A Genie S-85 boom lift navigates the chateau roof

Built in the 18th century in the region of Mayenne, North West France, near the small, historic village of Montenay, Basmaignée Castle requires regular upkeep, in particular with roof repairs and maintenance. A challenging, painstaking and, at times, hazardous task, performed at great height on difficult to access work zones.

To complete the work at height on this important landmark, maintenance crews employed a Genie S-85 boom lift that, with a maximum working height of almost 28m (92ft), was a suitable machine for reaching the highest levels of the castle’s roof with ease.

Basmaignée Castle was designated a national property just after the French Revolution. Following a succession of different owners, marked by periods of abandon, it was recently purchased by a Franco-British couple to serve as a venue for exceptional events. Set within 24 hectares (59 acres) of parkland with free-roaming animals, the property has 11 hectares of woodland, a guesthouse and a lake. Basmaignée Castle is an ideal setting for wedding parties and holidays.

In addition to the height challenges, productivity was a key focus to ensure that the job would be completed according to schedule. In addition to the machine’s working height, the Genie S-85 boom lift offers a horizontal outreach of 23m (75ft 5in) and a 1.5m (4ft 9in) jib, which provided the precision and flexibility needed to access the steep sloping rooftop that often presented some hard-to-reach areas. Addressing the need for increased productivity, the machine’s full height drive capabilities meant that precious time was saved when moving the unit from one place to the next around the building. For operators, a lift capacity of 227kg (500lb) proved sufficient to lift and carry their tools and materials.

The result was that the task was performed meticulously and safely within the tight timeline mandated by the castle’s opening event.