.
It was colorbond with a 45 degree pitch. She was impressed, so she recommended us to her daughter.
We had been to the Chemer residence some years ago to clean the upper roof, but this time it was overdue for all the roofs, housewashing, garages and adjoining walkway as well as the perimeter rendered brick walls.
The first couple of snaps give an idea of the condition of the garage roof, one of which shows a good before and after contrast in the same photograph.
The owner was delighted with the result and wants us back next time…in fact that happened recently in March 2017.
If you’re keen to know more about colorbond roof cleaning, just click this link: https://www.waterworks.com.au/roof-building-shopping-centre/
Would you believe, that as recently as May 2015 we were housewashing for a former Department of Transport Property Manager (now retired and living in Bardon) who was familiar with our work some twenty years previously. He refuses to go elsewhere, insisting we’re the best thing since sliced bread.
These are just two of several examples of satisfied clients returning year in year out for housewashing.
Even with new clients (more often than not on a recommendation of an existing client) we’re grilled on the following: –
- whether their gardens will survive the exercise
- what we do to protect the electrical wiring
- can we avoid water ingress through windows
- how will we manage to ensure the paint is not blown away
- can we avoid damaging the tiles on the roof (the last person broke some but didn’t tell us)
Often it’s because of some bad experience they’ve had previously. If you wish to find out more on this topic please click: https://www.waterworks.com.au/services/home-exterior-cleans/
Suburban Housewashing is just one of the things we’ve excelled at for over 30 years…we still have clientele dating back to when we first commenced in 1986. Three generations of our family are now involved.
If your home is in need of housewashing by someone who takes care to achieve the optimal result without creating problems such as those itemized above…then call us now on (07) 3300 6100.
This four level building cleaning task at 366 Queen Street, Brisbane commenced with internal restoration and is now available for leasing following an external makeover by Waterworks Professional Exteriors (WPE).
It’s an impressive combination of marble panels and glass, complete with a glass paneled awning over the footpath and grand entrance. The building cleaning commenced from the rooftop, and progressed down to the awning and ground level, respectively.
The first photo from the ground doesn’t quite capture the poor condition of the awning which was tainted by a green mould, however the after shot gives an idea of not only the awning’s improvement, but also the external glass above it, achieved using pure water in conjunction with water-fed extension poles fitted with soft brushes.
In an endeavour to minimize costs to the owners, WPE by-passed alternative access methods for building cleaning such as boom access, which would have involved expensive road closures, whilst achieving the desired result.
The other photos indicate the various methods (including safe work practices) used to successfully complete the building cleaning.
If you want your building cleaning to stand out from the rest, give the experts a call WPE on 3300 6100 for a free appraisal.
Putting the finishing touches to this project at Kelvin Grove involved building cleaning bricks by acid washing on this new building’s front facade.
Care needs to be taken and the right technique to avoid brick discolouration and damage to the window/door frames.
Call us on 3300 6100 for a free quote.
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