In this article, you will come to know about various problems observed in the Facade after completion, its reasons, and its solutions. Suggestions and Enquiries are welcome.
Facade Maintenance
Facade Maintenance- Or Repair
What is Facade Maintenance / Repair?
Currently, there are so many (especially commercial) buildings covered with Glass and other materials forming Envelopes i.e. Facades. Though Facade professionals with good experience are involved in Facade, from design to the Handover stage, there are some buildings facing many issues after handover. Most of the clients/occupants give importance only to Facade cleaning. But it is also important to have a Facade Inspection at a regular stage about its functioning. Facade Maintenance consists of many activities. Some of them are listed below in which we are experts and have done projects before.
- Activities involved in Facade Maintenance
- Broken Glass Replacement:
Though Facades consist of single glass, laminated glass, DGU with 2 single glasses having air gap or Single glass and laminated glass having air Gap forming Laminated DGU; when Glass breaks, it loses its property to prevent heat and noise. It is always unsafe to keep such broken glasses as they may fall anytime on any side. If it is about to fall inside we can prevent people not to go there but no one can restrict movement outside for a longer time. Obviously, aesthetically it doesn't appear good.
Due to Nickel Sulphide inclusion, Toughened Glasses may get a break at any point in time. When Fully Toughened Glass breaks, it gets broken into very small pieces. When Half- Toughened / Heat strengthened glass gets broken pieces will be bigger and cracks will be from edge to edge of the glass.
The Heat Soaking process reduces glass breakage due to nickel sulfide inclusion but the processor doesn't give surety that such glass may not break. Additionally, if the order of Heat Soaking is bigger in quantity then only the Heat Soaking process will be done for that order. Hence for a project having a bigger Facade Area is suggested to go with a Heat soaking process for the Toughened Glass. It adds the cost but it is less anytime than the cost of human life.
- Sealant Filling
Weather silicone has a certain life. With time silicone loses its property of providing air leakage and water leakage. Once silicone gets washed away, the baker rod gets removed easily because it is simply inserted by hand. Many birds, mostly crows, Parrots, and Pigeon has been found rubbing their peak in Facade grooves where silicone is filled.
When such silicone gets washed or removed air leakage takes place causing heavy AC losses. In the rainy season, it causes heavy leakage too. Hence it is suggested to have a Facade inspection periodically. Or while having Facade Cleaning, instruction can be given to the cleaner to report to the Facility team if he finds silicone is washed away or removed. But it is dependent on the knowledge and experience of a person who is doing Facade Cleaning. If he is more focused on Cleaning work then it may happen that he may not identify such silicon removal despite having good knowledge.
It is suggested to remove silicone completely from such grooves and fill fresh weather silicone. However, it has been found that in any commercial building when leakage has been found on any floor clients to instructed to remove the leakage by replacing sealant at the nearer grooves only to avoid expenses. This doesn't solve the problem and even after doing this small work blame goes to the worker or contractor who gets such work. This causes disputes, and parties fight about commercial issues which ultimately keeps the main problem aside from solving leakage. It is suggested to replace the silicone from the top floor to that floor level to get better results for completed elevation or part elevation depending on the width of that Face.
In the case of ACP cladding it is suggested to fix the ACP strip over silicone grooves mechanically and by applying silicone at the edges of the strips.
- Re-installation of Windows:
It has been observed that in many commercial buildings,
a) Windows are jammed,
b) windows are not getting closed,
c) The window makes a big noise due to friction,
d) The top portion of a window moves outside while locking at the bottom,
e) The window gets opened excessively, and difficult to pull back.
f) water seepage from the top of the window.
In the above cases, it is suggested to either replace the hinges or add restrictor arms if missing, or re-install the window by re-aligning it again. It is suggested to add plashing at the top of the Window for accumulation of water flow from the Panels at the top edge of the openable panel.
- Re-installation of ACP Cladding
It has been observed that ACP sheets or ACP trays that are not installed properly are getting removed in storms or during heavy rain. Re-installation with a new ACP sheet/ panel with the same shade, new supporting members, new structure sealant, weather sealant, and new screws becomes mandatory.
- Replacement of Hardware:
With the time period and due to poor quality window hardware gets rust. If the Facade is not designed properly considering Wind pressure, the self-weight of the window, and hardware gets damaged. Here Hardware, like hinges, and locks needed to be replaced immediately.
- Removing the existing Facade and replacing it with a new
We have come across such inquiries when the Facade which is designed and installed at the site had to be removed due to various reasons. Wrong design, opposition from surrounding residences, wrong selection of glass, and leaving the project by the contractor are some of the typical reasons.
One of the old buildings had a Facade but the glass was falling from the top. Since the client has described this without proof there is no such image but we suggested installing a Pressure Plate and cap over the existing Facade. It may have happened due to poor quality of silicone (sometimes weather silicone is getting used instead of structure sealant to increase the profit by taking disadvantage of lack of knowledge from the client side)
- Replacement of Laminated Glass
- Cradle Shifting
Since most of the Facade Maintenance work can not be done with the help of Cradle work. When Davit Systems is employed by a client at Terrace, it becomes a tedious job to shift the same.
Director,
Landscape Wall Systems
9819 663 630
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