Damn what a mammoth task but more than worth doing, phase one of the Balcony refurbishment project is drawing to its completion, and the results are there to be seen by everyone and in true Crown fashion nothing but the best and proper job is good enough.
Thank you to all Phase one participants, the tremendous response is really stating to lift the face of both the Hill and Park complexes. A lot was learnt and really as we all suspected the timber was in a hell of a state basically rotting from the inside out, and only our program and method of works can really achieve the finish, safety and long-gevity necessary to get the facade of the complex back on track and in to a sustainable maintenance regime.
On average we have had to replace 30% of the timber per balcony and on some of the more exposed balconies up to 50% of the timber, but true to our word and promise our costs where an all risk cost and no client has been charged any extra no matter how high the percentage of replacement wood.
Our custom made, heated and presurized spray booth has work right the way through the winter on this project, ensuring the integrity of the timber treatment and constancy of finish, this attention to detail is what backs up our 5 year warranty on all refurbishment works.
In this blog I would like to recap on the primary issues with the existing timber, the solutions Crown are employing and then showing the finished results.
Firstly the reasons why the existing timber is so bad, A side from no maintenance for over 5 to 7 years, essentially the timber selected for balconies during the construction period is whats called white pine, this is a construction timber not a form timber or finishing timber secondly it was never treated properly, with only a combined colour and sealer being applied.
All the above combined with a complete lack of maintenance has allowed the timber to die, and thats why you see the blackening of the wood when it rains, as in the images below. Unless this blackening is removed completely by machining (not possible to achieve proper removal via a in-situ rub down) the wood after dismantling.
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Here you see the contrast between treated timber by crown
and existing timber untreated. |
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When timber is this blackened it is completely dead
and will not accept any treatment with out all the dead material either
being plained off or new wood being used to replace it, any treatment applied
to such wood will just be rejected and flake off. |
Unfortunately when wood has deteriorated to such an extent, in order to attain any measure of desirable finish or an as new look plus achieve any measure sustainable protection and manageable maintenance regime there is in our opinion only one solution, below are a few examples in-situ works which whilst might give a cheeper short term solution in no way achieve a consistant finish nor offer stainable protection and will require further works as a minim in the short term and will not negate any safety concerns.
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| Security cabin from other complex hand prepared in-situ, whilst best endeavours are applied a cheep patch look is the result and the dead work that is inevitably left will reject the treatment applied and further deterioration of the wood will occur. |
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| In-situ wood almost always results in a patchy finish and unnatural colour |
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| Not sure what worst here the un-maintained timber or the in-situ treated section, either way visually neither is desirable nor stainable. |
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| Not to difficult to see the Crown treated balcony, a good picture this as we see the state of the original un maintained wood , an in-situ treated balcony and a Crown project. |
With over nearly 40 balconys under our belts already across both the Hill and the Park we really have the benefit of experience on our side and to be honest the level of rot and deterioration in the timber has even shock us, and its become evident that not only is the original timber sulection inapropriate and its treatment woefully in adequate, the glues used in the glue-laming process (this is a process where many pieces of small sections of wood are glued together to form a larger section, this is the process that has been used to create most larger section of balcony elements) also where suspect and we believe intended for interior use. Below your see a number of examples of wood root and your note that in the main its from the inside out, this happens when wood splits (glues fail) and water ingresses to the internal of the timber.
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| When wood gets to this condition fixing fail and the general construction losses all its integrity. |
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| Nothing to do but replace it. |
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| Glue-lam has failed |
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| Pulls apart like butter |
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| Rotten right through |
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| Dry and wet rot |
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| What to do with this |
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| wet rot |
With the balconies dismantled and in the work shop we determine what needs replacement what can be restored (no corners are cut as we have our 5 year warrantee to up hold). we then set to machining and preparing and forming new sections.
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| All replacement sections are formed from sold one pieces elements and sorced from properly dried and tested smirch timber, |
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| After machining |
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| into the spray booth, for spraying. Spraying does use more treatment and lacquer , but the wood absorbs the chemicals better and the resultant finishes are vastly superior. |
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| In hanging each element/section every pat of the timber is treated and coated even the adjoining sections thus maximising integrity of the work and securing our warrantee. |
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| New sections after forming are machined/routed in to match profiles |
After proper drying periods all sections are lab led for re-instalation at there respective apartments.
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| damn we have got through some stain lacquer and primer but all in a good course |
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| Ready to be distributed out to the apartments for reinstallation |
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| You can see the great constancy of finish |
Re-enstantment.
This is where properly managed dismantling and controlled work process pay off with all the right elements going back to the right apartment and all fitting perfectly back in place.
Looking good, looking real good.
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| Again you can see clearly the massive difference and wonderful impact the new refurbished balconies are having on the complex and the stark difference between the old and the Crown job. |
In Detail:
At Crown we pride our selves on the quality of our workmanship and attention to detail in these images below your see clearly the quality and consiatancy of the finish achieved on the re-enstated balconies the craftsmanship of the re-jointing plus your see we have replaced all jointing brackets with new bronze non rusting elements that also match with the colour of the timber.
If You want a proper Job done, get a Crown Job
Phase two will be launched in the Spring of 2014 if your interested in a proposal please contact us at: info@crown-fm.com
