Frequently asked questions

Not all of them. Hairline cracks in the render are usually superficial, but you should have the following checked as soon as possible: wide or diagonal cracks, cracks that grow over time, cracks accompanied by falling material, and cracks that coincide with doors and windows that no longer close properly.

It depends on the type: superficial cracks are sealed with elastic products; cracks in the render are opened up, cleaned out and filled with technical mortars; others are injected with resin; and if the crack is structural, the area has to be reinforced before it is repaired.

Because it was covered up without solving the cause: movement in the building, expansion with no movement joint, or damp. It also happens when a crack that is still moving is filled with a rigid material. That is why we diagnose first.

Damp patches on the walls facing the street, paint peeling on the inside, a musty smell, mould or leaks that appear on rainy days. If the patches get worse after it rains, the water is almost certainly coming in through the facade.

No. It is colourless and breathable: it repels rainwater but lets the wall breathe, without changing its colour or texture. That is why it is the usual solution for exposed brick and stone facades.

ETICS, known in Spain as SATE, is an External Thermal Insulation Composite System: insulating boards are fixed to the facade and covered with a mesh-reinforced base coat and a decorative finish. The building ends up wrapped in a continuous layer of insulation, without losing any interior space.

Yes. All the work is done from the outside, so nobody’s home is touched and residents can carry on as normal.

The most common is graphite expanded polystyrene, because it insulates well. When maximum fire protection and better sound insulation are needed, we use stone wool.

If there is a safety risk, yes: the owners’ association has to act to stop material falling onto the street, and the local council can require it. It is also often required by the building inspection (ITE).

That the reinforcement is rusting. Rust expands, cracks the concrete and makes it spall, so the damage keeps getting worse. The concrete has to be cleaned back, the reinforcement treated or strengthened and the area rebuilt with repair mortars.

Normally the structure of the balcony and anything that forms part of the facade is paid for by the owners’ association. Anything for the exclusive use of one owner, such as the floor tiles, depends on what the association’s bylaws (estatutos) say.

It depends on the substrate and its condition. Old walls need a breathable paint, such as silicate or mineral paints; facades with hairline cracks need an elastic or waterproof paint; and on modern render, exterior acrylic paints give good results.

Not without repairing it first. If you paint over it, the crack shows through again and the damp lifts the paint within a short time. First the render and cracks are repaired and the water ingress is stopped.

In many cases, yes: if the tiles are well bonded and the substrate is sound, a continuous system such as hot-spray polyurea is applied over the top, with no demolition. If there are loose tiles, the substrate is damaged or the falls need correcting, the floor has to be taken up and redone.

It depends on how it is used and its condition. For terraces that are walked on, hot-spray polyurea and a double bitumen membrane under the tiles usually work best; on terraces that are not walked on, liquid membranes also give good results. We decide after seeing the terrace.

With polyurea, within a few hours, because it cures in seconds. Other liquid systems need one or more days to dry, and if the floor is taken up you have to allow for the time the whole job takes.

There is no single best system for everything. Bitumen membranes are very tough and widely used; liquid systems and polyurea form a continuous, jointless layer, ideal on roofs with lots of junctions; and PVC or EPDM membranes stand up very well to the weather. We choose according to the use, condition and shape of the roof.

With continuous membranes or sprayed polyurea, adapted to the surface, to the sheet-metal or panel flashings and to the building’s exposure. Wherever possible, the work is done without stopping activity in the building.

Yes. If insulation gets wet it loses much of its performance. It should be protected by the waterproofing system or, in inverted roofs, laid on top of the waterproofing with its own protection.

Checking the general condition, cleaning surfaces, outlets and gutters, removing debris and vegetation, checking the waterproofing and flashings, and repairing minor damage before it turns into a leak.

By carefully stripping the roof and salvaging all the sound tiles. Then the supporting elements are repaired or strengthened, an underlay is laid beneath the tiles and the original tiles are relaid, topping up with reclaimed tiles where any are missing.

Yes. A large part of a building’s heat is lost through the roof, and that is also where heat gets in during the summer. Insulating it properly reduces heating and air-conditioning costs and makes the top-floor homes much more comfortable.

A coating that is sprayed hot with specialist equipment and forms, within seconds, a continuous, elastic, jointless membrane. It bonds to the substrate and acts as a waterproof barrier on roofs, terraces, balconies, car parks and tanks.

Properly applied and with minimal maintenance, it can last more than 20 years. It withstands UV rays, temperature changes, moisture and many chemicals.

It has one clear advantage: there are no joints or overlaps, which is where membrane systems usually fail. It also cures straight away and can be applied over many existing surfaces. Bitumen felt is still a good option in some cases, especially under tiles.

It is a ventilated flat roof, typical of Catalan buildings since the late 19th century. Small brick dwarf walls (tabiquillos palomeros) are built on the roof slab to support a deck of thin bricks (rasillas), and the floor tiles go on top. Between the slab and the deck there is an air gap, ventilated through openings in the parapets.

An accessible roof is designed to be used, like a terrace or roof terrace, and has a floor finish that protects the waterproofing. A non-accessible roof is only walked on for maintenance and is usually finished with gravel, a mineral-surfaced membrane or a continuous coating.

A flat roof in which the thermal insulation is laid on top of the waterproofing rather than underneath it. That way the membrane is protected from the sun and from temperature changes, and lasts longer.

Because they are the coldest and least ventilated spots in the room. Water vapour in the air condenses there and the constant moisture lets mould grow. Corners on external walls and slab edges are the typical spots.

New windows seal very well and eliminate the draughts that used to refresh the air, so the vapour generated in the home stays inside. You need to compensate with ventilation: open the windows every day or install mechanical ventilation.

Not on its own. It cleans and protects the surface, but if ventilation is still poor and the walls are still cold, the mould comes back. It is applied after the cause has been resolved.

It helps lower the humidity in the air while it is switched on, but it does not get rid of cold walls or poor ventilation. It is a support, not the solution.

At a general meeting of the owners, with the majority the law requires for each type of work. Works needed to keep the building in good repair and safe are compulsory; improvements normally require larger majorities. Your property manager (administrador de fincas) will advise you in each case.

Normally according to the ownership share (cuota de participación) of each flat or commercial unit, unless the association’s bylaws or a resolution of the general meeting state otherwise.

Yes. It is common to prioritise the urgent work (safety, water ingress) and leave improvements for a second phase. We propose a logical order so that no phase spoils the work of the previous one.

Regular inspections of the facade, roof and terraces, monitoring of cracks and defects, cleaning of drains and gutters, damp prevention and the one-off repairs that crop up, before they turn into major works.

We recommend a general inspection once a year and another after severe storms, in addition to the mandatory building inspections (ITE). A maintenance plan spreads the cost and avoids surprises.

The regulations require owners to keep the building in good condition, and the building inspection (ITE) checks this periodically. Good maintenance is the cheapest way to comply.

It depends on the size and the scope, but a full renovation usually takes several weeks, and somewhat longer if it includes layout changes and new installations. We give you a fixed timescale together with the quote.

Yes, the works have to be notified to the town council; the procedure depends on the scope. If structural elements or the facade are affected, a qualified technical professional is usually needed as well. We tell you what is required in your case.

Yes: building work, installations, flooring, wall coverings, joinery and finishes, all coordinated by a single site manager.

Often, yes: we organise the work in phases or outside business hours so that the premises or the industrial building can keep operating as far as possible.

It depends on the condition of the premises and the type of business, but we plan it with fixed dates from the start, because we know that every week of delay costs money.

In industrial buildings, warehouses, workshops, car parks, garages, laboratories, healthcare areas and commercial premises: wherever you need a seamless, hard-wearing surface that is easy to clean and resists chemicals.

It is not the best choice: in direct sunlight it tends to yellow. Outdoors or in areas with a lot of sunlight, other systems such as polyurethane are used, or a UV-resistant finish.

Self-levelling epoxy forms a smooth, seamless surface a few millimetres thick that is very hygienic and easy to clean. Multi-layer epoxy combines layers of resin and aggregate, has a rougher texture and is used when an anti-slip finish is needed.

When the floor has to cope with sudden temperature changes, vibration, impacts or constant moisture, as in the food industry, cold rooms or wash-down areas. Polyurethane is more flexible and withstands those stresses better.

Yes: it is seamless, with no joints for dirt and bacteria to build up in, it is easy to clean, and there are systems designed for high and low temperatures and for hot-water cleaning.

Power floating smooths and compacts the surface of fresh concrete with machines; polishing goes a step further, with surface hardeners and a smoother, glossier finish. In industrial buildings the two are usually combined: mechanical power floating with a hardener.

Because concrete shrinks as it hardens and with changes in temperature. Joints cut at the right time make those stresses come out along a planned straight line rather than as cracks across the whole surface.

No, it is one of the lowest-maintenance floors: regular cleaning and, over time, a fresh surface treatment in the areas with the most wear.

It depends on the use and on whether the area can get wet: a dry indoor corridor is not the same as a garage ramp, a wash-down area or an outdoor entrance. The regulations set a minimum slip resistance class for each case, and we adjust the roughness of the floor to meet it.

Yes, by applying a resin system with aggregate or a textured finish over the floor once it has been prepared. It is a common solution on garage ramps and loading areas.

Yes, if the tiles are well bonded and the floor does not move. The grout lines are filled and levelled, a mesh and a primer are applied, and then the coats of microcement. That way the floor does not have to be taken up.

Yes, with the right system and a good sealer: it is used in showers, worktops, kitchens, terraces and swimming pools. Outdoors, products designed to withstand the weather are used.

Very thin, just a few millimetres. So there is no need to trim doors or change the floor levels in your home.

It depends on the system and the temperature, but working zone by zone each space is usually out of use for only a few days: the time it takes to prepare the substrate, apply the coats and let the floor cure until it can take traffic. We give you the schedule before we start.

Yes, that is the usual approach in residential buildings. We divide the car park by level or by zone so that part of it is always in use, and we organise access so that residents can come and go.

Epoxy paint is a thin, more economical coat, suitable for car parks with little traffic and a substrate in good condition. Multi-layer resin is thicker, stands up better to wear and to tyres turning, and lasts longer. We decide once we have seen the car park.

Because pressurised water can get into cracks and cause damp inside the flats, and, like sandblasting, it wears the surface: stone and brick become more porous and get dirty again sooner. The laser works dry and does not erode.

It depends on the material, the orientation and the pollution in the street. In urban areas with traffic, facades turn black within a few years. It is best to clean them when the dirt starts to show, without waiting for crusts to form.

Yes, it removes biological growth from the surface. But if the green algae appears because of persistent damp, that damp also needs to be dealt with or it will come back.

With the laser, on the vast majority of surfaces, no: the pigment is also removed from inside the pores, which is where solvents and pressure washing leave the typical shadows or «ghosting».

Natural stone, marble, granite, exposed brick, concrete, ceramic cladding and metal, including shop shutters. In each case we adjust the equipment to the material.

It depends on the size, the paint and the surface. An ordinary tag on a facade or shutter is usually dealt with in a single visit.

A dark layer formed when pollution reacts with the stone, especially limestone and marble. As well as spoiling its appearance, it speeds up deterioration, because it holds pollutants on the surface.

Because it wears the surface, rounds off the edges, erases the carving and opens up the pores of the stone, which from then on gets dirty and deteriorates more quickly.

Yes. It removes rust, paint and grease and leaves a clean, dry surface ready for subsequent treatment or painting. As no water is used, it avoids the flash rust that appears after water blasting.

Yes. It cleans weld discolouration and contaminants from stainless steel without scratching the finish.

Yes, it is a technique widely used in heritage conservation because of its precision and because it is not abrasive. As with any work on a protected building, it must comply with the project and the relevant permits.

Yes. By adjusting the laser energy, the dirt and harmful crusts are removed while the natural patina, the weathered layer that protects the stone, is preserved, along with the carving and the mason’s marks.