Most strata buildings deal with the facade when something goes wrong: a leak, a falling piece of concrete, or paint peeling badly enough that owners start complaining. Reactive work is almost always more expensive and more disruptive than planned work, and it makes the capital works budget hard to predict.
A strata facade maintenance plan changes that. It sets out what the building needs, roughly when, and how the work can be grouped so the committee is not paying for access over and over. Here is how we suggest strata managers and committees put one together.
Start with a condition baseline
You cannot plan ten years of work without knowing where the building is today. The first step is a close-up condition inspection of every elevation, covering:
- Coating condition: chalking, fading, cracking, peeling and blistering
- Render and concrete: cracks, drummy areas, spalling and rust staining
- Sealant at windows, expansion joints and penetrations
- Balcony edges, balustrades and exposed steel
- Window frames, seals and any signs of water entry
- Rope access anchor points and their certification status
On mid and high-rise buildings, rope access is a practical way to get close to every part of the facade without scaffolding. Each defect should be photographed and its location recorded by elevation, level and drop. Our building condition inspections are set up to produce exactly that kind of record.
Link the plan to the capital works fund
NSW strata schemes are required to keep a capital works fund and plan for future major works. A facade maintenance program feeds directly into that planning. When the committee can see which items are coming up and roughly when, it can set levies to suit rather than raising a special levy when a problem appears.
Your strata manager and any capital works planning consultant can use the inspection findings and the program below to update the forecast, then revise it each time the building is reinspected. A plan made today will need adjustments as conditions change.
What to schedule
Every building is different, but most facade maintenance programs include the same core items. The timing depends on the substrate, exposure and the condition found at inspection.
Anchor point inspections
Permanent anchors used for rope access and window cleaning are typically inspected and recertified annually, in line with the manufacturer’s requirements and relevant standards. Keeping anchors in date means access is ready whenever work is needed. If anchors are missing or out of date, our anchor point installation and certification service can sort that out first.
Regular cleaning
Glass and facade cleaning removes dirt, salt and organic growth that shorten the life of coatings and sealants. It also gives technicians regular close-up views of the facade, which helps catch small defects early.
Sealant review and replacement
Sealants age faster than most facade materials, especially on exposed elevations. Plan periodic reviews of window perimeters and joints, with replacement where sealant has hardened, cracked or debonded. See our caulking and sealing service for how this is done.
Repairs before repainting
Concrete repairs, crack repairs and steel treatment should be completed before any repaint. Painting over defects hides them for a short time and then the coating fails over the repair area.
The repaint cycle
How often a building needs repainting depends on the substrate, the coating system, how exposed each elevation is and how well it was prepared last time. Rather than fixing a year, base the repaint on coating condition at each inspection. Ocean-facing or sun-exposed elevations may need attention before sheltered ones. Our strata building painting page explains how we approach repaints.
Combine tasks to save on access
Access is a significant part of the cost of any facade work. Each time a crew mobilises, sets up and rigs the building, the committee pays for it. A good program groups tasks so one access setup does several jobs. For example:
- Window cleaning combined with a visual check of sealant and frames
- Sealant replacement scheduled alongside minor concrete or crack repairs
- Pressure cleaning, repairs and repainting carried out drop by drop in one program
- Anchor inspections timed just before a planned rope access project
With rope access, the same technicians can often clean, repair, seal and paint on each drop before moving along, which keeps disruption to residents down as well.
Keep records that are actually useful
A maintenance plan is only as good as the information behind it. Ask every contractor for a photo report that shows before and after, with locations marked. Store these with the strata records so the next inspection can compare like with like.
Over a few cycles, these records show which parts of the building deteriorate fastest, which repairs have held up and where the budget is best spent. They also help when committees change and new members need to understand the history.
Review the plan regularly
Treat the program as a working document. Review it at least annually with the strata manager, update it after each inspection or project, and adjust timing if conditions change faster or slower than expected. If you manage multiple buildings, our strata managers page explains how we support managing agents across a portfolio.
Frequently asked questions
Why ten years?
A ten-year horizon lines up with how NSW strata schemes plan their capital works fund, and it is long enough to cover a full repaint cycle on many buildings. Shorter-term items like cleaning and anchor inspections sit inside it.
How often should the facade be inspected?
It depends on the building age, materials and exposure. Many buildings benefit from a close-up inspection to set the baseline and then periodic reviews, with regular visual checks in between and after major storms.
Can maintenance work be done without scaffolding?
On many mid and high-rise buildings, yes. Rope access allows inspection, cleaning, sealing, repairs and painting from certified anchor points, without the cost and disruption of scaffolding.
Talk to Ace Abseiling
Ace Abseiling is a Sydney painting and remedial contractor working on industrial rope access, holding NSW Contractor Licence 465770C and $20M public liability. Our Director, Marcos Silva, holds IRATA Level 3. If your committee wants to move from reactive repairs to a planned program, contact us or call 1300 926 176.
