We’ve often looked to the past in the 30+ years of See Brilliance history. Recently, we explored the history and progression of glass facade architecture. There was much to learn; from the Shard’s references to sailboats and churches to the chamfered surfaces of the Basque, glass architecture has etched many exciting tales in its time.
In exploring those historical glass buildings, we found that glass facades play an important role in cultural expression and storytelling. The Basque’s unique glass surfaces reflect the varied opinions and backgrounds of the teams inside it, and the framed glass curtain walls of Oriel Chambers in Liverpool tell a tale of a proud leap forward in construction capabilities of the time.
Why commercial glass facade restoration matters
All these buildings were at their best when their glass surfaces were diligently and routinely maintained. Today, we’re looking to the future with a review of how specialist glass restoration does just that – and at how restoration compares to replacement both in terms of cost and environmental impact.
Visual appeal and consumer attention: Did you know that 95% of consumers say that the visual appearance of a building is one of the most important factors in choosing whether they’ll conduct business there? Brands like Apple know how to craft the interior of a store to look immaculate, but the value isn’t just behind closed doors: the cleanliness of the exterior is critical too.
A 2019 study made a similarly stark discovery: 70% of shoppers polled in ServiceChannel’s 2022 State of Brick & Mortar report had negative experiences at retail locations in the six months prior. Most common among those experiences was stores having a poor physical appearance. Dirty windows, unclean facades, and poorly maintained exteriors all make a difference. It’s why 64% of shoppers have walked out of a retail location before even making a purchase.
Building safety: Facades degrade over time. Restoration works treat this, helping to minimise safety risks. Glass facades are prone to this too, with damaged frameworks or sealants leading to dangerous conditions that sometimes require the temporary closure or restriction of a building and its access points.
A 2009 study from chemical producer BASF found that moisture penetration was one of the most critical challenges for modern buildings. According to the British Standards Institute, high levels in of moisture – including condensation – in buildings are a cause of 80% of all building failures.
Degraded facades can risk water-induced damage caused by mould, acids, salts, and alkalis. Commercial glass facade restoration services can address these concerns and help property managers and owners to better understand their operational requirements. In doing so, those properties can remain open for business as much as possible.
Improved rentability: Commercial properties can offer a fantastic return on investment, but raising rental figures to hit targets makes tenants unhappy. Exploring other options for increasing rentability and value for tenants is always relevant.
Revitalising the value of a commercial property extends beyond aesthetics, however. Energy efficiency and visual appeal go hand-in-hand as tenant priorities, making commercial facade restoration even more critical.
Consistent maintenance across the facade of a commercial property can significantly increase its perceived value for renters. This can make tenant acquisition and onboarding quicker and can help to justify increases in rental figures when the need arises. Restoration is also significantly cheaper than re-glazing or re-cladding. Approximately one twelfth of the cost in fact.
Energy efficiency plays into this too. As well as addressing the growing interest in environmentally friendly property usage, a building’s green credentials are affected by natural light penetration. Even airflow affects how much energy a building needs to stay heated, cooled or lit.
What works: Glass facade restoration methods
Restoring a glass facade is delicate work, with specialist restoration processes allowing operatives to improve the opacity value, safety and visual appeal of commercial windows and glass facades. Avoiding scratches is a clear priority and the removal of organic soiling, concrete deposits, dirt and pollutants all being possible without damaging the glass surfaces.
When a commercial glass facade is scratched, specialist glass polishing and restoration techniques avoid the need for expensive replacement. Dedicated equipment and restoration systems allow for the restoration and polishing of surfaces. It’s one of the reasons See Brilliance operatives are often specified in tender proposals recommended by consultants, building surveyors and architects.
This specialist knowledge and equipment proved its value in a recent project that saw glass restoration operatives restore over 800 panes of glass across a large commercial property in central London.
After COVID-19 restrictions led to a reduced maintenance schedule, the building’s owners discovered the glass of their eighty-storey building was etched, stained, and soiled. The mammoth project saw our operatives use cradles to restore every single pane at eye level.
These access methods went together with non-abrasive products approved by the GRM, Europe’s largest quality association for facade cleaning. Soil, detritus, and dirt were removed, micro-scratches were erased via polishing processes and traditional window cleaning brought the glass panes back to an almost as-new condition. A fantastic example of total glass facade and curtain wall restoration.
See Brilliance Director Nick Down said of the project:
“Despite the many challenges associated with working at height in central London, this was a fabulous project to undertake. Our operatives were able to restore the client’s glass to almost as-new condition, and with regular cleaning it will remain in this condition for years to come. I’m hugely proud of the work we have done at this site and exceptionally pleased to be involved in restoring such a prestigious building which has so much impact on the skyline of what I consider one of the world’s greatest cities.”
Our experience is at your service
The See Brilliance team has helped commercial clients with total glass facade restoration for over 30 years. Our operatives provide architects, landlords, facility managers and commercial property owners with facade restoration services that help properties to remain safe, visually appealing and energy efficient.
To get in touch, call our team on 01635 230888, email us at [email protected] or contact us here.
We provide glass restoration, commercial façade and cladding restoration, DOFF Steam Cleaning, graffiti removal, and much more, all across the UK.