Since last summer, many construction companies have been struggling with their unsold new properties.
Monthly trade in new apartment buildings that have not been sold, expensive renovation costs can pile up if the dry winter air has time to ruin the floor materials. Wood-based materials in particular, for example parquet floors, can be badly damaged due to excessively dry room air, say industry professionals interviewed by STT.
“When the apartments are moved into shortly after completion, the humidity of the room air also settles favorably on wooden surfaces and wooden materials. However, in an empty and unused apartment or office, the humidity can be below 20 percent,” says the owner and chairman of the board of parquet manufacturer PR Wood Oy. Pekka Ropa.
The sharp decline in housing sales has slowed sales of new properties in particular, and the largest construction companies are already burdened with hundreds of vacant apartments. There are even whole blocks of apartment buildings that are empty or inhabited by only a few residents.
The consulting company Forecon, which studies the construction market, has estimated that at the beginning of 2024 there would be around 5,000 new apartment buildings for sale in Finland. For builders, this means ongoing real estate maintenance and energy costs, which under normal circumstances would already be the responsibility of the building societies that have been handed over.
Too dry room air can be seen in parquet, board and laminate floors as cracks and warping. Parquet floors that were installed in early autumn and have been in an empty apartment over the winter can even end up being completely renewed.
Warping and cracking is also increased by the fact that current floor materials are even thinner. According to Pekka Ropa, who has worked in wood interior design and construction for 40 years, the most sensitive are the so-called floating parquets installed without gluing.
“In new locations, the first installation parquets are often so cheap and of poor quality that they become completely new when they dry out. Admittedly, the frost periods experienced this winter have also been challenging in the renovation sites,” says Ropa.
The entrepreneur of a parquet shop in Helsinki, who only a few years ago was doing subcontracting work for larger construction companies, has the same opinion. He doesn't want to appear in the story under his name, because it could make it difficult to get work orders. The name of the entrepreneur is known to STT.
“Yes, construction companies are in trouble with these warping and cracking floors in winter. Of course, the customer can be assured during the transaction that the floor will straighten with living and furniture. At the same time, it is hoped that these would not demand that it be repaired. In previous years, customers were even given air humidifiers to help them,” says the entrepreneur.
Like Pekka Ropa, he states that the quality of the basic parquets has deteriorated, which makes them even more sensitive to changes in air quality.
“For example, the thickness of surface veneers has dropped to half of what it was before,” says the parquet entrepreneur.
Construction company YIT has around 900 unsold apartments in various parts of Finland. Director of the company's housing construction in the capital region Harri Isoviita is aware of the renovation risks related to the floors, but assures that they are significantly smaller than in previous years.
“Yes, this has been learned the hard way, and we have started using higher quality materials. Parquets have also been replaced with laminates and vinyls, which are not so sensitive to changes in humidity. There are fewer major exchange jobs now than before,” says Isoviita.
The repair risk is also tackled with regular inspection rounds. In connection with them, the indoor temperature and ventilation are checked, and water is drawn from the faucets, which brings more moisture into the room air.
“Longer periods of frost are of course challenging. If necessary, we also use air humidifiers. In practice, empty houses are cared for in the same way as occupied ones,” adds Isoviita.
According to him, no significant additional costs arise from inspection rounds and minor maintenance work.
“The work is done by the same team that is in the area anyway,” says Isoviita.
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