Project Snapshot
- Gutter Cleaning at Truro and Penwith College
- Clean Bullnose using steam
The Challenge
One of the first challenges for clearing the gutters was working at height. As this project was at a Commercial College, most of the buildings are between 5-6 stories tall, working out at approximately 50ft tall. Paths were also very narrow and took quite a bit of navigating.
Like a lot of commercial premises, routine maintenance can be determined by budgets. These gutters had not been emptied for a long time, which meant we had years of organic matter growing inside them. This caused additional weight and water build up, due to the downpipes being blocked.
As this is a working college, we had to liaise with staff members to ensure we were not disrupting their day. We did complete the Commercial Gutter Cleaning over a half term break, however, some members of staff were still working on site.
Once the gutters were emptied, we also cleaned the bullnoses with steam and slight pressure. Due to the sheer size of the college, we did not have access to running water from the buildings for some sections of the works.
The Solution
Clear and Clean staff members hold an IPAF licence to legally drive High Access Equipment. We have years of experience driving machinery, with a banksman on ground level at all times to help guide machinery through tight areas.
Gutters were cleared by hand, and all debris disposed of, into black bags. Once bags were full, the cherry picker was lowered, with waste placed into our van. At the end of each day, all waste was taken off site and disposed of legally using our Waste Carriers Licence.
Gutters were cleared over half-term, when minimal persons were on site. Signage was put into place to divert any people away from the area. All Clear and Clean staff hold a current DBS certificate to allow us to work in schools and colleges.
To Steam Clean the bullnoses, Clear and Clean used the top professional equipment to reach all areas. Our Hose, when connected to a tap, can reach up to 30 metres. This then filled our 800 litre tank with water inside our van. Our pressure washing hose can reach up to 100 metres away from the van. This meant that our equipment was able to span over 130 metres, successfully reaching all of the buildings in the college.
The Results
The maintenance of Truro and Penwith College gutters was very successful. Over time, organic growth can build up due to surrounding foliage and birds nesting. This can cause implications to flowing gutters which are the first line of defence against natural elements.
Over the course of this project, we removed a huge amount of organic matter, improving the functionality of the gutters. This ranged from small plants, huge turfs and even a few footballs and tennis balls, clearly kicked up too high by the students.
Once all gutters were cleared, we then cleaned all of the bull noses using steam. Steam cleaning uses temperatures reaching up to 150 degrees, with pressure as low as 100 bars. This removes all organic growth from the surface with the low pressure causing no damage to the substrates.
The results of this project not only improved the functionality of the gutters, it also improved the aesthetics for staff members or any visitors that might visit the college.
Contact Us
If you are interested in Domestic Exterior Cleaning incl: Render Cleaning, Driveway & Patio Cleaning, Gutter & Fascia Cleaning or Roof Cleaning; Commercial Exterior Cleaning incl: DOFF Cleaning, Soft Wash, Pressure Washing, Gutter Cleaning, Roof Cleaning, or you are looking for someone to carry out either Domestic or Commercial Window Cleaning in Plymouth, Devon or Cornwall, please contact us.