Disparate technical, professional and trade skills and experiences must be harnessed to identify, plan, project manage and successfully remediate defective buildings. No one organisation possesses the entire suite of the skills and experiences necessary to achieve a successful, cost-effective defect solution ……
except DFX FIX with smart solutions for building defects delivered via its unique consortium of expert advisers and builders
- Superintend, coordinate and over-arching project management of each remediation project
- Facilitate all technical inspections, reports, and quotations
- Legal
- Funding for remediation work
White lime-scale deposits on balcony balustrade glass & metal work
This project exemplifies the value to the building owner of engaging DFXFIX to investigate the extensive white stains to balcony glass balustrades and associated mechanical structures.
Not only was the stain chemically identified but
- the probable causes of the staining were discovered
- remedial action was proscribed
- high-level costs of repairs nominated.
- DFX FIX identified water ingress issues relating to
- failed/deficient sealing of tiles
- tile screed bed issues
- failed/deficient balcony membranes.
DFX FIX report to the Strata Manager/Owners Corporation highlighted the prospect of a 10-year warranty claim against the builder pending further expert technical investigation. DFXFIX recommended its consortium legal expert to the Strata Manager/OC who quickly availed themselves of expert legal advice.
The matter of delineating private and common property in relation to the balcony balustrades was settled. With the warranty period about to expire some lot owners have retained our consortium legal associate to prosecute a warranty claim for balcony repairs that may cost circa $20,000 per balcony.
Postscript
DFXFIX action in highlighting the imminent expiry of the 10-year builder warranty period motivated the Strata Manager to arrange a building audit which flushed out problems with the building roof (common property).
An expert engineering assessment and repair quotations were quickly obtained, lot owners polled and, after legal advice from our consortium legal expert, a builder warranty claim was filed within the statutory period limit. A great team effort!
Exceeding expectations through innovation
With the main objective of discovering the defect leading to concrete leaching that caused the staining and providing guidance on its remediation was successfully solved.
DFX FIX offered to review the balcony balustrade cleaning process proposed by the contracted building cleaner which inherently involves high levels of labour expense.
Our industrial chemists are currently developing a novel visco-elastic cleaning agent that will safely remove the stains/deposit from the glass and different metallic components. Early trials are very encouraging. The incorporation of special surfactants to provide a long-term glass surface protection film to keep the glass cleaner for longer is being trialed. The aim is to reduce annual glass cleaning expense by circa 50% by increasing the cleaning cycle to 18-24 months at the same time as reducing the labour cost for each clean. Mindful of intellectual property rights, the formula may be patented. Check out our news blogs.
