Working at a higher level
PTSG is the UK’s leading provider of specialist services to the construction and FM sectors. Its five business divisions deliver a comprehensive set of services to its 20,000 customers, protecting their properties, places and people and ensuring their buildings remain compliant.
PTSG Building Access Specialists Ltd began by offering a high-level cleaning service to customers mainly in London and the South-East. Through a combination of organic growth and strategic acquisitions, it now stands as one of the industry’s leading providers of specialist building cleaning and maintenance services throughout the nation.
Working at all levels
A significant proportion of the division’s work – and the Group’s work as a whole – is still performed at height. Therefore, PTSG’s directly employed engineers are trained and qualified in all the industry’s standard access techniques.
Rope access is widely regarded as the most effective means of accessing the façade of buildings. PTSG’s rope access engineers and steeplejack specialists are IRATA-trained and benefit from the organisation’s leading principles and practices. IRATA (the Industrial Rope Access Trade Association) is recognised as the world’s leading authority on industrial rope access.
PTSG uses rope access, or abseiling, to undertake a range of cleaning, repairs, maintenance, decorations, structural engineering work and more. This technique enables specialists to move quickly, easily and safely from side to side and up and down to reach all areas of a building. Equipment can be set up and dismantled quickly and easily, and causes minimal disruption, saving valuable time and money.
On the ground, PTSG’s specialists can use reach poles, ladders, scaffolding or mobile elevating work platforms (MEWPs) depending on the constraints of the site, to perform their work. (PTSG’s services also include the hire of cherry pickers and work platforms.)
Highly specialised cleaning
High-intensity storms can cause significant damage when excess standing water doesn’t drain quickly enough. Siphonic drainage offers businesses a solution for protecting their buildings against storm damage. As a member of the Siphonic Roof Drainage Association, PTSG has the expertise to design and install bespoke systems on demand.
Siphonic rainwater systems use baffle plates (fixed to the rainwater outlet) to prevent air entering the pipes during intense storms. This creates a siphonic hydraulic action that drains higher volumes of water using fewer, smaller diameter, horizontal downpipes.
The benefits:
- The high-velocity operational flow rate of the system enables it to deal with intense rates of rainfall.
- Each gutter needs only one or two downpipes, which improves aesthetics and reduces the cost of large internal underground drainage networks.
- The location of the pipework is flexible, giving more freedom over design and maximising space within the building envelope.
- The reduction of underground pipework means the pipework within the building is visible, and accessible from mobile access equipment for maintenance or repair.
- Siphonic systems are self-cleansing and do not require access points (access is through the rainwater outlet at roof level).
Preventing repair bills
Planned preventative maintenance (PPM) works are a vital part of any building manager’s strategy to avoid sizeable repair bills by heading off damage before it occurs. From gutter cleaning to roof surveys and maintenance, PTSG delivers a wealth of services to maintain the upkeep of buildings in all industry sectors.
Gutters are designed to collect and distribute water. A blocked gutter can back up that distribution and add extra weight to the gutter system. A gallon of water weighs about 8 pounds.
Water that spills out of failing gutters to the foundation of a building seep into the soil and into any cracks it can find. Basements are at risk of being the final collecting point for that oversaturated ground.
Roofs must be monitored and maintained to ensure they are free from damage and vegetation and are properly drained. Large puddles can form on the roof surface because the drainage system is not adequate for the structure, or due to a variety of other issues with the roof design or the building infrastructure. This can lead to water ingress, which can quickly cause significant damage.
In all cases, prevention is always much more cost effective than making repairs. Putting an effective PPM schedule in place keeps buildings at their best for longer. Property managers across the residential and commercial sectors can use PPM to monitor the performance of a property, keeping it safe and ensuring ongoing compliance with the latest legislations.
Roof drone surveys are another way in which PTSG helps its clients to plan ahead for maintenance work. Thanks to the great level of detail provided by the drone footage, clients can see the exact condition of their buildings and any work PTSG’s operatives can deliver that will ensure they remain in first-class condition.
