Hermitage Primary School

Project Details:
Hermitage Primary School is a single storey building of traditional brick cavity construction, built in the early 1970’s. The school had been identified from the client’s Property Condition Survey as requiring internal and external refurbishment. The internal works were completed first and then the roof was renewed. The next phase of the transformation was to address the external façade which had three problems.

Problems:
• A failing sand and cement render finish that was leading to cracking, allowing water to ingress and cause “bossing” when it froze and then thawed. The water ingress was also causing corrosion of the wall ties and further “bossing” of the façade.

• The façade was providing an inadequate level of thermal   performance resulting in high energy bills for the school   and high CO₂ emissions.

 • The exterior appearance of the school was unwelcoming, tired looking and gererally in a poor condition.

Solution:
Argyll & Bute Council chose Structherm’s NSC5 external wall insulation (EWI) system due to:

• Structherm’s excellent reputation and track record of externally refurbishing schools.

• EWI could be installed externally thus not disturbing the day to day operation of the school.

• The system was able to solve all three of the problems that the external façade was suffering from.

The NSC5 system provided a cost-effective solution covering 1000m² and was finished using a high quality Settef Flesscoat Cortina acrylic render. Installation was completed on schedule within 12 weeks.

Results:
The school is now:

• Water tight due to the new render system

• Much warmer due to the 60mm Phenolic insulation within the system allowing a U value meeting current Building Regulations to be achieved.

• A comfortable and welcoming learning environment for the pupils and staff.

• Improved sustainability from reduced CO₂ emissions.