Window frames in Capelle aan den IJssel undergoing major overhaul

'Dry wood does not rot'

Schollevaar residential area in Capelle aan den IJssel is undergoing a major overhaul. One of the buildings receiving a thorough overhaul is the Aïda housing complex. Willems Vastgoedonderhoud enlisted the help of Ventistone to tackle the window frames. Their simple but effective method drastically extends the maintenance period of all window frames in the complex.

The window frames of 52 homes in complex Aïda were in need of improvement. "The special thing about this project is that a number of window frames protrude slightly beyond the facade," says Bertjan Janssen van Doorn, owner of Ventistone. These flower frames are beautiful, but also require a different approach than standard. "Normally, window frames are inside the facade. Then they have less to endure in terms of weather load. If a window frame is outside the facade, you have to take more weather influences into account. For example, there must be drainage on the top and the sides must also be better protected."

Entire window frame addressed

"Normally we mainly do the horizontal parts of the window frames. Now we also tackled the top and sides," Janssen van Doorn continues. "For that, we made custom profiles that we put around the style. We put the corner profiles ventilating on the uprights, so that the sides are protected but can also ventilate sufficiently. This allows the wood to lose its moisture again." He compares the Ventistone system to a roof with battens and tiles. "Those never rot either, because they can always get rid of their moisture."

Together for results

Ventistone was brought into the project by Willems Vastgoedonderhoud, a well-known collaboration partner. "Together we thought about a sustainable maintenance cycle for the window frames. This customized solution extends the maintenance interval." An important step in this was to create a vapor permeable layer between the window frames and profiles. The paint layer at the location of the profiles was replaced for a vapor-permeable primer. Then stone fiber profiles are installed ventilated. These are resistant to all weather conditions. With the look of wood, but the strength and durability of stone. They are even fire retardant and can withstand all climatic challenges. In addition to heavy rainfall, this includes more extreme summers. Janssen van Doorn: "Higher temperatures are actually beneficial to us. Many window frames nowadays are made durable by welding together different types of wood, but that results in quite a lot of stress. Our profiles are made of 100% stone and therefore very resistant to heat."

Boost for the neighborhood

The maintenance project went beyond the window frames: the facades, masonry and gallery floors were also taken care of. In addition, the streetwork, parking facilities, lighting and sewerage were addressed. Janssen van Doorn: "A neighborhood like this gets a tremendous makeover. It looks fresh and beautiful again. And when you enter a clean, tidy environment, it does a lot for your feeling of coming home."