Elderly people are warm again

Affordable and complete exterior facade renovation 

Commissioned by housing corporation Lek en Waard Wonen, the 39 senior housing units on Schoonenburglaan in Nieuw-Lekkerland will be given a fresh, contemporary look. The creative combination of different façade finishes preserves the cozy atmosphere of the elderly neighborhood. "Complete and good doesn't always have to be very expensive," says Dirk Jan van der Poel of IJsselmonde exterior wall insulation.

Van der Poel was born in the South Holland village and still knows Schoonenburglaan from way back as a cozy little street. He is therefore pleased that Lek en Waard Wonen has decided to renovate the single-story elderly homes instead of demolishing them. The entire outer shell will be tackled so that the insulation value again meets the current standard. In addition to facade insulation, the insulation of roofs and floors will be improved and the homes will be equipped with a ventilation system. 

Dual function

IJsselmonde performs the facade insulation with insulation boards which are then provided with a white decorative plaster finish from Sto. Scaffolding is then indispensable. But Damsteegt also needs scaffolding for the work on the roof. Moreover, the contractor is responsible if several jobs are carried out on a particular scaffold. In this case, it was jointly decided to erect the scaffolding in two phases. This gives the scaffolding in this project a double function: first, it is used as access and edge protection for the roof work. Then, the scaffolding is fitted with covers and nets so that the work on the facades can be done dry. In this way, the seven residential blocks are tackled piece by piece. "A bit of a two-stage rocket," jokes Van der Poel. "Where Damsteegt finishes, we continue. That way we walk through the neighborhood together in phases."

Shelter house

The residents of the seven residential blocks on Schoonenburg Avenue are all over seventy. Despite their age, they will continue to live at home during the renovation. According to Gertjan Damsteegt of the construction company of the same name, that gives this project a special twist. "The residents are at home all day. If they have a question, they just walk up to our guys." Of course there is inconvenience, but they make little use of the shelter house just down the road in the village, according to him. 

IJsselmonde came into Damsteegt's picture earlier this year for the facade finishing of a newly built house in Rotterdam. The company from Nieuw-Lekkerland was looking for an exterior facade plasterer who could also do some more upscale smaller work. "When we heard that IJsselmonde also does larger works, we sat down with around the table for this project." So far, he has no regrets. "In general, this project is going well, and when there are hiccups, we work it out fine in good consultation."

Fresh and playful

Van der Poel is also satisfied. He finds the facades that have already been done fresh and playful through the combination of decorative plaster finish and wooden cladding. He finds the renewed streetscape in Schoonenburg Avenue, thanks to the upgrade, a successful result. "A creative approach to color a feeling while making this renovation relatively simple. Just goes to show that a complete and good renovation does not necessarily have to be very expensive."