NORTHBURY SCHOOL, NORTHBURY

02 September 2010

Ventrolla Cambridge and Essex has gone straight to the top of the class after completing a successful renovation project at a Barking school.

The company carried out work on 29 timber sliding sash windows in ten classrooms at Northbury Infant and Junior School on behalf of Barking and Dagenham Council.

Ventrolla secured the contract after agreeing to overhaul a single window free of charge to demonstrate the performance and efficiency gains obtainable through specialist renovation techniques.

Managing Director David Greaves said: “Teachers were finding it difficult to control ventilation in their classrooms due to the condition of the original windows and also because the sashes were particularly large and high off the ground.

“We completed a demonstration window which showed how we could ease the operation of the sash mechanism and greatly reduce the amount of noise and heat loss through the application of our unique Perimeter Sealing System.  This helped us win the overall renovation project.”

Work was carried out during term-time, so Ventrolla had to plan activity carefully to avoid clashes with the school timetable as well as breaks when pupils might be playing in areas beneath the windows.  It also ensured all its installers and surveyors had undergone a CRB check ready to work in a school environment.

Most of the timber on the damaged windows was retained and restored, although a small number of sashes needed replacing altogether.  Ventrolla then managed the painting of the renovated windows via a third party contractor to complete the project.

Richard Hallgate-Hills, Principal Projects Officer for London Borough of Barking and Dagenham Council, commissioned the work at Northbury.

He said: “Some of the original windows had deteriorated quite badly due to their age and were becoming very awkward to open.  We also had problems with noise from a nearby main road and a busy railway line causing disruption to classes.

“Everyone at the school is pleased with the quality of Ventrolla’s work and the performance improvements achieved.  So far we have renovated around a third of all the sash windows within the main school building and we will certainly approach the company again to assist us with future projects.”

Northbury Infant and Junior School opened in 1897 and today has approximately 900 pupils.  A major extension to the school premises was completed in 2009.

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