QUICK ANSWER
Rope access, cherry pickers and EWPs each suit different buildings: rope access works best for tall, complex or irregularly shaped facades with limited ground access, cherry pickers suit lower buildings with clear ground space, and building-mounted EWPs work well once installed but rely on the building already having a compatible system. The right choice comes down to your building's height and shape, available ground access, cleaning frequency, and how much disruption you can tolerate at street level.
IN THIS ARTICLE
- Rope access (abseil cleaning)
- Cherry pickers
- Elevated work platforms (EWPs)
- How to choose
- Frequently asked questions
When it comes time to clean a high-rise facade, building managers usually have a choice between rope access, a cherry picker, or an elevated work platform. Each method has a place, and the right choice depends on your building's shape, access points, and how much disruption you can tolerate.
Rope access (abseil cleaning)
Rope access technicians work from the roof down, using ropes and a certified anchor system. It is well suited to tall, complex, or irregularly shaped buildings where ground-based equipment cannot reach every surface. It requires no street or footpath closures and generally has the smallest footprint of the three methods at ground level.
Cherry pickers
A cherry picker is effective for buildings up to a moderate height where ground access is available on all sides. It is fast to set up for straightforward jobs, but it needs clear ground space to manoeuvre and is limited by the building's height and the boom's reach.
Elevated work platforms (EWPs)
Building-mounted EWPs, such as davit arms and cradles, are common on purpose-built commercial towers. They are efficient once installed but depend on the building having a compatible system already in place, and servicing or certifying that system is its own ongoing cost.
How to choose
The right method comes down to building height and shape (taller or architecturally complex facades usually favour rope access), ground access (if footpaths, roads, or landscaping restrict ground equipment, rope access avoids the problem entirely), frequency (for regular cleaning cycles, whichever method matches your building's existing infrastructure is usually the most cost-effective long term), and disruption tolerance (rope access typically causes the least disruption to tenants and the public at street level).
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Is rope access cleaning as thorough as a cherry picker or EWP?
Yes. A trained rope access technician can reach the same surfaces with the same equipment and cleaning solutions used from a platform.
Which method is cheaper?
It depends on the building. Rope access often works out more cost-effective for tall or complex buildings, since it avoids the cost of hiring or maintaining large ground equipment.
Can rope access be used if my building already has an EWP system?
Yes. Many buildings use rope access as a flexible backup or for areas the EWP cannot reach, such as awkward corners or setbacks.
Does weather affect all three methods equally?
Wind limits are similar across all access methods for safety reasons, though rope access teams can often reschedule more flexibly around short weather windows.
Not sure which access method suits your building? Sky5 QLD can assess your facade and recommend the most practical and cost-effective cleaning method.
Book a facade cleaning assessment
