AFTER - primed and 2 finish coats

PRIMING stage

NYC Fire Escape Welding Repair

AFTER - welding repair, primed and painted.

Welded, repaired, and primed.

BEFORE - rusted, detached, unsafe

NYC Fire Escape Repair and Renovation

Staying safe means lots of things to lots of people in lots of scenarios. There is much agreement, however, on the fear factor scale that fire is both unwelcome and scary everywhere. Staying safe from fire in New York City can mean your fire escape is strong, well-painted and completely free from clutter. The New York City Department of Housing and Preservation & Development inspects fire escapes and can issue citations to building owners if deemed unsafe.

We were called to West Village not long ago to repair, strengthen and paint one of these iconic life lines to the street. It was nestled between multi-story, masonry buildings. We found it detached at top, rusted and unsafe for foot traffic. This job called for superior cleaning, prep, welding, priming and painting. The welding repair assures that the stairs are firmly attached for safe egress in the event that evacuation outside of the building is necessary. Primer protects the metal, and paint provides a clean, safe stairway. Remember: The only thing ever left on a NYC fire escape is a footprint.

Painting the finish coats - the color is custom matched to the business awning.

NYC Fire Escape Repairs

Fire escapes are for … [drum roll] … escaping fires. The New York City Department of Housing Preservation & Development works diligently with the New York City Fire Department, the largest municipal fire department in the U.S. and second largest in the world behind Tokyo, to routinely inspect fire escapes. Their attention to details on the condition of fire escapes all over the city contributes to their optimum function and performance in the case of a fire on an upper floor.

 The Paintworks staff is acutely aware of fire escape requirements and the Certification of Correction and was once again called in to bring one up to code. We did some spot welding and repair work like reattaching a rung to a ladder. Missing a step on a fire escape when one is moving down in a hurry with fear and adrenaline flowing may not end well. Then we ground and scraped off rust, primed everything and painted with special industrial quality finish coats to match the color of the first floor awning. The building’s management team was satisfied with a job well done, as well as the municipal powers who tirelessly oversee these things to protect all of us.