How our expert team managed these difficult glazing deliveries and installations!

At IQ Glass we have our expert glazing teams gain building site access day in and day out. The majority of the time, delivery and installation is straightforward, with the odd country lane and temporary traffic light to navigate through. However on occasion, our teams experience hurdles on the way. Or on site that they have to overcome.

Here are our favourite examples of when building site access was a challenge:

Building Site Access Through a River in Bannau Brycheiniog

The Welsh Mountain range of the Brecon Beacons is a remote part of Wales with vast mountains and hidden rivers that come and go throughout the year. For this particular delivery, the IQ Team had been following man-made tracks for a few miles up, down and around the various mountains that shelter the residential project destination.

On the way to site, the team came across a flowing river that had to be crossed to deliver the glazing to site. Upon careful inspection, the team realized that the river was shallow enough for our vans to pass through. With final checks made to ensure the glazing was secure, and that the van was tall enough, our driver drove slowly through the ice-cold water and carried on through the mountains to site.

Glass Delivery by Speed Boat

The building site was on a small island in the middle of the Thames so all the glass units for the sliding doors had to be transported one by one across the Thames in a little boat. Thankfully, the home owners had their own speedboat they were happy for IQ to use.

You can see the completed images of Finnmoor here or read the full site story here.

glass delivery via boat

Rocky Path Access in South Cornwall

The IQ South West office had begun a project in the quaint seaside village of Polperro which in on the coast of the English Channel in South Cornwall. With many historical English villages built on the natural landscape of the coastline, it was made apparent that the Polperro project would be a challenge for our IQ South West glazing delivery team.

The residential renovation in Polperro was located above the village on top of a vast hill that is accessible via dirt tracks and steep stone man-made steps. This of course made the glazing delivery a challenge. The team planned out a route that allowed them to park as close as possible to the site, and then carry the glazing up through dirt tracks to site.

Closing London Roads for Building Site Access

St John Street is a great example of how many of our London based projects are managed by our great in house Project Managers. At this penthouse renovation, the IQ team had to schedule the glass delivery with the project PM (Hardik Gala) to ensure that it arrived on site during the time that the road closure was permitted.

As well as this, the team had to employ a lifting crane which was able to lift the glazing up 5 floors to reach the penthouse home. With glazing deliveries such as this one, working with the London councils and booking a set date for road closures and crane usage is paramount. The extensive planning before this installation allowed the project to go smoothly.

closing london roads for building site access

An International Building Site With a Five Hour Journey Time

Gota Dam is a vast mountain side home in the heart of Africa. This was of course a logistical nightmare for booking flights and transport to ensure the glazing got to Zimbabwe untouched.

The journey from the airport to the site took around 5 hours. This was a huge undertaking for the team who employed local drivers to carefully navigate the risky roads and crazy traffic on the way to Gota Dam. Read the full story here!

Basement Glass Install Through a Small Hatch

At Canal House, the team were tasked with installing some basement glazing. This is usually no problem for the team, as most basements have clear access and are easy to navigate. This project featured a very small, narrow basement entrance which is why the team opted to lower the glazing through the hatch above ground. A small crane combined with a glazing suction device made the ideal team to allow the glass to be lowered safely into the installation area.

A Crane Lift from Boat in Devon

The IQ team in the South West were working on a house which was located right on the end of a pinnacle in the River Dart. The rear elevation of the house was only accessible from the water so that IQ team had to deliver and lift all the glass units from the river.

The glass was delivered via Hiab truck to the local marina and then transferred to a dedicated marine construction boat. This specialist boat then transported the glass to to the site.

a crane lift onto a boat