Insight to Remedial: Understanding what we do

21 September 2021
By The Remedial Management Team

OK, so it’s true – we have been around for over 50 years! But, in this time we believe Remedial has become the pre-prominent NSW-based provider of specialist building rectification services encompassing structural repair, Home Owners Warranty claim repairs, fire compliance orders, Fire rating, and commercial flooring services. Without wanting to age ourselves, our senior management has amassed close to 200 years of collective experience, which gives us the confidence to know that when we make recommendations, they are based on experience, not textbooks or guesswork.

As we move towards the end of the year, as we refocus our efforts as we move out of COVID-19 lockdown and as a result of having launched our website recently, we thought we’d summarise the core services we offer, and give you a concise summary of exactly who we are and why you should consider us for your building rectification and maintenance programs.

Building maintenance and repairs

It may be a case that your building is constantly exposed to extreme elements (seaside towers), or has been poorly constructed or is just aging (sorry to say, but that often means unit blocks and commercial buildings built in the 1990s and before these days), or has been damaged by something. Whatever it is, and irrespective of whether it is an apartment complex, a residential block, a warehouse, an industrial facility, or a commercial tower, building repairs and structural work are likely to be something you need to consider.

We have been providing coordinated and integrated building maintenance and rectification services since our inception, working with engineers, strata managers and owners’ corporations. We don’t just come in and fix what you can see, however, we undertake to identify the actual issue and treat the root cause. Sure, a fresh coat of paint or rendering over something can provide a momentary makeover, but all this does is mask the issue, allowing it to get worse – the same way that failing to remove an infection from a wound will cause ongoing health complications. In fact, let us assure you, covering over issues instead of addressing them early, can lead to bigger, more complex issues which end up costing you more to fix. Leave the aesthetic fixes – such as new cladding, rendering, painting or new balustrades – to the end of the process, and in doing so, increase the value of your property.

Our scope of building support, maintenance, rectification and upgrade services include:

• Concrete repair
• Window replacement
• Balustrade replacement
• Carbon fibre strengthening
• Heritage building upgrade and maintenance works
• Brick replacement and retro-fitted brick tie installation
• Lintel replacement
• Installation of brick ties
• Flashing replacement
• Waterproofing
• Building Upgrades

Our project experience has seen us refurbish the external facades of some of Sydney and New South Wales’s more prominent buildings, such as the UTS building on Broadway, apartment buildings all over Sydney, and the Myer Building in Brisbane.

Cladding repair

Building cladding has a transformative capacity to turn what may be just another plain building or old building into something considerably more contemporary and aesthetically satisfying. As a result, in recent years it has become almost the default design element of architects, contractors ad those involved in new constructions and refurbishment of existing buildings. But, as has been well documented – and as evidenced by the New South Wales Governments’ new Project Remediate initiative – defective cladding has caused this design practice to be called into question. In reality, too many buildings have cladding that fails to conform to the new norms and standards of the ABCB, thus violating the law and are putting the lives of the building inhabitants at risk.

We work with Building managers and Strata Committees to ensure that non-compliant flammable cladding is removed and replaced with conforming, aesthetically pleasing alternatives. We are currently working on the Woolworths Head office in Bella Vista removing defective cladding and ensuring it is compliant.

Concrete and Structural Repair

Not only does concrete cancer or spalling look horrible on the outside of a building, but as you can imagine, falling chunks of concrete are quite dangerous as well. Aside from the risk to human life, concrete that falls away leaves areas for moisture to get in leading to ongoing spalling and corrosion of the steel within. Things you should look out for include:

• Crazing and cracking concrete.
• Rust stains which appear to leak out from within the concrete.
• Bubbling (also called Plating) of concrete render.
• Drummy concrete. Concrete which seems solid, but when tapped, shows evidence of air trapped behind it, indicating delamination. It sounds hollow – hence the term “Drummy”.
• Leaks which show in overhead concrete surfaces.

One thing to point out to you, over time, or through a combination of the above, your building will likely develop structural issues. These could manifest as a sagging balcony slab, movement of the foundations or rusted steel reinforcement causing spalling.

It may be that the problem started with the foundation, or it may appear as superficial cracks in the wall, but whatever it is, left untreated it will cause ongoing issues which have potentially huge ramifications. Talk to us when you notice them, or as part of routine building maintenance so that you do not have any nasty surprises.

Why engage concrete repair experts?

In simple terms, concrete cancer repair requires a methodological approach to:

• Identify the visible signs.
• Understand the underlying causes.
• Develop a repair methodology that treats the issues and which ensures compatibility with any existing systems or materials.
• Implementation of the repairs.
• Ongoing supervision.
• Guarantees as to the quality of work.

Using a handyman, or a painter comes with a range of risks. They may not have the expertise or desire to fix underlying issues, they are not always covered by Home Building Compensation Fund (HBCF) and thus any work they do which fails lies with you – not them.

Flooring Solutions

Since we first started the business, we have also been providing leading industrial and commercial flooring solutions. We make the distinction of the types of floors because:

• For the most part will not provide flooring for residential buildings (such as houses, apartment foyers etc)
• Commercial flooring requires a different approach and set of solutions perfect for businesses such as showrooms, restaurant kitchens, or cool rooms. Tiling and vinyl solutions are often used, but as often as not we see these fail due to them not being fit-for-purpose.
• Industrial flooring needs to be more robust and able to withstand mechanical and chemical impact and thus also needs specialized solutions.

We know that the availability and options of the numerous flooring options out there can be confounding. We’ve built a team of experts who have worked in the industry for several years, and who have the ability to make recommendations which balance your requirements of resilience, versatility and aesthetic considerations in industrial and commercial flooring.

Fire Upgrades

By law, owners of a building needed to do their utmost to ensure all inhabitants are safe. Subsequently,  ensuring your Annual Fire Safety Statement (AFSS) is up to date is fundamental and a requirement. Notwithstanding the fact the BCA/NCC an organic document – meaning it is continually upgraded – but most, if not all buildings will eventually be presented with a council fire upgrade notice identifying the current standards which your building fails to comply with.

Our team of qualified experts will work with you to guarantee that your building is compliant and where it is not, work with you to ensure that any council served upgrade orders are resolved to the highest possible standard, at an optimal cost. Our range of upgrade services incorporates fire penetrations, fire doors, thin film intumescent, and safety audits.

Heritage Building Upgrade and Maintenance Works

At Remedial, we have partnered with engineers, government departments and Trusts to provide Heritage façade works on some of NSW’s and Australia’s most iconic buildings. To preserve their unique design and historical importance, we employ a specialised approach that redresses latent issues without jeopardising the architectural/cultural aspects of these heritage buildings.

Over the years we have provided heritage building solutions for the:

• AWA Tower Sydney.
• All Hallows School (Brisbane).
• Sydney Youth Hostel Australia at Central Station (Sydney).
• Central Railways Station (Sydney).
• Sydney Eye Hospital.
• Sydney Harbour Foreshore Authority – Various Projects.
• NSW Attorney Generals Department (Sydney).
• Sydney Mint.
• Myer Centre (Brisbane).

A final word…

Over the years we have accumulated one outstanding, dedicated, and highly skilled team who have experience across a number of building repair and specialist coating solutions. We now have a team of over 70 dedicated employees across the Eastern Seaboard, however, we have grown our operations in more ways than just manpower. We have many external accreditations, have a skilled team of Engineers, Fire Engineers and builders and utilize the latest technology for the purposes of supplying the most optimal solutions – each and every time.

If you would like to learn more about us, browse our site, or please, feel free to get in touch.