Akeley Wood School in Northamptonshire is an independent co-educational day school for around nine hundred pupils between the ages of three and eighteen. It is part of the Cognita Group of independent schools and is spread over three campuses, comprising the junior, lower and senior schools.
 
The Akeley Wood senior school’s campus incorporates a magnificent Tudor building with exposed oak beams, however over time the elements have taken their toll on the timberwork, leaving it in dire need of attention to prevent further deterioration.

 
As part of a larger school-wide renovation project, Akeley Wood School turned to the experts at Dulux Trade to specify advanced woodcare products to protect and preserve the exterior timber, while allowing the historic character of the building to shine through.
 
The oak beams had previously been treated with traditional preservatives such as bitumen and creosote, however the surfaces were cracked and peeling, leaving the historic timbers susceptible to deterioration. In order to restore the beams to their former glory, the existing layer of preservatives was removed and contractors, PA Decorators (Hertfordshire Branch), treated the timber with Weathershield Aquatech Woodstain in ‘Opaque Black’ to preserve its traditional look.
 
Dulux Trade Weathershield Aquatech Woodstain is a high performance, water-based product that offers superior protection against the elements for external timber. It provides excellent resistance to peeling, flaking and blistering, keeping wood looking great for longer. The stain is quick-drying and results in a highly flexible medium build satin finish, to protect exterior wood for up to 6 years.
 
Project specifier, Richard Juniper from Jackson Coles, comments: “I was really impressed with the finish that the Weathershield Aquatech Woodstain provided versus a solvent based woodstain – not only did it cover very well, it had an attractive sheen and a ‘waxy’ feel, which allowed water droplets to 'bead up' on its surface.”