Scaffolding is a great invention and the perfect solution for cleaning and maintaining many types of building, even elements of historic and listed buildings. However, there are many instances where it isn’t the most effective, safe or recommended option for cleaning. With this in mind, it is worth considering the range of scaffold-free cleaning options you have. Scaffold-free cleaning methods may be recommended if:
- The building has significant amounts of glazing and glasswork
- The building is historic or listed and scaffolding risks damage to the structure
- The building needs significant cleaning and maintenance which cannot be completed via scaffolding
- The building has unusual or hard to access areas which need working on
The alternatives to scaffolding come in a range of different types, each with their own benefits. It is worth considering the best option for your building or buildings and discuss your options with our experts if you need additional guidance. Below we’re looking at the main scaffold-free façade cleaning options.
Rope Access and Abseiling Cleaning
Rope access cleaning is an efficient and relatively simple option for cleaning premises with ease, even those which are particularly tall or have difficult to reach areas. Rope access techniques were initially developed for rock climbers and caving, but they have been adapted to suit the cleaning sector and allow highly trained professionals to efficiently clean and repair building façades without the unnecessary disruption of erecting scaffolding and the time involved in this process too.
Suspended Access Equipment
Suspended access equipment usually refers to cradles and similar types of equipment, designed to provide a safe platform to work from when cleaning building façades. Suspended access cradle equipment is designed to make it safe to work efficiently at height, held safely in the cradle suspended from high strength cables and can be quicker than abseil cleaning due to the motorised nature of the process and a larger range of tools and more water can be kept within a cradle.
Mobile Elevating Work Platforms (MEWPs)
MEWPs come in many forms and provide trained cleaning professionals with the platform they need to work safely, and they can be manoeuvred easily to reach even awkward and hard to access areas. MEWPs can include a range of different types of equipment from spider lifts to cherry pickers and aerial work platforms to spider lifts, any of which may be the right choice for your building. Getting in touch with industry experts is the best way to ensure you get the right type of solution for your needs.
There are many instances where scaffolding is the perfect solution for a building’s cleaning and maintenance needs, but with the vast array of different buildings out there, sometimes more specialised equipment is needed.
