A building facade takes the most punishment and gets the least attention. Sun, rain, salt and thermal movement act on it continuously, and an average Israeli building reaches the point of needing work after 15 to 25 years. By then the question is no longer whether to repair but how deep.
What is actually happening
The peeling you can see is the last link in a chain:
- Cracks open at material junctions, above openings and at balcony edges.
- Water enters through the cracks into the render and the concrete.
- The reinforcement rusts. Rusting steel occupies more volume than the original bar, so it pushes the concrete apart from inside.
- The concrete spalls and falls — which is already a safety hazard.
A facade painted without addressing the source of the water will look good for two years and return to the same state. See crack repair and moisture repair.
The survey that precedes any quote
No serious quotation can be given before a survey. It covers tapping the render to find hollow areas, mapping cracks by type and width, checking exposed reinforcement, checking projecting elements — balconies, parapets, copings — and checking the sealing around windows and at junction lines. On a tall building this is done by rope access or from a platform.
The output is a damage map with quantities, and from it comes the bill of quantities every contractor prices. See bill of quantities.
Three levels of treatment
- Local repair. Cutting out loose areas, treating the reinforcement with a corrosion inhibitor, filling with repair mortar, sealing cracks, then a finish coat. Suits localised damage. About ILS 120 to 250 per m².
- Full facade renewal. Repair, then new external render or a levelling coat, flexible sealing and paint. About ILS 200 to 400 per m². See exterior plaster.
- New cladding. Stone, panels or ceramic on a supporting frame, sometimes with insulation behind. The most expensive and most durable, about ILS 450 to 1,200 per m². See exterior cladding.
To all of these add scaffolding — ILS 40 to 90 per m² of facade — which is a significant item of its own.
The opportunity not to miss
Once scaffolding is up, the marginal cost of further work on that facade is far lower than returning to it in five years. This is the moment to deal with thermal insulation, exterior wall sealing, replacing windows and shutters, and external pipework. Scaffolding twice is the largest waste in facade work.
Programme
For a typical residential building of 4 to 8 storeys: survey and design 3 to 6 weeks, erecting scaffolding a week, repairs 4 to 10 weeks, finish and paint 3 to 5 weeks, dismantling and cleaning a week. Three to five months in total, and highly weather-sensitive — external work does not happen in rain. See renovation timeline.
Dealing with the residents
This is the part that derails projects more often than the technical side. Settle in advance: an orderly decision at a residents' meeting and a collection mechanism, a single point of contact from the committee, advance notice of stages requiring closed windows or cleared balconies, defined working hours, and the contractor's third-party insurance in force. Every variation approved in writing. See variations and extras.
FAQ
Can we just paint?
Only if the survey shows no active cracks, no hollow areas and no exposed reinforcement. Otherwise it is money erased within two years.
Is a permit needed?
Repair and painting usually not. Changing the appearance of the facade, adding cladding or altering openings — yes. Check with the local committee. See building permit.
What warranty is normal?
Five to ten years on repair and sealing, and manufacturer's warranty on the paint. See warranty.
Is there a route where this costs the resident nothing?
In urban renewal projects the facade is dealt with as part of the deal. See Tama 38 and pinui-binui.
How we work
Bramy Group carries out facade repair and renewal as part of envelope works, against a damage survey and a bill of quantities — so the committee can compare quotes on the same list. Active in central and southern Israel. Get in touch.