Refurbishing a facade without surveying it is like prescribing treatment before the examination. A wall that has leaked for years may have a single cause or a dozen. Fixings that look sound may have corroded behind the cladding. A finish that looks tired may be a surface problem, not a structural one. The survey is where the real scope is found, and it is usually the cheapest part of the project.
Start with what the records say
Before anyone goes on site, collect the drawings, specifications, test reports, maintenance records and any earlier repair work. Original shop drawings are particularly useful, because they show how the facade was actually built and fixed. Many buildings have no usable records, and that is itself a finding that changes the scope of inspection.
Ask the building manager about known leaks, complaints, recurring maintenance calls and previous repairs. People who work in a building often know which elevation leaks in which wind, and that is a better guide to the survey than a general plan. Record what is said, with dates, and compare it later with what is found.
Identify the system you have
A facade may be a stick or unitised curtain wall, a bolted glass wall, a window wall, a rain-screen with cladding, or a mixture added over the years. Each has different failure modes and different repair options. Before judging a defect, be clear on what type of wall it is and how it was meant to drain, vent and move.
The difference matters. A leak at the base of a curtain wall may be a drainage issue in the transom, while the same stain on a rain-screen could be a blocked cavity. If a surveyor misreads the system, the repair is aimed at the wrong place.
Also check what has been added since the building was completed. Signs, antennas, lighting, shading devices, plant supports and extra penetrations are often fixed to the facade by trades who never saw the original drawings. Each one is a possible leak path and a possible extra load on a fixing that was never designed for it. Record them, and note who installed them if that is known.
Walk the facade and record condition
A visual survey from the ground, from roofs and from balconies is the first step. Binoculars or a camera with a long lens help. Look for staining, cracked or displaced panels, open joints, corrosion, damaged coatings, stained glass edges, bowed panels and signs of water entry inside. Mark them on an elevation drawing so a defect can be found again.
A visual survey from a distance is not enough for the details that matter most. Close-up inspection from a cradle, rope access or a platform lets the surveyor open joints, look behind covers and touch the surface. Select representative bays and the worst-looking ones, and agree a sampling plan that covers each elevation and each type of detail.
Glass and finishes deserve their own notes. Record cracked, chipped or stressed panes, failed edge seals that show as fogging or deposits inside a unit, and any coating that has faded, peeled or chalked. Compare different elevations: a finish that has weathered unevenly can point to exposure, to a batch problem or to a cleaning regime that was too harsh. The cause changes the repair.
Look at the joints and seals
Sealant joints are the most common failure on an older facade. They harden, shrink, lose adhesion or are simply the wrong type for the movement they face. Record the width and depth of the joint, how it has failed, and what it is bonded to. Note whether the sealant has been replaced before, because new sealant over old often fails sooner.
Gaskets can also harden and shrink, pulling away at corners. Record the type, the condition and whether the profile can still be obtained. If the original profile is no longer made, replacement may require a different section or a different approach. The long-term behaviour of seals is covered in sealants and gaskets in facades.
Drainage is easy to overlook. Look at weep slots, sill channels and cavity bases for blockage, dirt and paint, and note whether water has a way out at all. A blocked drain can imitate a failed seal, and a repair that ignores it will not last. Photograph the outlets before cleaning, so the condition found is on record.
Check fixings and anchors
Fixings are the part of a facade people most want to know about and can see least of. An anchor that has corroded or moved may be hidden behind a cover or inside a cavity. Where it is safe and permitted, open selected locations and inspect. Record the material, the condition, any evidence of corrosion or loosening, and whether it matches the drawings.
Where a fixing supports glass or a heavy panel, the consequence of failure is serious, and a conservative approach is warranted. If a survey finds an anchor that is doubtful, stop and escalate. Whether it needs replacement, additional support or investigation by a structural engineer is a matter for the facade consultant. The survey should flag it, not guess.
Testing: what it can add
Where the cause of a leak is not clear, a water test on a selected area can help identify the entry point. Air leakage and adhesion tests may also be useful. Which tests are appropriate depends on the system and the question. They should be chosen by the facade consultant and set out in the survey scope, with a record of the method used. An overview of common tests is on the testing page.
Access: the survey's own constraint
Access determines how much can be seen, and therefore how reliable the survey is. A survey carried out from the ground on a tall building is a limited survey, and the report should say so. Rope access, cradles, mobile platforms and scaffolding each have different reach, cost and disruption.
Plan access for the survey and for the later work together if possible. Setting up a cradle once for both saves cost. Check permits, roof loads, any restrictions from neighbours and building users, and safe working practices.
Think about the occupants as well. A survey on an occupied building needs notice to tenants, agreed working hours and protection of rooms where covers will be opened. Findings that involve interior damage, such as stained ceilings or swollen finishes, should be recorded from the inside as well, so that the external defect can be tied to the internal evidence.
Turn findings into a scope
A useful report separates defects by cause and by urgency. Safety issues such as loose panels or doubtful fixings come first. Water ingress and failed seals are next. Cosmetic items follow. For each, the report should give the evidence, the likely cause, the options and what remains uncertain.
Resist the temptation to price from a general description. A scope that lists each elevation, each defect type and a quantity range is much more reliable. Where a quantity depends on what is found when covers are opened, say so and agree how it will be measured. How to prepare a request for a manufacturer is covered in what to send a facade manufacturer.
Finally, decide what the refurbishment is trying to achieve. Stopping leaks, improving thermal or acoustic behaviour, changing appearance and extending life are different aims with different scopes. A survey can show what is feasible for each, and whether the existing frame can carry a new glass type or finish. That conversation belongs at the start, with the owner, the designer and the facade consultant in the same room.
Keep the survey record usable. Number each bay, tie every photograph to a location and keep findings in a form that a contractor can price from. A report that is clear at handover is also a baseline for the next inspection, so changes in condition can be tracked over the years.
What a good survey brief asks for
- A review of existing drawings, records and repair history.
- Identification of the facade system, its drainage and its movement provision.
- Close-up inspection of a defined sample of each elevation and detail type.
- Opening up of selected joints, covers and fixings, with a record of what is found.
- Photographs referenced to an elevation drawing.
- A statement of what could not be seen, and why.
- Findings ranked by safety, water ingress and appearance, with options.
General guidance for orientation, not a specification. Applicable standards, values and details are confirmed per project with the facade consultant.
