Preventing costly replacement

Deterioration: an unavoidable problem that can be managed

Over time your building will succumb to some degree of deterioration. Exposure to the elements weathers a property’s exterior from the moment new materials are installed. What begins as colour fading can soon progress to corrosion and failure of the metal cladding if the deterioration is not tackled effectively and efficiently.

Building owners may be reluctant to begin work on a building that is showing signs of deterioration, fearing it beyond project budget and scope to replace the cladding. However, by capturing the deterioration before the cladding cracks, corrodes and, ultimately, fails, professional metal cladding wall coating refurbishment is a cost-effective solution with minimal disruption and short lead times.

Lifecycle: preventing damage before façade failure

The lifecycle of building deterioration follows a clear pattern, and intervention before the cracking stage assures refurbishment is an option. Professional wall and roof coating experts, such as Cladding Coatings, use their extensive expertise to assess cladding deterioration on your property. The newly-installed material will, naturally, suffer from some fading in colour, which may progress to visible chalking. This is the point in the cycle at which deterioration should be identified and halted, as here the façade can be refurbished for both short and long-term cost saving benefits.

If this opportunity is missed, the façade is likely to start to crack and corrode, gradually worsening to cladding failure. At this stage, expensive and disruptive replacement is the only option.

Refurbishment: a necessity to avoid expensive replacement

Ensuring a professional firm, such as ourselves, step in before façade failure guarantees an expert assessment of what may seem an insurmountable problem.

Some of our projects highlight how extreme deterioration can be corrected with skilled refurbishment work. Our recent work at Tricel in Ireland included repair work to cut edge corrosion. Unusually, on building assessment, cut-edge corrosion damage was discovered on the sheet ends of the walls. (Cut-edge corrosion, the breakdown of the edge of your building’s metal sheeting, is more commonly attributed to roofs.) This increased damage was partially a result of the building’s coastal location, and hence its vulnerability to more severe weathering and exposure to corrosive sand particles.

Our team were able to successfully repair the corrosion and re-coat the area to protect the sheets long term.

Using their IS0:12944 training, which certifies the assessment of environment for paints and wall coverings, the Cladding Coatings team were able to advise on the most suitable materials. The result was a protectively-coated building and corrected deterioration.

Damages: external deterioration causes internal problems

Damage to metal wall and roof cladding is more than a visual problem. Whilst deterioration has an undoubtedly negative impact on aesthetics, functionality is a significant concern. Cut-edge corrosion causes metal sheeting to peel back, hence penetrating your building’s protective seal and allowing water to enter. This exposes your building’s contents to damage from the elements, affecting expensive stock and machinery and operational abilities.

Functionality was a prime concern for clients in two historic Cladding Coatings refurbishment projects. A Royal Mail site in Aberdeen was suffering the aforementioned effects of coastal damage, where sand particles expedited corrosion. Housing great expense in content, effective refurbishment was swiftly necessary before the deterioration became increasingly costly. Further, Cladding Coatings’ work on site at Hanmere Polythene was, again, unusual, as cut-edge corrosion damage had spread beyond the roof cladding. The wall cladding deterioration was extreme; not only was this unattractive, operational concerns were significant. Thankfully, by intervening at the correct stage of the damage lifecycle, the deteriorated cladding was rescued by professional painting.

Prevention: refurbishing to correct extreme deterioration

Metal cladding deterioration may be an inevitable problem, yet it can be prevented before the damage becomes extreme. With an awareness of the stages of façade deterioration, building owners can instruct an accredited cladding painting and restoration team, such as ourselves, to refurbish the property’s exterior. Allowing for extreme deterioration leads to cracking, corrosion and, eventually, cladding failure, leading to costly and disruptive replacement. Refurbishing damaged cladding before excessive deterioration is a practical and cost-effective necessity.

Read more about cut edge corrosion treatment here.