Do you think proper building maintenance important? Do you believe it is important to clean, maintain, repair defects to your property? Is your building/ property experiencing peeling paint, cracked render, roof leaks, dirt and mould, warped substrate, jammed gutters and drains?
Your building property or infrastructure is not just a structure, it is an important financial investment that has the potential to serve you comfort and a sound financial investment. A building provides you, your family and your people a place of shelter, proper environment to play, work and live.
Maintaining the internal and external integrity and aesthetic is necessary in order to preserve the assets and protect the building and building occupants. Proper building maintenance makes sure that the building and the environment remain healthy, clean and safe to work or reside. This also increases the value of your building
Why is Proper Building Maintenance Important?
Ever heard of the saying, precaution is better than cure, prevent the damage or regret later?
- The external exposure to your building due to the natural environment like rain, beating hot sun and wind, salt sprays. These natural elements cause the building to weather over a certain period. Maintaining the building prevents the deterioration and makes it more durable over the time of the building.
- Proper maintenance of buildings includes regular inspection of your property which helps to identify deteriorated elements so they can be addressed in a timely manner.
What Sets the Baxta Maintenance Different from Other Manufactures Maintenance Manuals?
The Baxta Maintenance Manual is a document with a focus on protecting you and your asset, not a document to protect the manufacturer.
Baxta and its products are the result of a collective goal to define a higher standard in the professional coatings industry. Developed closely with leading architecture firms, interior designers, experienced applicators, major coatings contractors, industry leading project professionals, in conjunction with innovative manufacturers and mother nature to bring to market a brand and products that are engineered from the ground up to provide higher performance coatings & specified coating systems for major projects and professional contractors.
Baxta continues to innovate the coatings industry by delivering exceptional product performance, coating systems and quality assurance support to major project architects, engineers, builders, quantity surveyors, project managers, professional contractors and applicators, industry members and their projects.
Contact us on the details below.
Baxta Industries Pty Ltd 1300 852 240
ACN: 169581382
sales@baxta.com.au
1. INTERIOR FINISHES
1.1 Blog Use
The intent for this blog is to provide the basis for periodic inspection, cleaning and repair of the coated areas relating to interior finishes on walls, ceilings and floors. This guide may be useful when specifying maintenance and remedial coating works through describing methods of inspection, cleaning and removal of surface contaminants.
1.2 Periodical Inspection
Yearly visual inspection is recommended for all coated areas. High traffic areas such as floors and walls as well as areas subject to contact should undergo a more regular inspection based on the volume of traffic. A rating system is useful in determining the severity of wear and tear.
- Clean
- Dusty / Loose Surface Dirt
- Soiled / Stained / Ingrained Dirt
- Minor Damage such as Cracking, Flaking or Erosion
- Major Damage such as Film Failure Over Large Areas
1.3 Interior Surface Cleaning
Dusty areas or areas covered, and loose surface should be swept, dusted or vacuumed to maintain optimum appearance. Daily treatment is recommended for floors and eye level surfaces. This can be achieved using a soft cloth or soft bristle brush where possible. Test your preferred cleaning methods to ensure they do not damage the finish.
Areas nominated as soiled, stained or ingrained with dirt should be washed with mild detergent using a soft cloth or soft bristle brush. Rinse with clean water once and allow to fully dry. Repeat the process to remove residual marks. When attempting to remove stains, avoid excess rubbing as this may cause glossy patches. Those stains that resist mild detergent should be treated with domestic solvent cleaners such as ‘Spray and Wipe’. Spray directly on the stained coating and allow penetration for the recommended time. Rub clean with a soft cloth. Avoid burnishing caused by excessive rubbing. Stains are easier to remove as soon after soiling as possible to minimise penetration and setting in the coating. The longer that stain is left on the coating the harder it is to remove and damage to surface may be more prevalent. High visibility stains should be treated immediately.
These cleaning methods will not remove stubborn stains such as spray paint or marker pen graffiti. Stains such as these should be sealed with the appropriate impervious sealer and over coated as per the original finish.
1.4 Repairs
Areas with damage should be assessed for the cause of film fracture to identify underlying weakness or design faults. Early identification and elimination of design faults will prevent further damage and minimise the cost of repairs.
1.5 Repair Process
- Having eliminated any design fault, proceed with spot repairs to areas showing minor damage. Ensure the surface around the damaged area is sound and clean. Where appropriate feather the edge of the existing coating.
- Spot prime with the primer or sealer used in the original system overlapping onto the existing coating.
- Apply topcoats as specified in the original paint system. For best results, use retained samples of the original topcoats supplied by Baxta Industries. Apply this coat using the same application method and equipment to reproduce the original surface texture. Where original samples are no longer available confirm the colour match on a sample board before proceeding with repair.
- Areas showing major damage should be cleaned, prepared and repainted using the original painting system over the entire area to the nearest architectural breaks such as corners, floors, ceiling, windows or doors.
- Confirm the colour match on a sample board against neighbouring areas bearing in mind the tolerances are slightly larger in areas which are not viewed in the same plane.
2. EXTERIOR FINISHES
2.1 Periodical Inspection
Yearly inspections allow for the opportunity to address potential problems with usually a simple touch up. Areas requiring specific attention include:
- Parapets
- Windowsills
- Areas of Effloresce
- Vertical/Horizontal abutments
- Rust Stains
- Foundation Lines
- External Corners
- Substrate Cracks
- External Soffits
- Hydrostatic Pressure
2.2 Surface Cleaning
All exterior coatings will respond to periodical cleaning with mild household detergent (biodegradable) and rinsing with clean water or low-pressure wash. Stubborn areas may require multiple applications or the use of a lightly abrasive cleaner. Care must be exercised when aggressive cleaning mediums are used. Surface cleaning is recommended on a yearly basis.
2.3 Minor Damage Repairs
Make sure the surface around the damaged area is sound and clean, spot prime with the appropriate coating system primer (refer to application data manual) followed by topcoat application. Endeavour to identify original colour and batch number for best results. Some material should be made available or a reference colour sample for subsequent repair work to maintain colour uniformity.
2.4 Major Damage Repairs
Make sure the surface around the damaged area is sound and clean. Where areas larger than one square meter are involved, it is best to recoat the entire section up to natural breaks in the surface e.g. corner or joints. For these larger areas it is best to enlist the services of an experienced paint contractor.
Contact Baxta Industries to direct you to a professional painter.
2.5 Recoating
Yearly long-term aesthetic integrity and protection of the substrate can be enhanced by the repair methodology discussed above. Eventually a complete over coating will be required to rejuvenate the appearance and protective properties of the coating. This can be achieved with the application of a PREMIUM QUALITY EXTERIOR COATING in one or two coats relative to the coating environment. Surfaces must be clean and generally no priming is required. Consultation with your local Baxta Industries representative will establish the most appropriate specification.
Specific Maintenance
The accompanying manual entitled Maintenance of Painted Surfaces provides detailed information for more specific needs.
Further Assistance
Baxta Industries
Toll Free: 1300 85 22 40
