Constructive Coexistence

While home and building refurbishment projects offer the promise of a fresh and improved living space, they also bring along several inconveniences that should not be overlooked. The disruption to daily routines, extended timelines, cost overruns, displacement of belongings, and emotional stress can create significant challenges for homeowners and residents.

Recent remediation works to the cladding of the St Francis Tower, in Ipswich have yet again brought media attention to the construction sector and have added one more dimension to the cladding crisis – The disruption in the quality of life that local residents endure during remedial works.

Earlier this month, St Francis Tower residents put forward a number of complaints regarding the remediation of the cladding works and how their wellbeing was disregarded. Among the claims, several residents criticised the lack of information they were given about the impact of the works and some stated that during the works the building had been shrink wrapped with a material that wasn’t breathable and that didn’t let any fresh air or natural light in.

The criticism resulted in Ipswich’s constituency conservative MP Tom Hunt to tabling in the House of Commons a call for a code of practice for removing unsafe cladding.

The proposal, aimed to limit the disruption that local residents face, to make living in the building tolerable, is set to establish a legally binding code for companies carrying out cladding remediation works with penalties for those who do not adhere.

The Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities is currently working with industry and residents to bring forward a Bill that will set out how residents should be considered when works need to take place and some of the areas that are intended to be regulated are clear timescales and the implementation of good communication with the residents.

The document is planned to be published this summer and ministers expect all those responsible for delivering remediation to comply with the code.

It is essential to approach refurbishment works with a realistic understanding of the potential inconveniences and to plan accordingly to mitigate their impact. By being prepared and having a code of practice in place for the professionals to follow, individuals can navigate through these challenges and eventually enjoy the fruits of their efforts.

At Telling Rainscreens we understand the challenges that remedial works put local residents through and we believe that their livelihoods and wellbeing should be taken into account at all times along the process and be one of the priorities when designing a building strategy and a program of works. This is why we like to build a good channel of communication with architects, installers and Main Contractors to understand deadlines and ensure the most suitable lead times are offered and met and we have designed a cladding system that it is easy to install and the least intrusive possible. It offers a fast, clean and relatively quiet installation that can be installed in all weather conditions and is also compatible with off-site prefabricated construction methods so the local residents can go about their lives.