Dilapidation Works | End of Lease Warehouse Dilapidation Works

It is a normal clause in any tenancy agreement that, a the end of a lease, the property be returned to the same state as when the tenancy began.

It is the responsibility of the tenant and if is not returned as new the issue will usually end up in court.

The Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors estimate that the average cost of settling such a claim is around 70€ per square metre. A substantial sum indeed so getting it done properly can save the tenant hundreds of thousands of euros.

Dilapidation works usually includes; repainting the walls, fixing broken lights, renewing the plumbing, removing partitioning walls, electrical repairs etc, etc.

In the case of a warehouse these fixes will be minor but what about the floor?

A concrete floor in a warehouse will have had thousands of booted feet walk over them every day, they will have suffered the damage inflicted by machines driving upon them, they will have had metal construction attached to the floor with large metal bolts and objects will have fallen of shelves damaging the surface. 

It could be that the floor is looking in a pretty bad way following a lengthy lease.

In this short article we look at how we, at BECOSAN®, go about making a warehouse concrete floor at least as smooth, clean and shiny as the day the lease started.

Dilapidation works: Step 1 – Bolt and Anchor Removal

Industrial and commercial facilities often require require storage shelves, heavy production machinery and movable elements to be securely fixed to the floor.

When this machinary is removed it will result in many bolts and anchors left in the floor. These are unsightly and are a potential safety issue as a person could be injured or a tyre punctured if left as they are.

Therefore, it is essential to undertake the correct repair of these defects before starting any renovation works or the transfer of the property to a new owner or tenant.

Often a bolt can be removed simply by unscrewing it.

Protruding anchors may be removed using and angle grinder of a ©Boltbreaker. Any protruding metal may be pounded into the concrete using a heavy hammer.

A steel anchor is stubborn and its removal will usually cause damage to the concrete floor. At the very least, it will leave a hole.

The sealing of the hole consists of milling, cleaning and sealing with adherent filling materials; usually polyurethane based mortars are used to guarantee a degree of flexibility in the repair.

Service: Removal of anchors and bolts in concrete.

Dilapidation works: Step 2 – Crack Repair

Cracks in a concrete floor can be caused by accidental impacts, deterioration of the concrete, intense use of the area or even the movement of the floor itself.

Warehouse floor crack repair is a challenging task that requires experience and skill. Cracks should not be left unattended because cracks will extend and will intersect with other cracks.

When these cracks overlap they will cause flaking which will result in a hole in the floor leaving the aggregate in the concrete exposed.

The sealing of cracks consists of milling, cleaning and sealing with adherent filling materials; usually polyurethane based mortars are used to guarantee a degree of flexibility in the repair.

Dilapidation works: Step 3 – Filling expansion joints

Expansion joints are there to prevent cracking but after many years of use the filler will crumble leaving and unsightly hole which can easily fill with dust and debris.

These joints need to have old filler removed, any dust or debris vaccumed away and new filler applied.

Obviously, because the joint moves it must be filled with a flexible, elastomeric, material. There are many different options but here at BECOSAN® we use a Polyurea based filler like the ASTC 3246 Polyurea Flexible Joint Filler.

The filler comes as two liquids which are mixed together under pressure as it is being injected into the joint. The filler is highly liquid and is self leveling. As it dries it expands and needs to be trimmed to the level of the concrete once it has dried.

Here you can find our concrete expansion joint replacement service.

Dilapidation works: Step 4 – Better than new with the Becosan System.

When all the fixings have been removed, cracks repaired and holes filled we can apply the BECOSAN® System to make the floor look better than it ever has.

The BECOSAN® System uses diamond pads to polish the floor to a high gloss finish so that it feels like glass to the touch.

However, it is still concrete and wear and tear will damage the surface and will produce dust if left untreated.

To counteract this we apply the BECOSAN® Concrete Densifier which binds with the lime in the concrete to make it resistant to abrasion and harder wearing.

Finally we apply the BECOSAN® Concrete sealer which makes the floor resistant to liquid spillages.

A concrete polishing service with BECOSAN® treatment will last for very many years and will give a surface comparable to any marble floor and at a fraction of the cost.

During dilapidation works, if you as a tenant bring the floor to this standard it will help avoid a costly court case avoiding both additional costs and the stress involved.