A new lease of life for blocks of flats
Construction company Rakennusliike Seiska from Jyväskylä, Finland uses Kiilto's new sealing solutions in its renovation projects.
Three blocks of flats at Nisulankatu 21 have reached renovation age.
Foreman Toni Anttila from Rakennusliike Seiska says that all building services, and all surfaces of the 1960s flats of the housing company, Jyväskylän Vuokra-asunnot Oy, will be renovated. Only the heating system will be left untouched.
"Intermediate walls will be knocked down and new ones put in. What was originally 16 flats will be increased to 23 by the end of the renovation."
Sealing work in Nisulankatu will largely be done with Kiilto Airblock Fiber. This is a ready-to-use paste sealing agent that can be applied with a brush or roller on vertical, horizontal and ceiling surfaces.
"We already started using another product, but changed to Airblock Fiber as soon as we had tried it. Airblock Fiber is a pliable, spreadable product which is easy to apply on floor surfaces. You don't have to stir or knead it like dough," says Anttila with a chuckle.
Fewer work stages
Sealing is sometimes performed with waterproofing products which require multiple stages. With Kiilto Airblock Fiber you can dispense with two stages – priming and the installation of sealing strips.
"Airblock Fiber has saved us time and money, as we have also used it for intermediate walls where, according to the original plan, we had to use waterproofing products."
Kiilto Airblock Fiber has been used at Nisulankatu for seams between floors and external walls, floors and concrete intermediate walls, and windows and balcony doors.
”We will probably also try Kiilto A 215 sealant for small cracks around the windows, enabling us to seal them in a single stage.”
Kiilto Airblock Fiber and Kiilto A 215 are from Kiilto's wide range of indoor air and sealing solutions. The product family also includes the sprayable Kiilto Airblock Coat, and the block barriers Kiilto Block and Kiilto Hydrablock.
Healthy indoor air
Kiilto's Regional Manager, Marko Suominen, stresses that proper sealing is important in terms of heating and energy efficiency. But in renovated sites, indoor air issues are crucial.
"If a building is not properly sealed, air can enter through the structures. This can easily happen in buildings with mechanical exhaust air systems, where there is strong underpressure inside the building. There is a risk that the structures will yield harmful compounds into indoor air.
According to Toni Anttila, effective sealing also helps to ensure that indoor air remains high quality.
"The Nisulankatu buildings have a mechanical exhaust air system. The exterior walls were built according to 1960s standards, which were obviously very different to those of today. When the sealing is done properly, make-up air enters through the vents only, just as it should."
Plenty of renovation targets
Rakennusliike Seiska, which employs some 60 persons, has been cooperating with Kiilto for years.
"Kiilto will also provide the levelling compounds for dry spaces, and, among other things, moulding and waterproofing agents, tile adhesives, grouting and silicones for wet rooms," says Anttila.
Seiska began working in Nisulankatu in April 2019. Building A has already been renovated, and the last one, building C, will be completed in September 2020.
"But there'll be lots of work after that, too. Plenty of buildings in the Jyväskylä area and, indeed, everywhere else in Finland have reached renovation age."
"Whenever we can choose, we'll use Kiilto products in the future, too," says Anttila.
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