Project Overview
The team at Wates Living Space were working in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets on two high rise tower blocks. As a part of the work they needed a specialist window maintenance contractor to complete a window condition survey, and then refurbish, repair or replace hardware as required on the existing tilt and turn windows which had fallen into disrepair.
They approached us to see if we could support them, and we were able to mobilise within a month, completing the survey and then sourcing critical parts and allocating fully trained specialist engineers from within our team to carry out the work.
Client Information
Wates
The Wates Group, established in 1897, is one of the leading privately-owned construction, residential development, and property services businesses in the UK employing approximately 3,600 people and working with a wide range of public and private sector customers and partners.
Wates Living Space is one of the UK’s leading providers of planned and responsive maintenance services in the social housing sector, maintaining over 500,000 homes nationwide every year.
Tower Hamlets Homes
Tower Hamlets Homes is an award winning ALMO (Arm’s Length Management Organisation). They are a not-for-profit company, set up in 2008 to deliver high quality housing services for residents living in 21,000 homes in East London, including 9,000 leasehold homes and 12,000 tenanted homes.
The nature of the works
The Problem
The tilt and turn mechanisms that had been installed on the original windows had failed, but a direct like for like replacement was no longer available. This often mean windows being replaced, but that would have led to huge costs for the client and significant disruption to the residents. We used our experience and supply chain partners to identify suitable modern gearing to fit the existing windows.
Survey Stage
Working with the Wates RLO, we carried out a stock condition survey of all windows in all flats. The two towers contained 112 flats, a mixture of one, two and three bedroom living accommodation containing between 10 and 15 large Tilt and Turn Windows each. In total over 1000 windows were surveyed over a two-week period.
A full report was provided to Wates detailing the works required in each flat, with every window clearly referenced and the fault recorded, and the nature of the solution and timescales to action them documented.
Carrying out the works
Working closely with the WATES RLO again the tilt & turn window overhaul works were completed on-time and on-budget over a three-month period. The properties were occupied whilst works were carried out and engineers had to ensure the safety of all residents both in properties and below as the works involved replacing glass or tilt & turn mechanisms in the buildings which were 16 floors high. Engineers wore safety harnesses to protect them and tool lanyards to stop tools falling.
In total the works carried out consisted of the following:
Supply and Installation of 529 new locking handles
Supply and Installation of 462 new sealing gaskets
Maintenance of 70 sets of existing tilt and turn gearing
Supply and Installation of 446 replacement sets of tilt and turn gearing
Supply and Installation of 17 child restrictors
At the end of the project all windows were left safe and secure for residents and fully operational. Following a full inspection by the Council’s clerk for works they now feel that the windows will last another 10 years.
Environmental benefits
Repairing the windows rather than replacing them saved the council significant amounts of money and reduced disruption to residents to the most minimal levels.
