How Often Should You Clean The Façade of a High Rise Building?

(Guest Writer: Lara Graham)

The building's location will have a lot of an impact on how often it needs to be cleaned. Those close to highways or in an industrial area get a bigger hit of pollution, and the buildup of dirt will be more noticeable and in a shorter space of time.

However, all buildings should have exterior surfaces cleaned every three to five years as part of a preventative maintenance program. As dirt or deposits collect on the façade of a building, they can create an environment where there is moisture build-up. The high-moisture content creates an ideal environment for some types of algae to flourish. These biological growths, if not addressed, can impact the integrity of the surface they grow on.

Unfortunately, you can't rely on rain to clean a building sufficiently. Rainwater is far from clean. It carries with it environmental pollutants that it deposits on the walls of buildings. As the water dries, these salts are left, where, over time, they can cause corrosion and other forms of damage.

Image © Michael Vi via Shutterstock

More Reasons To Keep It Clean

Property agents will talk about the 'curb' appeal, which is the first impression a visitor will get when they see the building. Keeping a building looking clean and professional is important to the marketability of the property. Prospective tenants are likely to be turned off by a grubby looking building, and you will only be able to generate lower rentals to fill the floors.

Cleaning the façade using economical methods such as pressure washing is quick and efficient. There will be no delays or inconvenience to tenants. If you have not addressed the dirt and buildup for an extended period, more than one cleaning session may be required to get the results you want.

Your tenants, neighbours, and the community and your contribution to the neighbourhood are part of your responsibility. It's a known fact that buildings that look unkempt and dirty attract negative elements such as graffiti taggers. This is because they know that their tag is unlikely to be removed.

Keeping the façade of a building clean and well maintained can go a long way to prevent this from happening. However, if a tagger hits your building, you should get it removed by an experienced team as soon as possible. The longer it is left, the more challenging (and more costly) it will be to remove. They can also apply materials that make it easier to remove graffiti in the future.

Another reason your budget needs to build in maintenance? Having a maintenance program in place, including having the building façade cleaned regularly, will allow you to pick up other issues early.

For example, a team cleaning the façade of a building will be able to reach parts of the building that you are unlikely to see. They may discover signage is damaged or loose, for example. This allows you to have the issue fixed before it becomes permanent damage or, worse, leads to an accident and injury.

High Rise Buildings and Window Cleaning

The windows of a high rise building may require cleaning more often than the walls. Twice a year is recommended. Remember, grime and buildup can affect the quantity and quality of light entering the building. Dirty windows can actually impact the productivity of those that live and work in a building. You want as much natural light to enter the building as possible.

Cleaning the glass is also only one factor; you want a team that will also remove grease and grime on all glazed surfaces, including window frames and window sills.

Windows can also deteriorate rapidly when not professionally cleaned and cared for, affecting both the glass and the window frames. Consider this: cleaning a window is more cost-effective than replacing them or having them repaired.

When choosing a contractor, ensure they aren't using methods that will negatively impact the building or tenants, such as inferior products, unfiltered water, and unsafe techniques. All buildings are different, so ideally, you want a professional window cleaning service that offers custom cleaning services to meet the exact needs of your tenants and the building.

While we are working with a general recommendation of how often to clean your building and/or windows, the following unique factors will affect the decision: These should be discussed with your contractor.

Building Purpose – if the building is used as a medical facility or houses restaurants, it may need to be cleaned more frequently.

Location – buildings in industrial areas or close to highways will get dirtier more quickly.

Building Style – certain architectural features may mean areas are more prone to collect dirt.

Weather – areas that are very sandy, or have high rainfall, for example, may lead to factors that require more frequent cleaning.

Cleaning a building's facade can be challenging, but all it takes is meticulous checking, planning, and maintenance to ease the stress of such a high-level task. Feel free to browse the RenoTalk website directory or forum to find professional cleaning services.