Case Study: Omni Viking Lakes Hotel, Eagan
Reaching windows beneath a large balcony with a wide re-anchor rope access system.
Project Snapshot
| Client | Omni Viking Lakes Hotel |
|---|---|
| Location | Eagan, Minnesota |
| Service | Exterior window cleaning |
| Access method | SPRAT-certified rope access, wide re-anchor |
| Core problem | Windows set back beneath a large balcony overhang |
The challenge
A large balcony juts out from the face of the hotel, and a row of windows sits tucked in underneath it. That overhang is what made this building difficult.
The standard approach is to set ropes on the roof and descend straight down the front. Here, a straight drop put the technician out past the edge of the balcony, too far from the glass beneath it. Even with an extension pole, those windows were barely within reach, and a pole held at full stretch and an awkward angle can’t apply even pressure or detail the edges. We wanted every window on the building to get the same result.
The Solution: A Wide Re-Anchor
Instead of hanging from a single rope system, the technician is attached to two separate rope systems at the same time. By adjusting tension between them, the technician can position themselves anywhere in the space between the two, not just directly below an anchor. That let our technician move in underneath the balcony and hold position right in front of the glass.
- Rig two independent rope systems from the roof, set apart from each other.
- Connect the technician to both systems.
- Descend and shift weight between the systems to traverse in under the overhang.
- Hand clean each window from directly in front of it, then reposition for the next.
The two rope systems form a V from the roof, letting the technician hang in under the concrete balcony and work directly at the glass.
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The Result
Every window under the balcony was hand cleaned from arm’s length, to the same standard as the rest of the building. Long poles have their place, but nothing matches a technician positioned directly in front of the glass: steady, even pressure, detailed edges and corners, and streaks spotted before moving on.
| Long pole from a distance | Technician in front of the glass | |
|---|---|---|
| Reach under overhang | Hard to control while suspended in free space | Full access |
| Pressure and control | Limited at an angle | Steady and even |
| Edges and corners | Hard to detail | Hand detailed |
| Inspection | Hard to see results | Checked up close |
Have a building with a tricky access problem? Call 763-260-3048 or request a quote and we’ll find a way to reach it.
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