explore the BusinessNet
'Mission Impossible' on campus
Story
As a specialist in Fine Finishing and the repair of all types of construction components, Plastic Surgeon gets called in by its clients to deal with many different types of accidental damage. One recent assignment in Glasgow, however, resulted from a deliberate act of vandalism, where an intruder had attacked four doors in a medial research building that was nearing completion; badly gouging the Perspex vision panels with a sharp blade.
The contract focused on Strathclyde University’s new Biomedical Building where O’Neill Interiors had installed a series of high performance composite doors giving access to the various laboratories. While Perspex has many positive attributes as an alternative glazing material, the door manufacturer – Leaderflush – was convinced there was no way of repairing the damage. The main contractor, BAM Construction, though has utilized the services of Plastic Surgeon on a regular basis to deal with troublesome snagging issues, and suggested O’Neill’s Contracts Manager gave the company a call.
Not only has Plastic Surgeon recently developed a new technique for dealing with scratches in Perspex, but was able to get one of its Fine Finishers to site within a day of the company’s Regional Manager responding to the initial enquiry.
All four doors were invisibly repaired, employing a bespoke polishing process, with a minimum of interruption to the fit out programme as O’Neill Interiors’ Iain
McCallum explains: “These were four internal, laboratory doors which someone had decided to score very badly with a knife or possibly a screwdriver. The manufacturer, Leaderflush, did not think there was any way or repairing the damage, but we decided to let Plastic Surgeon see what they could do, based on the company’s assertion that clients will not be charged if they are not satisfied with the outcome.
“It took the Fine Finisher less than two days to complete the work and everyone, including BAM Construction and the University is completely happy with the way the doors now look. It has saved in the region of £4,000 for their replacement, plus the delay there would have been in re-ordering which could have run to weeks.”
Although the contract for the new Biomedical Building was unusual in its instigation, it illustrates the typical experience of the Plastic Surgeon’s building sector clients who see the service as an economic and environmentally friendly alternative to replacing damaged items. The Fine Finisher’s intervention is generally far quicker than obtaining and installing a new door, window or other component, while there is also no need to pay for the disposal of the original. The carbon footprint relating to the replacement’s delivery and the involvement of tradesmen to fit it is also negated.
