In March 2021, Charlier Construction contacted the VEL Fit team on behalf of Ifield School in Kent due to leakages found on electrically operated windows. The school has 28 VELUX® roof windows.
VEL Fit arrived to the site, made a visual inspection and observed that the windows were leaking from the bottom left and right corners of the external timber frame. There were also signs of damp setting into the roof rafters, false ceiling and the rear wall in the location of the roof windows. One of the noticeable problems VEL Fit solved, was the external flashing, which is designed to let trapped water flow down the tiles and prevent leaks and damages to the window and frame, had loose parts making it unstable.
A few windows were also disconnected from their remote controls, meaning they couldn’t open or close their windows. We were unable to test the remote wall switches and their actions as they appear to have been disconnected, and a couple of opening motors were disengaged from their windows, leaving the windows loose and vulnerable to heavy rain and high winds.
After further examination, VEL Fit prepared a site inspection report detailing all the problems their windows were dealing with as well as a solution plan.
- Reinstall new flashings
- Add a transverse gutter above the head of the window to divert any water penetrating the roof covering
- Install a new VELUX BFX felt collar and new roof tiles cut to the correct distance from the windows
- Reset the broken motors
- Replace the hardwired remote wall switches
- Clean and service all roof windows
VEL Fit’s recommendation was approved and all 28 windows are in good conditioning and are fully operational. Ifield School was satisfied with VEL Fit’s work, and agreed to have an annual service be carried out to extend the life span of their VELUX windows.
