The London headquarters of one of Britain's best known and most successful insurance companies has finally solved the problem of ensuring that the ornate windows along its street elevation present the right image to the passing public. The landmark property at 138-142 Holborn, London was built for Prudential in 1902 to the designs of Sir Alfred Waterhouse, with its imposing elevations of terracotta including dozens of Gothic arch windows at ground floor level. Previously French polished and varnished with a variety of products, the low density hardwood frames had been suffering badly from the effects of the weather and traffic pollution. An effective solution was required to bring the hardwood frames back to their original glory, whilst offering protection from deterioration and meeting the planned maintenance criteria.

Specification

Sikkens was invited to prepare a specification and following an on-site meeting, recommended its new Cetol Novatech and Cetol Novatop high solids system.

Result

Two years on, what was one of the first completed contracts featuring the Cetol Novatech and Cetol Novatop product system is standing up to the aggressive conditions and Prudential's on-site facilities department is expecting the finish to complete its planned five year maintenance cycle. In addition to the use of Cetol Novatech and Cetol Novatop, the Rubbol AZ paint system was used to treat the lower ground floor windows; and further use of Sikkens products is now being planned for other parts of the vast building.