At Thompson Exterior Services, when it comes to high rise structures, we work at the intersection of building facade maintenance and construction. Meaning some of the services we provide fall into the realm of building facade maintenance, while other services we provide fall into the realm of construction. Though I have written extensively about facade maintenance and what it entails, I have not written about how it differs from construction. There are some general differences between these two types of work but some of the differences can get hazy sometimes.
Construction Usually Implies Addition
Construction usually implies addition. Like creating a whole new building or adding an extension to an existing building. Facade maintenance, on the other hand, usually involves working on something that has already been built. For example, construction may include building a high rise building and facade maintenance may include cleaning all those windows or power washing the high rise building created through construction. Facade maintenance is all about maintaining the current state of a structure that was built through the construction process.
While building facade maintenance usually implies the outside of a building, i.e. its facade, construction involves all aspects of a building, both the interior and exterior. Other than window washing as mentioned in the previous paragraph, facade maintenance also includes tasks such as glass replacement and waterproofing which are tied to protecting the outer parts of a building from the elements. When a building is constructed, the construction company must make both the outer walls and all the interior structure found within the building’s walls.
The Hazy Line Between Construction and Facade Maintenance
The line between construction and facade maintenance can become more hazy. Take the example of concrete. One may assume that concrete would only be used for construction, since it is a building material but there is also concrete repair. Is concrete repair considered construction or facade maintenance or somewhere in between? Another task which could possibly be considered part of both facade maintenance and construction is waterproofing. Waterproofing helps to protect the facade of a building but at the same time it is a part of creating a building. You cannot leave waterproofing for later or the building will be ruined.
The hazy lines between facade maintenance and construction can lead to subcontracting situations. This is when the main construction company hires another company to do some of the smaller tasks. This is where we sometimes come into play. A general contractor will often hire us to do tasks such as water proofing and glazing while they work on creating the main structure of a building. Whether you are a property manager looking to get work done on your building’s facade or a construction company looking to subcontract some jobs, give us a call at 732.997.8138 or email us at he***@th**************.com.
