Cambridge success for Sikkens

Story

There’s a renewed look to the sports pavilion at Cambridge University, where Sikkens Cetol BL Opaque has helped to transform and rejuvenate the external timber elements. The building, which is used extensively by the students and visitors to the pavilion and the running track, was originally constructed in the 1990s and the coating that had been used for the timber had begun to crack and fade badly. The University of Cambridge Estate Management department, who are responsible for the upkeep of the buildings on site, needed a product that offered both durability and colour fastness. Cetol BL Opaque fitted the bill perfectly.

The colour issue was an important factor as the new coatings had to perfectly match the original deep green and white to maintain the required visual impact of the pavilion in its location. “We chose an opaque coating because of the need to offer better UV light resistance,” comments Ian Scrivener at the Estate Management Department. “The proven credentials of Cetol BL Opaque offered the solution. It’s able to provide the desired protective finish and in addition, the product’s extensive colour range meant that we could make a perfect match with the original.”

Cetol BL Opaque is a water borne coating that combines durability with the ability to flex with the natural movement of the timber. The high build coating has a paint like appearance with excellent covering power and adhesion to the timber to ensure that any blemishes are covered up, without hiding the natural grain texture.

Work on the pavilion, which was carried out by the contractor Haywoods, began in May 2009 and is now complete, with Sikkens Cetol BL Opaque coating providing a colour resistant exterior for many years to come.

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