“Mark Granger has added value to the building in my opinion. It’s now aesthetically pleasing and everyone is happy with the result.” Jackie Barlow, strata secretary
Owners of the Caringbah strata building had become aware of how unsafe their existing balustrades were when a new owner felt there was an issue and had that confirmed when they spoke to the property’s handyman.
The sides of the single-block balcony walls on each of the 21 units were not joined to the wall of the building creating a very serious safety hazard.
“If someone had really pushed hard on it, there was the potential the whole balcony wall could have collapsed,” said Jackie forms the strata owners committee. “On top of that, it wasn’t meeting the building code for the right height.”
So rather than continue doing a patch job, the strata committee obtained an engineer’s assessment, subsequently deciding to replace the balcony walls.
Even though the job had been put out to tender, the committee specifically sought a quote form Buildcore Constructions on the recommendations of a strata member who had been impressed with the company’s work as a former client.
Buildcore won the bid. What made them stand out was Mark’s level of detail in his quote, his willingness to provide an economical outcome around the client’s needs and his open communication with owners.
What was the result?
By listening to client needs and creating a clever design, Buildcore Constructions transformed the 40-year-old residential block into a modern looking property.
Gone are unsafe brick balcony walls. They were replaced with contemporary glass and aluminium balustrades. The owners and tenants couldn’t be happier.
Jackie Barlow from the strata owners committee said: “Mark Granger has added value to the building in my opinion. It’s now aesthetically pleasing and everyone is happy with the result.”
“We felt confident in what he had provided us with. He also wanted to meet all the people on the committee, gave us options and came up with products that would be the most suitable for us.”
“There were a lot of things to consider. Not much more weight could be placed on the balcony slabs, so the aluminium frame Mark suggested was ideal.”
“We didn’t have to go with glass insert but we chose to because it’s more aesthetically pleasing.”
The remedial work also included grading roof support and redesigning drainage.
“We don’t just work for our clients. We Work with them,” Mark said.
“Our quotes are designed to help you better understand the building process. They’re easy to read and fully itemised. There’s timelines too, so you can understand how long the work will take to complete.”
“During the building process we work closely with clients to minimise disruptions without compromising on quality, safety and efficiency. There’s no cutting corners.”
Jackie keenly admits working with Mark was a breeze and the owners and tenants alike appreciated his consistent communication and progress updates.
Mark explained fully the process, held weekly on-site meetings with strata representatives and managed the project with minimum disruption to the lifestyle and daily movements of tenants.
“I can’t fault Mark. He kept us appraised at every stage.”
“His project management was seamless.”
“If there was a delay, he explained what it was and gave an indication of when we could keep moving forward on the project.”
One such delay was the discovery of asbestos concrete edging on all of the balconies. Buildcore moved quickly to rework the job program and remove the asbestos safely while scaffolding was still in place.
By taking a sensible yet legal management approach, Mark value added to the job with the asbestos removal while maintaining the project timeline. Tenants were thankful for his efforts, which allowed them to continue their daily lives with minimal disruption.
“The work was always friendly, helpful and clean on site,” Jackie said.
Mark said even phone calls came into his office saying how safe and obliging the workers were. That doesn’t happen often in the building industry.