Challenging renovation of uneven facade

Facade replacement with minimal impact on residents in the area

On Sångspelsgatan in Hisingsbacka, there are three rental properties owned by Stena Fastigheter. The properties were built in 1961 and have a total of 123 rental apartments. In February 2017, MVB began work on the renovation.

The work is expected to be completed in early 2018. MVB is one of Sweden's largest privately owned construction companies. MVB is active in house, land, and road construction, as well as project development.

MVB's task is to add insulation, replace windows, and update the façade. Since the residents will remain in their homes while the renovation is underway, this places high demands on the contractor. They must minimize the impact on the residents. The window replacement is really the only thing that directly affects the residents—all other renovation work is done from the outside.

Focus on the environment and well-being

Stena places great emphasis on energy efficiency and the living environment, which is reflected in the choice of materials and measures taken in its properties. Stena Fastigheter's vision is to offer long-term sustainable housing and premises in environments where people enjoy living and working. The company invests considerable resources in maintaining and developing its existing properties while also building new ones.

Stena wants to create safe and stable areas where residents can feel secure and stable. It also devotes considerable resources to reducing the environmental impact of its properties. This mainly involves reducing energy consumption in the form of electricity, heating, and water. This benefits residents, owners, and, above all, the environment. Stena's goal is to reduce energy consumption for heating and water by 20 percent and electricity by 30 percent between 2010 and 2020.

A challenge

The conditions for installing the new façade were not ideal. The façade was uneven and worn, and could not support any fixings.

1,400 holes were drilled to secure the steel frame. The facade was straightened and additionally insulated with 120 mm mineral wool. On top of this, new cladding from Ivarsson has been installed. The roof of the building has been insulated with an additional 200 mm of insulation, and the building has been equipped with a new heat recovery system. The windows are being replaced with more energy-efficient alternatives.

Europrofil has delivered a solution with vertical slotted exterior wall studs, CY120, onto which a wind barrier and a vertical 45 mm hat profile have been mounted as a base for new facade cladding. The C-profile has been anchored to the rear joist edge because the existing sandwich facade could not bear the load.

Saving time on the project thanks to Europrofil's facade system

Thanks to Europrofil's system, the time required for installing the steel frame, insulation, and wind barrier has been approximately one hour per m2.

A project like this places high demands on both suppliers and contractors, not least because the residents in the area should be affected as little as possible. The logistics must be planned down to the smallest detail so as not to clutter the entire area with materials, while at the same time ensuring that the right materials are always on site to avoid delays.

The project manager at Europrofil explains:

– Good communication between us and the customer is essential for a project like this to run according to schedule. We need to plan our production to ensure that the availability of materials and any changes in conditions do not cause any obstacles.