Vertia, a Finnish company specializing in ensuring housing quality, recognized the homebuilders that delivered the most airtight homes in 2023. Last year, Vertia conducted airtightness tests on nearly 2,000 new buildings, of which approximately 1,800 were single-family homes.
The airtightness comparison included home builders for whom Vertia had conducted airtightness measurements on at least ten single-family homes in 2023. An additional requirement was that the measured properties had to represent a significant portion of that homebuilder’s single-family home deliveries. The ranking was determined by the average air leakage rate of the measured homes.
The "Proven to Be the Most Airtight 2024" award was presented in five competition categories. The winner of both the Wooden House and House Package categories is Jetta-Talo Oy with its Jetta-Levyvalmis deliveries. The winner of the Stone House category is Lammin Betoni Oy with its Lammi Kivitalo deliveries. Kiiruna Talot Oy won the Log House and Prefabricated House categories.
The awards ceremony was held on Friday, January 26, at the Build and Renovate Fair in Vantaa. The event began with a speech by Vertia’s CEO Topi Jokinen explained the importance of airtightness in modern construction.
Based on measurement results from 12,000 buildings, he outlined the most important factors that builders should take into account. The statistics from these measurements are freely available on the Vertia Kanta online service.
– The quality of construction in Finland has improved significantly in terms of airtightness over the past decade or so of measurements. Based on last year’s measurement results, the home builders recognized today are pioneers, and each has been proven to be the best in its competitive category. However, quality has also improved across the board among other players, says Topi Jokinen.
Measurement verifies quality and supports development efforts
Award-winning home builders view standardized measurement and the publication of statistics as valuable efforts to improve construction quality. Independent, documented measurement data provides a solid foundation for industry-wide discussion on the subject, as well as for the further development of their own products and operations.
In the Wooden House and House Package categories, Jetta-Talo emerged as the winner with its Jetta-Levyvalmis delivery service. Sales Director Tapio Sivula recognizes that structural airtightness is a fundamental prerequisite for a building’s safety and energy efficiency. Furthermore, it is an important aspect of sustainability, which is the guiding principle behind the company’s products and operations.
– Instead of a traditional vapor barrier, we use thermal panels to achieve a high level of airtightness. This is a safer and easier-to-implement solution in terms of moisture control. In addition, we oversee the completion of the house—for example, regarding the installation of building services—to ensure that the airtightness of the house we deliver is maintained.
Kiiruna Talot, the winner of the Log House and Prefabricated House categories, explains that it has designed its products to ensure structural airtightness right from the conceptual design phase. CEO Ismo Säily At the detail level, this makes it easier to achieve a high level of airtightness.
“This approach enables mass production, where airtightness tests on completed homes consistently yield excellent results across all projects. We’ve achieved this through consistent operational and product development,” says Säily.
Installation Coordinator at Lammin Betoni, winner of the Stone House competition category Joonas Sipari says that a successful project for the customer is a matter of pride for them. An important part of this is high quality and airtight construction. Years of collaboration with Vertia on measurements have given them the confidence to manage areas at risk of air leaks and to locate even potential hidden leaks.
– For us, airtightness starts with the design phase, and we offer products that ensure the home’s airtightness as well as a two-step airtightness test. “We’ve also always prioritized the quality of our concrete blocks. When attention is paid to even the smallest details, the result is an airtight, high-quality home,” says Sipari.
Additional information:
Topi Jokinen, CEO, Vertia Oy, tel. 040 835 1440, topi.jokinen@vertia.fi
www.vertia.fi/tutkitusti-tiivein/
https://kanta.vertia.fi/