Using swing stage access and our specialist abseiling team, Higgins Coatings repaired concrete cancer and repainted the exterior of the tallest building in Wollongong.

Planning and extensive communications with the strata management and owners’ committee enabled fulfilment of the contract complete with warranty, on time and on budget, with minimal disruption to the residents.

Needless to say, the owners and strata manager were thrilled with the outcome!

The challenge

Wollongong residents will likely be very familiar with The Creston Apartments — not only is it the tallest building in Wollongong, it also sits upon the highest point of Corrimal Street, making it a highly prominent feature of the landscape.

It had been about 10 years since the building was last painted, and, with such exposure to the elements, it was certainly showing its age. Higgins was thrilled to win the contract to restore this prestigious landmark back to its former glory.

Upon inspection, we found The Creston was suffering from concrete cancer, so it was necessary to undertake extensive concrete repair before we could begin painting. It was also vital that we work closely with the material supplier to maintain the warranty of the paint.

Solution

We created a regime of inspections with the material supplier, so they could regularly sign-off on the work and maintain the warranty. We also held weekly meetings with the owners’ committee and strata management, in which detailed minutes were taken and later distributed, to ensure the project ran smoothly from start to finish. The Higgins team thoroughly documented the progress of the concrete repair with photographs for the committee’s approval.

The building was painted largely using swing stage access, with the more difficult parts painted by our specialist abseiling team. We presented the strata management and owners’ committee with a full program outlining where and when the swing stages would be dropped, so that residents could be given ample notice.

“We have found the painters’ conduct on site to be exemplary and all comments from the owners and tenants have been very positive. The overall result has been more than acceptable to the owners and, in comparison with our previous experiences, Higgins has been a very professional organisation to deal with.”

Ray Braiding, Chairman of the Creston Executive Management Committee

Results 

As a result of our planning and extensive communications with the strata management and owners’ committee, the contract was fulfilled:

• Complete with warranty
• On time
• On budget
• With minimal disruption to the residents.