2 ways to clean your building’s facade

High rise building facades need regular maintenance and cleaning to keep them looking great. They are subjected to all kinds of pollutants and weather conditions and easily accumulate dirt, grime and dust. If left unchecked, dirty facades can deteriorate and will eventually require expensive repairs. 

The Apex Facades‘ team live and breathe high rise building cleaning. We are the rope access specialists, with no facade too hard to reach. When carrying out facade maintenance we offer two cleaning methods:

Water-based cleaning

Water-based methods are the most non-invasive method for cleaning high rise building facades. There are three water based methods, including: 

• Pressure washing.
• Soaking.
• Steam washing.

Pressure washing:

This is the most common water treatment used to clean facades. The surface is sprayed with a low to medium pressure water spray. The pressure is increased to remove any build ups of dirt and grime. For more stubborn areas our team will use a synthetic bristle and non-ionic detergents may also be used to remove oil-based dirt. 

Soaking: 

Another water-based method of cleaning facades is soaking. Each surface is lightly sprayed with water over several days. This loosens any dirt and grime and is perfect for historic masonry as it’s more gentle. 

Steaming: 

The third water-based method for cleaning building facades is steam cleaning. We use hot water at a high pressure to remove any dirt and grime. It’s not as common as water pressure cleaning and soaking, but it is effective for cleaning facades that are sensitive to chemical cleaning products. 

Chemical cleaning

Chemical cleaning tends to be more effective than water-based methods of cleaning facades. Using chemicals we can remove ingrained dirt and grime, as well as paint, coatings and metallic stains.

We apply chemical cleaners to a wet surface and let it soak for a period of time until the stains are removed. We then rinse off the surface with water. There are two types of chemical cleaners available: 

Acid based cleaners – At Apex Facades we use acid-based cleaners for unglazed brick, terracotta, concrete and granite. 

Alkaline cleaners – These are more suitable for cleaning marble, limestone and chalky sandstones.

Rope access specialists

Rope access specialists will help you reach all areas of your high-rise building’s facade, so nothing is missed. Using our rope systems we can access areas of your facade you wouldn’t be able to touch with scaffolding or heavy machinery. 

Apex Facades is covered by specialist high-risk public liability and professional indemnity insurance. All our safety equipment is regularly, and independently checked and our team abides by all OH&S procedures and policies.  

If your facade needs to be cleaned, we’d love to connect and see how we can bring life back into your building. Contact us online or call (07) 2111 7202.