It has been a busy few weeks for our staff doing everything they do so well with External Cleaning Brisbane, from housewashing, to driveway cleaning, roof cleaning (& painting), Shopping Centre Cleaning and even a Court House on the southern fringe of the City.
The following photos will give you an idea of what we’ve been up to and commencing with a Building & Asset Services contract to clean the exterior of a southside Court & Watchouse complex.
Stone-Chipped Building Clean
Large knuckle boom on a sloping drive did the trick
Looking pretty grubby and in need of a washdown
Lots of trees to negotiate with the boom
Looking good after the September long weekend
Shopping Centre Building Clean
Less than a fortnight beforehand we were contracted with old mate Andy (Able Pressure Cleaning) to clean the complete exterior of the Inala Shopping Plaza. Whilst our focus was on the buildings, Andy looked after the paths throughout as well as internal glass and aircon ducting.
The attached photos show we were all over the building from the Atrium down.
Viewed from inside the Plaza the atrium wasn’t letting much light in
It hadn’t been cleaned for several years …being on a roof on top of a roof is no doubt the reason why
Four large entrances meant arriving early to finish the work
Driveway Clean
We also cleaned Driveways during September and thought you’d appreciate this contrast.
We do lots of Body Corporate work & driveways are right up there
Looking good but more importantly Safe for tenants & visitors
Roof Cleaning – Colorbond & Terracotta
Then there were the roofs …we painted some and cleaned others as part of External Cleaning Brisbane.
With a 45 degree pitch this was a bit of a challenge
Safety equipment such as temporary anchors, ropes & harness are par for the course
Worth the effort & looking great
Terracotta roof owners are invariably grateful for our work
The contrast between cleaned and untouched is very stark indeed
Tell the neighbours to ring us on 0418 733 068 …they won’t want to miss out on this
Roof Painting
Also in September we painted roofs, one of which was simply a colour change to accomodate a repaint of the house. In fact we had painted this Graceville mansion’s roof several years ago. The house painter was so impressed with our work that he convinced the owner that nobody else would do. We tend to think he wasn’t keen to do it himself due to the 60 degree pitch on one aspect at the front…then again we may be wrong.
Getting there with the first topcoa
Right on the Brisbane river beginning with the airless after cutting in
Ready for the house painter to do his stuff
Building Pressure Clean for Rendering
Recently we blasted a building in Coopers Plains in preparation for rendering. Access was via a scissor lift as well as scaffolding above a lower roof.
As you can see it’s not Brisbane’s most attractive building, so looking forward to seeing the completed effort.
What were the builders thinking building with this stuff
Looking better for a clean but more to come
Shopping Centre Walkways
This week we dropped in to this shopping centre in Ferny Hills to clean up the front walkway.
We did it twelve months previously, together with the roof and a complete building washdown, but the stamped concrete was starting to look a bit shabby. The photos below show satisfying results from using hot water which always improves things by 50% (compared to cold). The lance was used to get rid of chewing gum and worked a treat.
Hot blasting stamped concrete …plastic bags stops water ingress
No chemicals here …just boiling water
Hot water chewy removal
Burnt Out Units
The Nundah Firies had a busy Halloween in the wee hours
Burnt Unit cleaned up for repainting
A good contrast half way there
Using a scissor lift for access, heavy duty water-jetting equipment and the right chemicals (full face mask required) this External Cleaning – Brisbane made it so much easier for the other trades to commence their restoration work
Trust this gives you some appreciation of the variety of work we do with External Cleaning Brisbane.
Call now on 3300 6100 for a free quote.
At the conclusion of the Games a lot of tidying up was required to Make Good and hand back various Venues to their respective owners.
For instance the Village was leased from the Developer by Goldoc (the Principal Contractor), the Hockey, Gymnastics and Aquatic Venues needed some work prior to handing back to the Gold Coast Council and so on.
We spent the best part of three weeks cleaning literally acres of concrete soiled by tyre marks (from heavy duty lifting equipment such as cranes, booms, scissor and fork lifts) rust marks (from Scaffolding), timber stains (also from chocking Scaffolding) Paint marks (on Concrete & Bitumen), Car Parks as well as Change Rooms, Toilets and Glass.
The following photos give a fair indication of our involvement: –
These bods didn’t know about non-marking tyres?
Not perfect but greatly improved & no chemicals
Timber chock marks left in the aftermath
75 Scaffolders were on the job to dismantle poolside
Even the Lift doors shine
Hockey Venue Sparkalarkalakling
Sweeper left marks… but High Vol. Low Pressure worked a treat on car park …see the mid point line
Balustrade Glass Gleaming
Paint came off too …without chemicals
Superficial rust marks removed without chemicals
Some of our magic equipment used to get the desired results
Many thanks to our Gold Medal Team for their often exhausting efforts to finish in a timely manner with such pleasing results.
I’ll let the photos do the talking about roof clean – all types, commencing with: –
Terracotta roofs
Work in progress on Siena tiles from boom lift …yes we had to remove some fence panels to gain access
This oldie in Mt Gravatt was cleaned Dec 2017
Spectacular transformation
Before photo of Mitchie home taken by Owner
After shot taken by proud & grateful owner offered for our website
The most frequent comment that’s made is …”It came up better than I expected” As you can see the roof clean results are really special
Industrial Roofs
Quite a contrast with skylights looking good
This large factory roof clean was done by us some 15 years previously and when the long term tenants vacated for something even bigger they called us back.
Cleaning the skylights had a marked effect on visibility inside the complex, as you would expect from looking at this rooftop photo.
We also cleaned the outside of this complex. As it happened, the owners of the complex opposite, also in the process of moving, were so impressed they called us in to clean their Warehouse from the top (skylights) to the exterior then concrete car park and warehouse floor.
Concrete Tiled
These roof cleans usually produce the most mess (dirt & oxidized paint), so we have a procedure to ensure waste is diverted from water tanks and the street drainage system before commencing.
Looking very much in need of TLC
The shine is from a sealer applied post cleaning
Cleaned, repointed, sealed and two topcoats
Owner very pleased with the results
Colorbond
Usually this type of roof clean raises safety issues for our operators, so full harness and accessories are imperative …
Marked difference – cleaning a roof in this condition will significantly reduce the summer heat inside the premises, since the dark colour absorbs the heat whereas the light reflects the sun’s rays
Tethered each side for fall restraint at the PA Hospital
Lichen Infested Colorbond
Fungal growth a visual nightmare
Looking how it should again
With the right operator and decent equipment, unsightly roofs can be made to look like new… plus we clear your gutters while we’re there for no extra charge.
If you want to go the extra mile …we are also Licenced with the QBBC (#896850) to carry out repairs and painting.
We’re here waiting for your call on 3300 6100 right now!
Please click on any of the below links to see what we do in relation to cleaning, repairs and painting of all sorts of roofs.
If your enquiry relates to Insulation Paint, please click on the first or second link listed
https://www.waterworks.com.au/roof-painting-the-gap/
Commercial Colorbond Painting
This Shopping Centre Roof was rejuvenated recently for the new owners. Trust you like the colour scheme. It had to be cleaned again (we’ve done it previously) before applying two coats to colour match changes to the facade.
Looking very grubby prior to clean
Cleaning almost complete
Cleaning completed
The dark grey top roof done
Almost there
Mission accomplished
Basically the photos tell the story of roof painting in The Gap, which is where we’ve been based for over 3 decades.
We’ve tended to this roof a couple of times over the last three years but when a new leak developed the owner enquired about a full restoration. He spends a lot of time working overseas and wanted one less thing to worry about on the homefront,
Work commenced early January on this roof painting in The Gap.
Tile replacement & Cleaning
Before anything happens
Cleaning in progress
The roof was thoroughly checked for damaged tiles before any cleaning took place.
We use high volume water blasters (on reduced pressure) with large floating rotary heads. This gives an even finish getting rid of dirt and oxidized paint without damaging the tiles. Precautions are taken beforehand to ensure contaminated waste water doesn’t enter water tanks or the street drainage system generally.
Pointing the Ridges
Repointing ridge capping prevents water ingress
Flexible pointing on ridges
The caps were originally pointed using a mortar mix which over time cracked and broke away causing leaks.
We use a flexible pointing compound that can adapt to extreme temperatures and sligght movements over time, so its much more durable than the old mortar (sand and cement) mix.
The next step in the process is the application of an acrylic sealer. This is a clear coat which you’ll note from the photo below, glistens in the sun.
Sealing the Roof
The sealer glistens in the sunlight providing a suitable topcoat “key”
No prize for guessing which part of the roof has been sealed.
You can always tell a roof that hasn’t been sealed when you try to clean it some years down the track … the paint comes off …that’s probably most peoples’ experience of being “done over” by dodgy operators. You don’t know until it’s too late.
The sealer, being lighter than paint, tends to float around in the air, so best not done on a windy day. We do take precautions, such as using shields (that’s whats on the upper part of the roof in the “sealing” photo.) We also use brushes around the barge (edge) tiles and under skillion roofs (such as that depicted below at the house front entrance).
Brushes & Airless Spraying
Now it’s time for roof painting in The Gap.
Mission accomplished rear
front entrance
The car next to house couldn’t be moved, so we covered it with drop sheets and used brushes to cut in above it.
Bird’s eye view
Street view…looking good on Google
If you want some roof painting in The Gap, why not give us a call on 3300 6100
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.