Brise Soleil Inspection & Maintenance

Brise Soleil is an eco-friendly addition to any building. Its shading effects mean that energy reserves are protected and the inhabitants are responsible for fewer carbon emissions.

Brise soleil systems provide an effective method of controlling solar gain, helping to reduce glare and prevent overheating during the summer months. By regulating the amount of direct sunlight entering a building, they can significantly reduce reliance on internal blinds and energy-intensive air conditioning systems. This is particularly beneficial in commercial environments, where maintaining a comfortable internal environment is critical to employee wellbeing, concentration, and overall productivity.

A well-designed and properly maintained brise soleil system helps to optimise seasonal performance, minimising excessive solar gain in warmer months, whilst still allowing beneficial natural light and passive heat gain during colder periods. This contributes to improved energy efficiency and can result in reduced operating costs associated with both cooling and heating.

Eurosafe can help maintain your Brise Soleil

To ensure these benefits are consistently realised, brise soleil systems should be regularly inspected and maintained. As external façade elements, they are continuously exposed to environmental conditions, including wind loading, temperature fluctuations, precipitation, and potential corrosion. Over time, these factors can lead to issues such as loosening of fixings, material fatigue, or degradation of protective coatings, particularly on elevated or exposed elevations.

If left unchecked, this can present a potential safety risk, particularly where failure could result in falling components.

Eurosafe provides a comprehensive inspection service to ensure your brise soleil system remains structurally safe and secure.

Frequency of Inspection

Inspection frequency is not prescribed as a fixed interval within Building Regulations; instead, it is determined through a combination of competent assessment and site-specific risk factors. Both BS 8210:2020 and PUWER promote a risk-based approach to maintenance, requiring inspection intervals to be set by a competent person, taking into account factors such as environmental exposure, height, fixing methods, material durability, and the potential consequences of failure.

Under PUWER, inspections must be carried out at “suitable intervals” to ensure that any deterioration likely to result in a safety risk is identified and addressed in a timely manner. Given the external nature of brise soleil systems and their exposure to ongoing environmental loading, it is widely regarded as best practice to implement:

Annual inspections – to identify early signs of movement, corrosion, or component failure and maintain ongoing safety and performance
Detailed structural inspections at intervals not exceeding three years – providing a more in-depth assessment of the system’s integrity, fixings, and long-term condition

This combined approach ensures both routine monitoring and periodic structural assurance, supporting a proactive maintenance strategy that reduces risk, protects building occupants, and extends the lifespan of the system.