Darling Point’s skyline is defined by residential towers and mid-rise apartment blocks, many with harbour views on at least one side. Their façades take salt, sun, wind and rain at height, and keeping them clean is a strata job with its own rules, access methods and risks.
Strata cleaning is searched around 390 times a month in Sydney, and the advertisers bidding on it pay over $10 a click. It is a significant line in most building budgets.
Who is responsible
External walls of a strata building are almost always common property, and the owners corporation must maintain and repair common property. That includes keeping the façade in a condition that does not let water in or let materials deteriorate. More: strata exterior cleaning.
In practice the strata committee and managing agent plan façade cleaning, get quotes, and schedule the work. Individual owners cannot authorise work on the building’s exterior.
What dirties a harbour tower
Salt film on glass and cladding, particularly on the harbour-facing elevations. Atmospheric grime and streaking from window sills and ledges. Biological growth on shaded elevations and on concrete or render that stays damp. Bird droppings on ledges. Rust staining from embedded steel or fixings, which may indicate concrete cancer. More: concrete cancer and spalling.
Access methods
Façade work at height is done by rope access (abseiling), from a building maintenance unit (a cradle or gondola) where one is installed, or from elevated work platforms on lower buildings. Each has its own safety requirements, permits and costs.
Work at height over two metres is high-risk construction work under NSW work health and safety rules, and requires a safe work method statement. Roof anchor points used for rope access must be certified and inspected. The building’s anchors and their certification date are worth checking before quoting. More: working at heights checks.
Method by material
Glass: purified water and squeegee or water-fed systems. Painted render: soft washing with low pressure. Concrete: low to moderate pressure depending on condition. Aluminium cladding and powder-coated frames: gentle cleaning, no abrasives. Sandstone bases and podiums: low pressure, no acid. More: how we soft wash.
Protecting residents and the street
Residents need notice, windows and balcony doors closed, and balconies cleared of anything that can be damaged by water or drift. The street and footpath below may need exclusion zones, and the work may need council approval where it affects public space. Runoff must be managed, not sent down the stormwater system. More: where the dirty water goes.
What a good quote includes
Method by elevation and material, access method and certification, exclusion zones, resident communication, insurance certificate, safe work method statement, exclusions, and a photo report of defects found. Defects matter: façade cleaning is often the only time anyone looks closely at the outside of the building. More: what a fixed written quote should itemise.
Frequency
Harbour-facing glass: once or twice a year. Full façade wash: every two to five years, depending on materials and exposure. For the rest of the year, see the Darling Point maintenance calendar and our Eastern Suburbs strata maintenance guide.
