Birdair, Inc. Offers Customers Comprehensive Service and Support Options Long After their Projects are Complete

For more than 50 years, Birdair, well known for designing and building tensile structures for the custom architectural roofing industry, has collaborated with architects and owners to create award-winning, avant-garde buildings throughout the world.

But Birdair’s involvement doesn’t end when the last segment of fabric membrane is unfurled or the final steel cable is secured into place.

“Our first priority is total dedication to satisfying our customer’s needs after completion and handover of their facility,” says David Ricci, director of service and warranty for Birdair. “This is reflected in the services we offer, timely responses and information we can provide. Fifty years of servicing along with our experienced staff greatly add to these dimensions.”

From mega-projects like sports stadiums and convention centers to the smallest retail shopping or commercial applications, Birdair offers comprehensive service warranties tailored for each client as well as preventative maintenance plans to ensure its structures achieve their maximum longevity.

During the lifespan of a building constructed of traditional materials, studies have shown that costs for maintenance and upkeep can far exceed the original construction price tag.

Birdair’s tensile fabric roofing systems and steel cable structures require advanced construction engineering, plus specialized tools and techniques to maintain their vibrancy and performance. These factors can result in significant long-term costs when maintenance is performed improperly by a company not adequately familiar with these architectural materials.

To address these concerns, Birdair offers a complete selection of support services to suit their clients’ needs. From the smallest repair to wholesale modifications of existing structures, Birdair’s field staff of superintendents, inspectors and technicians can provide clients with prompt and thorough answers to their questions.

Clients may contract with Birdair for one or any combination of the following services: Preventive maintenance; repair kit (including restocking) and repairs; emergency repairs; cleaning services; material testing program; design services; and project management services.

Birdair’s customer service managers are available for consultation and can offer a quote on these services to help clients make the best choice for their particular project.

Tensile architectural roofing systems are a relatively new and evolving method of construction, particularly in the North American market. The assortment of pre-press, dynamic working, double curvature, and specialized components that comprise a fabric roofing system, can be overwhelming to building owners who find themselves in need of assistance once the job is completed.

With this in mind, Birdair offers an annual inspection and maintenance program conducted by experienced personnel who are continually trained and updated on the latest installation and maintenance techniques required in the custom tensile structure industry.

Birdair clients enter into a post-project agreement with the company for one, three or five years. The agreement covers on-site inspection visits, with associated maintenance, and can vary in length from eight to 40 hours. A full inspection is made of the fabric membrane and/or steel cable structure originally constructed by Birdair during the company’s original scope of work.

After an inspection, a detailed report is completed and any maintenance that can be performed by the inspector is accomplished immediately. Additional recommended repair work is reported so the customer has the option of having the work completed by the inspector, who may remain on site and perform the work at an agreed upon daily rate. The client may also reschedule with the inspector to complete the work at a later date.

As a convenience to the client, Birdair can provide annual services at a lump-sum fixed cost for the inspection and maintenance visits, as well as a daily rate for field superintendents, should the client decide to extend their stay. On projects that use this annual service, the inspection and maintenance normally completed within the agreed-upon parameters are done without additional expense.

Birdair’s service and support staff also provides a history file for each project, which benefits the inspector and the client.  Architectural fabric membrane structures are remarkably durable, capable of withstanding heavy wind and weather loads.

However, in the event an accident or extreme weather condition results in tearing of this tensile fabric, Birdair’s service and support system offers clients immediate access to fully stocked PTFE (Teflon) repair kits.

As part of the standard inspection and maintenance agreement, these items are checked regularly by Birdair technicians, who also instruct building owners and personnel on the fundamentals of fabric repair.

Lastly, because of the wide range of environmental conditions and climates where Birdair’s fabric membranes are utilized, there are circumstances that result in the need for periodic cleaning. Dead leaves, wind-blown dust, bird droppings, fuel exhaust residue, as well as algae, mildew and mold are many of the types of surface contaminants that Birdair technicians can clean safely and effectively remove to keep clients’ tensile structures looking fresh and new.

With these capabilities and more, Birdair is committed to providing the best possible follow-up service and support throughout the life of its unique structures. This dedication to quality ensures the company’s status as a leader in the custom tensile architectural industry, before and after each project is complete.