Aerial Platforms, Scaffolding or Rope Access? We Know Which Method Is Best for Facade Washing

Our clients increasingly surprise us with various competitor offers of lower prices for the same type of services that we provide. We have therefore decided to dedicate an article to this issue, in order to explain — based on our experience — what advantages different types of lifting equipment and rope access have to offer, and conversely what disadvantages, and often outright dangers, you can commonly encounter on the market today.

1) A familiar sight on the street: frame scaffolding

Until recently, frame scaffolding was used for almost all construction work related to facade maintenance. And it is no wonder. Frame scaffolding gives workers good access to all parts of an apartment building's surface, so nothing limits them and the work proceeds quickly. As long as you do not look too closely at the financial side of overall building maintenance, frame scaffolding may seem like the only right choice even for facade cleaning. However, erecting this type of scaffolding is by no means cheap — and it therefore only tends to pay off for more complex construction work such as facade insulation. Frame scaffolding is disadvantageous for facade cleaning not only financially, since its erection typically costs as much as the maintenance work itself, but also because of the time required to put it up. Frame scaffolding also needs to be anchored in several places, which always damages the appearance of an already-insulated facade. These defects are then most commonly repaired by simply filling the holes with foam and repainting them with facade paint.

2) Or suspended platforms instead?

You may also have come across suspended platforms. Although they may seem trouble-free, they too are designed for more complex work such as facade insulation. Their biggest disadvantage is that the work is carried out vertically, which creates streaks that often dry and are then very difficult to blend into during coating. From an economic perspective, you will not save much either — in addition to the time-consuming installation, you will also be burdened with the rental cost, including the inspection tests that the client must pay for.

"Our company therefore uses this technique only rarely, and only in cases where there is no other way to access the building's facade," explains Marek Volejníček from Umyjemto. This most commonly occurs beneath buildings where garages prevent access for a standard platform.

3) The admired rope access workers

The least gentle system for facade washing — and an even worse one for coating — is carried out by the much-admired rope access workers found in our cities. Before cleaning a facade, they first have to anchor themselves somewhere on the roof, where they can also damage the roof waterproofing, and then begin descending down the facade. They have very little stability, as they hang on two vertically lowered ropes with a pressure washer gun in hand. The moment they release the pressure washer, they typically start moving from left to right, steadying themselves with their feet — essentially kicking the facade, treading on window sills and banging into windows. When you consider that during washing this process must be carried out at least twice (washing and priming) and during coating four times (washing, priming, first coat, second coat), you can easily imagine what the facade, window sills and windows must look like after their "intervention".

It seems that rope access workers' biggest weapon is their low price, but given the above experience, it should be clear to everyone that it simply does not pay off for the client. The worst part for the client is that these defects at height are not visible at first glance and only become apparent over time.

Rope access workers are also unable to clean a facade effectively. While they do descend during washing, because they wash from left to right they cannot apply water pressure to the facade surface with sufficient evenness — often leaving patches that are either under-washed or, conversely, over-scrubbed. As for coating, it is unfortunately even worse. Because they are essentially treading on the coated or primed surface the entire time, they permanently damage and abrade the paint.

4) And what do scissor, telescopic or articulated platforms offer?

Because this method is completely contactless, the use of scissor, telescopic or articulated platforms is extremely gentle on the surface of both the facade and the roof. Each worker can also position themselves exactly where they need to be. "Even though we have rope access workers on our operational team, they too are enthusiastic about the quality of washing and coating achieved using platforms. Today we handle 99% of our jobs using platforms," adds Marek Volejníček.

Contactless facade application and cleaning — an Umyjemto professional washing a dirty facade using an aerial work platform.