Ritec ClearShield Goes Dutch

Exterior glazing in a high-rise apartment building in The Hague, Holland now looks as good as new and is easier to clean courtesy of Ritec’s ClearShield glass protection system...

Renovation and treatment has given glass at Olympus Tower a higher resistance to corrosion and staining, resulting in a simpler maintenance programme without the need for harsh chemicals.

The sixteen-storey building in the historic Burgemeester de Monchyplein district was completed in 2002. Given its prime location, demand for the luxury apartments has been high. However, the city centre position has had disadvantages for the unprotected glass surfaces. Just two years after construction, exposure to traffic pollution, together with concrete dust and run-off, had caused serious contamination and discolouration. In addition, the building is situated just two kilometres from the coast of Scheveningen, and so the constant sea wind blows salt and sand onto the glass, leading to a further build up of dirt and limescale deposits.

“Conventional cleaning techniques simply couldn’t tackle the extent of the problem at Olympus Tower. In seeking an effective and long-lasting solution, local residents and contractors decided the glass should be renovated and treated with ClearShield," explains Ritec’s International Sales & Marketing Manager, Serge Perkoff.

The first step of the treatment at Olympus Tower involved cleaning all the glass surfaces – a total area of 1,744m² – with Ritec Precleaner and Glass Renovator. Once the glass was restored to its original condition, ClearShield was spray-applied to the glass to provide protection from contaminants, such as weathering and atmospheric pollution. The powder-coated window profiles were also cleaned as part of a complete restoration process by a specially trained Ritec Benelux applicator.

The ClearShield system has been developed by Ritec for the conversion of high maintenance unprotected glass into Low-M® (Low Maintenance) Glass. Recommended by architects and contractors around the world, ClearShield glass retains its good looks for longer and contributes to a significant reduction in maintenance time and costs. ClearShield can be applied either in the factory or on site using manual or automatic spraying equipment by Ritec specialist applicators.