~ Lerwick Town Hall ~
Cleaning and Maintenance.
Five years after installation, I spent four days in February 2022 checking, cleaning and slightly adjusting the Internally Ventilated System which I installed with Rab MacInnes in 2016 / 17.
The extreme weather in Shetland continues to cause problems, with gale force driving rain soaking the sandstone lintels and mullions.
Damp Proof Membrane (DPM), which had been installed in one window in 2017, proved to be an effective barrier against the damp stonework, which was damp internally, beyond our glazing system. The environmental conditions are so harsh in Shetland, that the new stone is just impossible to dry out, despite the radiators being on under each window. It was agreed by the Council that all of the new internal metalwork should have DPM added to the system. To do this, every window was removed from situ, cleaned, and DPM added. It is an unusual addition to internally ventilated systems, but one which should prove effective in the long run in this highly aggressive weather environment.
My thanks to Rae Simpson and Stephen Adamson for assisting, and for doing most of the heavy lifting. All of the windows were removed, cleaned, and re-installed in four days. In 2017 it took us one year. Our new internally ventilated system works easily and effectively.
