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ILECS has worked with Aspect Property Management on the Kensington Heights property for many years. The residential complex was built in around 1975 and is located not far from the Notting Hill area of London. The latest project we undertook at the property was a lift survey and refurbishment to ensure that the lifts remain reliable and compliant with safety regulations.
In earlier years, ILECS had carried out an assessment of the 6 lifts in this particular block, and had scheduled a major refurbishment for around 2020. We therefore had our own report to refer to. Aspect Property Management were particularly focused on the costs of refurbishment, how to schedule the works, and to refurbish the lift a cars as well. They therefore needed ILECS to write the specification, organise the tenders, then oversee the works. This was complicated by the COVID-19 outbreak, which meant that our consultants had to take precautions when visiting the resident-owned block to ensure the safety of all parties.
The lifts at Kensington Heights are close to 20 years old and therefore required refurbishment to bring them in line with the latest compliance and health and safety criteria, and to ensure that they continue to operate smoothly for residents. Our client also wanted to ensure that one lift per block was always in operation during the major refurbishment to allow residents to continue using the lifts with minimal disruption to their daily lives. In many circumstances, lift engineers recommend stripping out a lift rather than investing in refurbishing it, which is often far less cost effective when many elements of the lift are still in working order. This is where lift refurbishment can offer an advantage over the complete replacement of a lift.
When our consultants surveyed the lifts initially, they found that the drivers had failed and required replacement. After a thorough assessment of the remaining components, we concluded then that they were within their lifespan and did not need attention, whereas the drivers were no longer functioning as they should. Having replaced them at that time, 22 years later, the drivers installed during our first visit were still performing very well. Given that their average lifespan is around 10 years, this shows that continued attention to lift maintenance and upkeep can extend the working life of these parts while ensuring the safe operation of the lift for passengers.
Compared to a full lift replacement, the client saved money, as many components such as the gears were still in full working order. At ILECS, we will always recommend the optimal solution for safety and quality, while taking into account the course of action that will work across a lift portfolio’s lifetime.
Our long standing relationship with the client means that in another 20 years, we should be in the position to refurbish these lifts again.
"ILECS have brought lift engineering knowledge to this project that we saw as essential in order to get this reasonably complex project properly priced and executed."
Chris Remers, Director of Aspect Property Management
Find out more about lift maintenance for your building online, or telephone 01206 399555 to speak to our expert team about our services.
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