Window cleaning is one of those household chores that we all dread doing. It’s mundane, repetitive and downright boring. But thankfully, with the average household only having 8 windows, it’s a job that can be done fairly quickly. But when it comes to cleaning the windows of the tallest building in the world, it’s a job someone has to do – don’t all shout at once!
The Burj Khalifa
The breathtaking £1 billion skyscraper, Burj Khalifa, soars 2,717ft into the Dubai sky and is home to the world’s highest outdoor observation deck. People are often so taken aback by the sheer height of this incredible construction, that they tend not to notice that the actual floor space it takes up is enormous too – about the size of 10-15 standard buildings!
Made up of a huge 1,292,500sq ft of glass, just like all other windows, these ones get dirty and need cleaning too. But we think it’s safe to say cleaning these windows is definitely not a job for the faint hearted!
Opening ceremony
The entire body of the Burj was cleaned from top to bottom back in 2010, ready for its grand opening ceremony that was to be seen by a crowd of 6,000 people, so it had to be spick and span!
Manager of window cleaning company, Cox Gomyl, explains how £5 million was spent on high-tech equipment prior to the opening, to ensure they could clean every single glass pane.
How do you go about cleaning 1,292,500sq ft of glass?
Twelve specially designed machines were attached to emerge from the cavities in the skyscraper. Each of these weighed 13 tons and held a 1,500kg bucket machine that moved horizontally and then vertically. These machines were also installed to carry up 36 workers.
The workers then used good, old-fashioned elbow grease and hot soapy water to hand clean a total of 24,830 reflective windows that make up the magnificent Burj! And the top of the spire was left to be cleaned by only the specialists who had to abseil up to the highest point, to make sure there wasn’t a spot missed!
Not only was this a challenging and gruelling job on its own due to the sheer height, but the cleaners also had to contend with the relentless, desert heat and strong winds.
With an army of 36 workers, the entire glass exterior facade took a total of 3 months to clean, but it sure did dazzle on the night – any volunteers for next time?!
Scott & Sons
We may not be cleaning windows of the tallest buildings in the world, but we can certainly help clean the windows in your home or workplace, using the latest technology in the industry to ensure excellent results. For more information please get in touch with us today.
