Black & White Facilities / Service brief
Cladding and Curtain Walling
Panels that have worked loose, perished gaskets, water ingress and joints that are breaking down need assessment against the specific facade system fitted. Say whether the problem is new, has returned after earlier repairs or appeared after other works on the building. Establishing that separates the repair in hand from investigation and any wider programme.
What the work can include
- Review of panel, joint and gasket condition.
- Replacement of individual components or seals where the system allows.
- Arrangement of access and liaison over specialist system details.
The scope lists the elevations or bays concerned, the parts left as they are and the evidence to be handed back. Where a contract covers several buildings, each item needs its site and position so cost and follow-up tie to a particular facade.
Our full service catalogue, including every individual service, is available across every listed sector and location. For one site or several, we agree the scope, access and programme around the buildings concerned.
Examples delivered by Property Services
This example was delivered by the separate Black & White Property Services business. Storm damage left shiplap boards and window trim missing from a Newcastle apartment block. Black & White Property Services replaced the missing boards on the front elevation and fitted replacement trim beneath the window. The affected cladding and trim were reinstated within the agreed local repair scope. Storm-damaged cladding reinstatement in Newcastle.
Important decisions
Any repair to cladding or curtain walling has to be compatible with the system originally installed. Looking alike says nothing about fire performance, fixing capacity or compatibility with the assembly around it. File recurring faults under the asset reference so reactive repairs and planned renewal are costed apart.
Before we visit
Provide the original system details, any facade assessment already held, elevations and a record of previous modifications. Add the site records, the operational effect of the defect and the approval limit. Confirm the site contact and when access plant can stand in place without interrupting critical operations.
How the work proceeds
The enquiry captures the outcome needed and the documents that exist. Review of the panels and joints then confirms the condition of the system and where the instruction stops. Method, order of work, protection and access are agreed before the first panel is touched.
Completion records the work against the site or elevation reference, states the result and separates anything still open from the closed instruction. Later maintenance and budget decisions draw on that record.
What affects cost and timing
Identifying the system, sourcing specialist components, access, the removal and refitting sequence and any testing required are the main variables. Between them they set resource, sequence and duration; a photograph or broad elevation area cannot fix the scope alone.
Where the estate has several facades, check that tasks and access assumptions match before combining them. Agree what happens to the areas below during the work and the trigger for approving extra work.
Applications across sectors
Office buildings may need access phased around tenanted floors, schools need work planned around occupied areas and entrances, and hospitality and industrial sites carry their own requirements on finish, cleaning and hours. The sectors directory describes the full range.
Local coverage
North East England is covered by Black & White Facilities, taking in Tyne and Wear, Northumberland, Tees Valley and County Durham. Provide the postcode and site-access information with the enquiry, whether the building is in Gateshead, Newcastle, Middlesbrough, Durham or another listed area. See the location directory for every area.
Frequently asked questions
Can any replacement panel be used if it looks the same?
No. Size and colour are a small part of the specification. Fixings, allowance for movement, weathering and the performance of the assembly as a whole all have to be matched.
What information helps define cladding and curtain walling?
The original system details, any facade assessment, elevations and a record of earlier modifications are the items to gather first. Set out the result required and any dates that access depends on. Existing reports show what has already been looked into, so nothing is assumed.
What most affects the price and programme?
System identification, specialist parts, access, the removal sequence and testing are the main starting points. A scope that lists the preparation, access and completion work included lets proposals be compared on one basis.
How should the finished work be recorded?
Use the site and work order reference, the panels or joints dealt with and any action still outstanding. Record limitations apart from finished work so the estate record stays dependable.
Guides and useful reading
The decisions that shape this service are covered in the building fabric planning guidance. Repair versus replacement deals with the choice between patching a facade element and renewing it on condition, cost and disruption.
The wider working context is set out in HSE construction guidance.
Related services and your enquiry
Building Fabric brings together every service in this family. Related pages include Concrete Repairs, Doors, Windows and Glazing and Flooring. All services, maintenance, projects, sectors and locations cover the wider requirement.
Send your enquiry to Black & White Facilities, including the site reference, priority, authorised contact and relevant records. Original system details, any facade assessment, elevations and past modifications, where available, allow the next step to be scoped on the actual system.
Discuss the scope
Tell us what needs attention.
Share the site, the issue and any access requirements so we can discuss the next step.