https://www.mdu.se/

Housing construction very close to the lake Mälaren has become very popular today. One potential problem with these houses is the influence of the sea climate. Unprotected buildings are affected by strong winds and precipitation. So for that reason, it is very important to make an accurate climate investigation and use it for decision-making during the planning of the new settlement.

It is very important with a good moisture protection regarding pelting rain, that is the combination of wind and rain. This is more important for buildings close to a lake, as this location normally means a higher exposure to wind. The location of the main bodies of the houses has an effect on the wind force between the houses. Some house parts are affected more than other, for instance curtain walls, bays, balconies and so on. These are problematic because of water and moisture that are moving in into joints and cavities in connections.

Bigger efforts than climate investigations are needed to get rid of the moisture problem.

The different actors that are involved in the construction project need to cooperate and focus on potential moisture problems during the complete construction process, not only during the production phase. It is also important that the construction workers have the knowledge on how to construct buildings that are moisture safe in practice.

According to investigations made, it appears that many of the moisture damages in buildings originate from the production phase because of incorrect construction components that are moisture-sensitive. But approximately 50% of the moisture problems derive from the planning process. The reasons are mainly lack of easily available tools, (for instance descriptions of moisture protection), insufficient knowledge, lack of time and lack of interest. These early mistakes results in later problems during the production phase. It is of great importance that the project members have good communication with the building contractors. They need to inform them on how to calculate dry times for different construction components and what type of inspections that shall be performed.