The Grand Hotel, Llandudno, Wales
Orb Rope Access was appointed by contractors JDF Concrete to use rope access to remove any loose render, re-render, and paint areas of Llandudno’s Grand Hotel exterior that weren’t accessible using MEWPs (Mobile Elevating Work Platforms).
The brief
- Remove any loose render on the gable end of the hotel
- Re-render where the loose render had been removed
- Paint affected areas to match the existing colour.
The building
The Grand Hotel in Llandudno is a large, imposing Victorian building located in a prominent position of Llandudno’s seafront, at the foot of the Great Orme. Open to the often blustery elements of Llandudno Bay, the building is susceptible to weather damage, so requires ongoing maintenance to maintain its waterproofing and aesthetics.
The work
In the absence of any structural steelwork on which to attach our fixed rope access systems, reaching the areas of the building we needed to work on was difficult. To overcome this challenge we used deadweight trolleys which provide safe, portable suspension anchors for rope access technicians. To reach some areas we wrapped the large chimney stack.
The unique location of the hotel gave the team an impressive view of Llandudno and the bay reaching out to the Irish Sea. The gable end of the building was just to the side of the Llandudno pier, an iconic tourist attraction in Wales. We therefore drew the attention of many spectators!
Benefits to the client
Rope access was the only way to reach the works due to the structure of the building, the access challenges and the budget. We collaborated well with JDF Concrete who were working on other areas of the building that were accessible using MEWPs.
Benefit to the end client and users of the building
By re-rendering and painting in hard-to-reach areas of the hotel exterior, we were able to improve the aesthetics of the building for the end client and patrons. The building was also made safer for passers-by who might otherwise have been at risk of falling render.
