Knowledge & Good Advice

Knowledge & Good Advice

A building can, in principle, last forever. If you own a preserved or preservation-worthy building, you must continuously maintain it correctly.

On this page, you can read about the background of building materials and maintenance practices in Kalaallit Nunaat and receive recommendations and knowledge about where to find information on building materials. Always remember to seek permission from the Greenland National Museum & Archives (NKA) to carry out construction work before you begin.

Wooden Buildings

The vast majority of preserved or preservation-worthy buildings are wooden structures from the colonial era. These were imported houses, either prefabricated in Denmark (most often log houses) or built by carpenters here in Kalaallit Nunaat. For their maintenance, you must remember that these houses followed the maintenance traditions applicable in Denmark, the source of the materials, throughout the ages. You should not try to find old recipes for paint made from Kalaallit Nunaat oils (from marine mammals); instead, you must assume people treated them all based on Scandinavian tradition.

"Kalaallit Nunaanni" paint has been produced, but determining whether anyone used it on the current buildings can be difficult. If you want to try the Kalaallit Nunaat-produced paint, Ph. Rosendahl, the former inspector in Qeqertarsuaq, has elegantly provided the recipe here.

Over the last 200 years of maintenance, different types of materials, including paint, oakum (værk), and sealant (fugemasse), have been used. Therefore, choosing the correct type of paint is not always easy. The tradition in Kalaallit Nunaat has been to follow developments in Denmark. Only within the last 30 years have museums, in particular, realized that they do not necessarily need to use the newest modern paint, but instead should choose one that best suits the building chronologically. This is why observing building-historical traces is essential: it allows you to collect information about the building's original appearance and interior design, as well as the changes it has undergone over time.

Ordinary Maintenance

In general, you do not need permission from the NKA for ordinary maintenance. This includes work that does not change the building's colors, surfaces, materials, extent, and fittings, and where the maintenance work does not involve the actual replacement of material. You can easily paint your house, repair a crack, touch up a window, or replace a single roof shingle without involving the authorities. You just need to remember to use the same materials, paint, or mortar as the original ones.

It is helpful if you can manage the maintenance of your preserved house yourself. However, you must be aware that you must maintain the house in accordance with the materials used and apply the correct building technique for the structure. Both materials and building techniques reflect characteristics typical of the time and are important parts of the building culture and preservation value. The craftsmanship quality during maintenance or repairs should match that executed during the building's construction. Owners can perform many maintenance tasks themselves, but if you are in doubt, you should consult a professional advisor. You can always consult the NKA's building professional advisor or an architect knowledgeable about historic buildings.

The concept of maintenance under the Building Preservation Act is narrower than the common understanding. Many tasks that owners and craftspeople consider maintenance require permission from the NKA. If you are in doubt about whether a job qualifies as ordinary maintenance, you should contact the NKA.

NKA Recommends

The Greenland National Museum & Archives has prepared guides for some of the different works that fall under ordinary maintenance:

• Annual control of building damage
• Fresh air vents
• Paint products
• Cleaning of older paint layers
• Surface treatment of half-timbering
• Restoration of windows and doors
• Renovation or replacement of windows
• Selection of window type and quality and condensation problems
• Insulation of preservation-worthy buildings
• Classic house colors in Greenland
• General information about wood shingles
• Plastering of half-timbered panels
• Renovation of cast iron parts
• Renovation of wooden crawl space decks
• Repair of foundations or plastered masonry
• Repair of shingle roofs

You can find further information about building preservation and contemporary paint types from the Center for Building Preservation in Denmark. There, you can find more detailed knowledge about materials, guidance, courses, and read specialized articles.