Worktop repairs a scorching success for facilities management company

The UK's foremost provider of student accommodation was so impressed with the worktop repair service provided by Plastic Surgeon that the manager responsible for the halls of residence serving Plymouth University, wrote to his opposite number, praising the work carried out by the national repair specialist.

Interestingly, while Plastic Surgeon's cosmetic repair service encompasses the whole spectrum of building components from masonry, through doors and windows to bathrooms suites, the challenge in Plymouth was confined entirely to the kitchen worksurfaces. And more specifically still, to removing burn rings where hot frying pans had been taken off the heat and placed directly on the surfaces, leaving deep scorch marks.

Despite the stereotypical image of students being content to live in the sort of chaos depicted in the 'Young Ones', Unite's policy is to maintain high standards regarding both the fabric of the buildings and the fittings: requiring substantial renovation and redecoration during each summer recess.

Following an earlier trial to prove that the firm's Finishers could successfully remove the ubiquitous scorch marks from the worktops, Plastic Surgeon was awarded a contract for 25 days work to be carried out over a two week period. As a result of the tight timetable the company committed five senior Finishers, including the South-West regional manager to the effort, with some of the repairs being carried out overnight and at the weekend as they strove to complete the challenge without neglecting other clients.

Amongst the four city centre tower blocks, up to seven storeys in height, where the Finishers were deployed, was Discovery Heights which also house's Unite's management suite.

Gary Danson, the Operations Manger South West, comments: "A lot of the burns went quite deep into the laminate worksurfaces - where very hot frying pans or saucepans had been placed on them - which required us to literally dig out the damaged material. In order to simplify the repair we pre-tinted the two part fillers before building up the area.

"The filler is then smoothed back level with the surrounding surface using a graduation of abrasives before the Finisher then touches in the detail using specially mixed paints applied with a fine brush."

In the letter commending the professionalism of the service Plastic Surgeon provided in Plymouth, the Unite manager commented on the fact that the Finishers sought 'critical review' of the repairs in order to ensure the client's aesthetic objectives were being met within the tight timescale.

Gary Danson concluded saying: "Had Unite been forced to change all the damaged worktops - and there were up to three in each kitchen - it would have caused a lot of disruption and eaten up a big chunk of the budget for refurbishing each room. Our repairs offered a far more affordable and eco-friendly course of action. With a two week window to complete 25 days work, this contract went very well."

The ability to repair building components in-situ is one of the core strengths to Plastic Surgeon's service, with clients not only saving an average of 3 for every pound they spend on repairs, but also dramatically reducing the volume of waste they send to landfill. In fact Plastic Surgeon's bespoke VisibilITy software package can offer customers quantified tonnages of waste saved along with their monthly billing.

As a result of the company's summer recess success in Plymouth, Unite also called in Plastic Surgeon to carry out an emergency repair on a damaged shower tray at another student accommodation building in nearby Exeter.