Linea Apartments, Atchison Street, St Leonards

Full external remedial and strata repainting works at Linea Apartments on Atchison Street, St Leonards. The 100-unit mixed-use high-rise was completed for the Building Management Committee, representing residential and commercial strata schemes, with RHM Consultants as superintendent. The project incorporated a carefully considered colour scheme developed by Lick Light + Colour.

Constructed in the early 2000s, the building features painted precast concrete panels. The scope included resealing all vertical and horizontal panel joints, render repairs to balcony slab edges, render bands and soffits, and concrete spalling repairs to columns and rooftop elements.

We also treated corroded steel on door frames, soffit framing, handrails, awning stays and carpark gates, investigated water penetration at the lift foyer glazing through spray testing and replaced missing fibre cement balcony screens.

The project also involved a full external repaint of the façades, balconies, soffits, parapets, awnings, doors and frames.

With so many different areas requiring attention, it was important to address the underlying defects prior to repainting to ensure longevity and protection against the weather. The building also needed a fresh, modern appearance that fit well within the St Leonards streetscape, all while keeping disruption to residents, commercial tenants and neighbours to a minimum.

We used rope access and boom lifts to carry out the work. As the balconies could not be reached through individual units, all façade and balcony works had to be completed externally.

The eastern side of the building also overhangs a neighbouring property’s swimming pool. Our team encapsulated this area during working hours to prevent debris and overspray from entering the water, then removed the protection each afternoon so residents could use the pool in the evenings.

Working on the façade of a fully occupied high-rise building presents its own challenges. We had to sequence the work around residents and commercial tenants, while also taking precautions around neighbouring properties, including the swimming pool.

The extent of the repairs couldn’t be confirmed until we gained access to the affected areas. Every render and concrete surface was hammer tested, with defects marked and opened up for inspection by RHM before repairs could begin.

There was also the issue of water ingress at the lift foyers. The source wasn’t immediately apparent, so spray testing was necessary to establish where the water was entering.

The preparation and repair methods differed depending on the material involved:

• Concrete – Damaged areas were broken out to sound concrete, and exposed reinforcement was cleaned to near-white metal using a needle gun. The Sika MonoTop system was then applied in stages, with a bonding bridge, repair mortar and levelling mortar. RHM conducted hold-point inspections at each stage.
• Render – Unsound sections were cut out with saw-cut edges, without feathering, and reinstated using polymer-modified render. Existing movement joints were maintained through the repaired areas.
• Joints – Old sealant was removed and replaced with Sika Sikaflex Hyflex-250 Facade, using backing rod and primer in accordance with Sika’s specification.
• Steel – Corrosion was removed through power-tool cleaning to St 2 (AS 1627.9), followed by priming before the finish coats.