As we highlighted in our review of Embodied Carbon last month, See Brilliance is an avid supporter of restorative cleaning due to both the cost savings and environmental benefits compared with replacement.
In fact, our own data shows that the cost to fully restore a commercial building facade using the See Brilliance restorative cleaning method sits at around one-twentieth the cost of replacement and just one-third that of respraying.
The Institute for Environmental Design and Engineering at University College London says that facade restoration can have a considerable impact on the overall carbon footprint of any building. The institute’s latest research suggests that total carbon emissions over the useful life of a structure – known as Life Cycle Carbon Footprint – could be reduced by up to 40 per cent through restoration alone. But cost savings and environmental benefits are just the tip of the iceberg.
Updating the visual appeal of your commercial building facade can bring a diverse range of benefits such as higher rental income potential and improved brand image.
In this article, we’ll take a closer look at why it’s worth considering facade restoration as part of your commercial building maintenance plan.
Enhanced Curb Appeal
Whether your organisation operates from an office, warehouse or high-street retail location, the exterior of your premises is a direct reflection of your brand, acting as a visual for the quality of products and services you provide.
According to a recent survey by facilities specialist ServiceChannel, 95 per cent of consumers say that the external appearance of a business is one of the primary factors influencing their decision to shop there, while more than half will avoid a business altogether if the exterior appears to be poorly maintained.
“More than half of consumers say they will avoid a business if the exterior appears to be poorly maintained.”
A clean and well-maintained facade can instantly enhance the appearance of your business, making it look more modern, attractive and appealing to potential customers and tenants. This can also increase your building’s market value by double-digit percentages.
Improved Energy Efficiency
There are several factors that can impact the energy efficiency of a building depending on the age of the structure and materials used in construction.
The accumulation of dirt and debris can compromise the energy efficiency of any building facade. Where a glass curtain facade is used, energy efficiency can be drastically improved through proper cleaning and maintenance of the glass facade, ensuring that natural light can enter the building and internal heat cannot easily escape. Since heat loss through windows contributes upwards of 30 per cent of total heat loss from a building, this represents a quick win for commercial building owners.
A Safer, More Durable Façade
A well-maintained, clean facade can expose portions of the building that have been impacted by or are subject to issues such as rot or rust, root growth from seedlings, or critical structural flaws. Pollutants and algae growth can also impact upon how a facade protects against harsh weather conditions like heavy rain or extreme temperatures.
A report by the Building Research Establishment recently found that facade maintenance can dramatically reduce the incidences of unplanned repair and optimise whole life performance. In other words, facade restoration can enhance the safety, effectiveness and longevity of your commercial building and its facade.
The Building Research Establishment report also notes that commercial tenants and building owners may have a legal obligation to ensure that their building’s facade is maintained to a safe standard. Similar obligations often extend to commercial building tenants where the terms of the lease stipulate that the building facade should be kept clean and maintained to minimise the risk of water penetration, structural problems or falling debris.
Increased Property Value and Rentability
According to commercial property specialist Eddisons, commercial property values can be improved instantly by maintaining dominant visual elements of a building’s exterior including the car park, facade and gardens.
“..you can add instant perceived value by maintaining the perimeter, ensuring the façade is neat and tidy and the car park, if appropriate, is well-delineated as well as keeping the area litter-free. Any garden areas need to be regularly maintained, the grass cut and the weeds dug out.”
From a commercial landlord’s perspective, the highly competitive commercial property rental market typically yields around 5% per annum but this could be improved by offering tenants a more visually appealing property.
With rental desirability in mind, an attractive and tidy facade can make a commercial building more appealing to potential tenants, coupled with the added benefit of being able to command higher rents which may even cover the cost of any maintenance work required.
Better Brand Image
The facade of your building is often the first thing that people see and can serve as an advertisement for your organisation and its products and services. 64 per cent of consumers say they have chosen not to buy from a business because of its poor physical appearance.
Maintaining a clean and tidy building facade can help you project a better image to passers-by and visitors, making your organisation seem like a more professional and appealing place to do business.
In fact, several studies show that cleanliness is the number-one driver of customer satisfaction, rated by consumers as being more important to them than staff attitude, value and price.
For the love of facades and the environment
For over thirty years, See Brilliance has been working with organisations across the UK to improve the visual appeal of their commercial properties and keep their building facades looking fabulous.
Our restorative cleaning and facade restoration methods are safe for facade surfaces and kind to the environment, and many of our restoration methods are used by the Royal Institute of British Architects and Historic England. Methods we use for commercial facade restoration include DOFF Steam Cleaning and TORC Cleaning.
To find out more about how we could help your business improve its image and benefit from a safer building facade, contact our facade cleaning and restoration specialists today.