The winter rain, snow and wind has left London buildings looking a little shabby. It's time to take advantage of the summer sun and get those high rises back to their original sparkle, but that's no easy task given the difficulty of access. Rope access sounds dangerous, but in the hands of experts, there is no need for concern over safety.

High rise, awkward access and buildings taller than poles can reach can are great candidates for rope access cleaning and repair work. “Whether it's you windows that need to be cleaned or general maintenance, rope access is often the most cost effective method of carrying out high level work,” says Alan Oliver, Director of Regency Cleaning and IRATA level 2 abseiler.

Rope access techniques in London are often used to access extremely high or difficult to reach areas without the need for unsightly scaffolding. “By abseiling from the top of your building, there is virtually nowhere that can't be reached,” says Oliver.

Abseiling also allows very quick action to be taken on any site. Without scaffolding, painting and pressure washing jobs can be undertaken with a minimum of fuss. There are a multitude of tasks that can be effectively put in to practice using abseil techniques. Rope access decreases the lead time for a task and there is no waiting time for scaffold permits and set up time.

“Our fully trained abseilers can be on site with the job complete and all equipment taken from the site before any type of permit needs to be issued,” says Oliver. “Our London abseiling teams are trained to the internationally recognised IRATA standard and are always led by a Level 3 professional. We are also IOSH and CHAS accredited and fully insured.”

Window cleaning, building maintenance, gutter repairs, sealant application, bird proofing, steam cleaning, pressure washing, façade cleaning and high level cleaning are all possible using rope access and abseil techniques. It is cost effective, time efficient and the least disruptive approach to cleaning and repair projects.

“One of our best projects was window cleaning at 20 Fenchurch Street, also known as the Walkie Talkie,” says Oliver. “The Walkie Talkie was deemed impossible to clean using rope access due to it's concave structure, but we decided that this was not the case. Our abseilers successfully completed the project much to everyone's delight. The project was carried out safely and quickly.”

When using rope access, all you pay for is the manpower and materials. Access platforms, temporary cradles and scaffolding are simply not cost effective in comparison. “Call us to find out how we can assist with your high rise and awkward access cleaning and repair requirements,” concludes Oliver.

Regency Cleaning is a London-based specialist cleaning company providing services to construction and property management companies across London and the South East. Their services include window cleaning using a variety of techniques, façade cleaning to the frontage of buildings that have stubborn dirt or discolouration, gutter cleaning using the latest in gutter vac cleaning equipment, pressure washing to maintain hard surface areas, cladding cleaning of buildings of all shapes and sizes, steam cleaning to remove dirt or graffiti and render natural stone without chemicals, and glass polishing to remove scratches from windows, doors, tables and windscreens. Rope access or cherry pickers are used to access difficult to reach or extremely high areas. Their abseilers are trained to IRATA standards to ensure adherence to safe working practices. Regency Cleaning is CHAS, IRATA and IOSH accredited. For more information, please visit: https://www.regencycleaning.com/rope-access/