Nordic Swan Ecolabel for a detached house
Finland’s first Nordic Swan Ecolabelled detached house Villa Roiha is under construction in Kaarina. The building site uses Kiilto products which meet the strict environmental criteria for the Nordic Swan Ecolabel. Along with nvironmental considerations, the new inhabitants want to ensure that the indoor climate is clean.
This is the first time Sami Roiha is building a house. That is a challenge in itself, but this project is even more demanding than usual, as it will be the first Nordic Swan Ecolabelled detached house in Finland.
Sami says that he was looking for a bigger home for his wife Salla and their children Ellen (5 years) and Edvin (3 years). Originally, they didn’t plan on building it themselves, but then by chance they found a great site in Piikkiönlahti, Kaarina, right by the sea.
“Initially, we were thinking about a prefabricated house. However, I wanted to be involved in the quality control process, so I figured that building it myself would provide me with more options. I got interested in the Nordic Swan Ecolabel, since it has very strict criteria for the building materials and products, and every detail needs to be documented.”
”Both me and Salla wanted to ensure particularly that there would be no problems with the indoor climate. Especially for Salla, general environmental considerations were an important factor, too.”
Lots of research
The building of Villa Roiha began in the summer of 2016. In February 2018, they are working on the interior, which includes waterproofing wetroom floors and walls.
Sami tells that carpenter Lauri Pennala has been mainly responsible for the building work. Lately a junior carpenter, Sakari Aaltonen, has also been assisting on the site.
“It has taken a long time, partly because of the strict product requirements and all the required research. For example, this morning I have already spent a long time studying the formaldehyde emissions of different kitchen fittings.”
“To be honest, I must admit that for a private person, building according to the Nordic Swan Label criteria is quite a lot of work. But I hope that construction firms are inspired by this model. In Sweden there are already hundreds of Nordic Swan Labelled houses.”
Easy co-operation with Kiilto
Sami tells that they have used quite a few Kiilto products in Villa Roiha, including Kiilto KeraPro, Kiilto Keraprimer, Kiilto Masa and Kiilto grouts and silicone sealants.
“Right from the beginning, we found lots of the Nordic Swan Ecolabel compliant products from Kiilto – much more than from other companies.”
“Kiilto has also commendably added products to the Nordic Swan Ecolabel Database, which makes my job significantly easier. This means that I don’t need a separate approval by the Nordic Swan Ecolabel organization for these products.”
Sami also tells that Kiilto has always provided him with tips and help when needed, such as more detailed product information.
“They are also clearly interested in our project and excited about it.”
More Nordic Swan Ecolabelled detached houses
Villa Roiha's frame materials - EPS blocks as the base element - are supplied by Hevi Kivitalot.
“We are happy to promote a new, environmentally friendly and safe building model. Sami has done a groundbreaking job. We will certainly use the experience gained from this project in the future, too”, says Lauri Pöyhönen, Managing Director of Hevi Kivitalot.
He adds that they are already planning more construction work. Another Nordic Swan Ecolabelled detached house is being built in Tampere, and the company is participating in the project.
Teijo-Talot has participated in the already finished projects of building a Nordic Swan Ecolabelled day care centre and sheltered housing. A Nordic Swan Ecolabelled summer cabin has also been built in Finland.
In addition to the materials, the criteria for the Nordic Swan Ecolabel include, for example, strict requirements for the energy efficiency of the building.
“The energy palette of Villa Roiha includes solar panels, geothermal heat and effective heat recovery from ventilation”, says Sami Roiha.
Educational experience
The IT project manager says that he has learned a lot about housebuilding.
“In my regular work, if a PowerPoint presentation goes a bit awry, we will just make a new one. That is not an option in building. When you measure a beam, cut and install it, there's no room for mistakes.”
“Everything has to be planned carefully in advance. There are lots of things to consider and match together. Also the selected materials play a crucial role.”
Behind the Nordic Swan Ecolabelled house is a large, tempting playground. New children will be playing there in the future, but Sami does not dare to speculate how soon.
“There's also a beach within a walking distance. It will be nice to live here, once we complete this project”, ponders Sami.
Lauri Pennala is applying another layer of Kiilto Kerapro in the upstairs toilet. “After I used Kiilto products for the first time, I saw no reason to try any other products. In my opinion, these are the best”, he says.
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