BIOBASED NT DECO CHOSEN FOR CLIMATE SMART WOODEN HOUSES
ETC Bygg is a new Swedish construction company that builds more affordable and more ecological rental properties with timber frames. The CLT elements that remain visible are treated at the worksite using the biobased NT DECO flame retardant.
ETC Bygg is known for the construction of energy efficient houses, and it wants to avoid today's standard construction materials, such as concrete and plaster, in its construction projects. The idea is that the timber structures of the houses contain sequestered carbon dioxide, which makes them more climate friendly. The company believes that the use of climate smart structural solutions is one of the most important things we can do at the moment for the climate.
CLT MODULE CONSTRUCTION ALLOWS FOR LOWER CONSTRUCTION COSTS
A house will become climate-friendly if it is built from the right materials. There are many wooden houses in Sweden, but they often feature concrete frames. The houses of ETC Bygg utilize, to the extent permitted by the construction standards, CLT modules, completely wooden facades, plastic-free toilet walls, recycled materials, extremely effective insulation solutions, and solar panels on the roofs and balconies.
The company aims to identify climate smart solutions for each detail. For example, the timber frames manufactured in Austria are made from wood that is not harvested through clear felling, and the construction elements are transported by rail wherever possible.
ETC BYGG'S CLIMATE-SMART RENTAL HOME IN VÄXJÖ. CLT ELEMENTS TREATED WITH NORDTREAT'S BIO-BASED NT DECO FIRE PROTECTION. IMAGE: Kaminsky Arkitektur.
INTERIOR CLT SURFACES FEATURE NT DECO FLAME RETARDANT TREATMENT
CLT module construction is an established and ideal construction method for new wooden buildings that saves time, money, and the environment. The modules are highly adaptable and recyclable, and they also improve the quality of indoor air.
In 2022, ETC Bygg had cozy wooden apartment blocks built in Västerås and Växjö. For the residents, the CLT surface is in itself a stylish and warm interior decoration element, in addition to which the wooden material breathes naturally. Any CLT elements that remained visible in interior areas required flame retardant treatment for fire class B-s1, d0. The company chose NT DECO, which was tinted white based on the NCS color S 0500-N.
The surface treatment was carried out by the painting company Propio Wood Ab from Stockholm. According to supervisor Michal Drazek, in addition to its flame-retardant properties, the advantages of NT DECO also include its environmental friendliness and the fact that it is tintable.
“As the surface treatment was carried out using a tinted and translucent product, the work required some familiarization with the NT DECO product and the on-site method used for the application at the worksite. Luckily, Nordtreat had trained our personnel, which allowed us to learn how to use the product quickly. After this, the process was extremely smooth and the result as we expected.”
Michal Drazek, Supervisor, Propio Wood Ab
SURFACE TREATMENT TRAINING HAS AN IMPORTANT ROLE
Propio Wood Ab and ETC Bygg are both certified worksite fire protection partners of Nordtreat. This means that the companies have been trained on the use of Nordtreat's NT DECO for on-site surface treatment. The training has comprised, among other things, the basics of protecting wooden structures against fire, the application and handling of the flame retardant, the correct tools and conditions, monitoring the conditions where flame retardant is used and its consumption, and documentation.
“The objective of the training is to ensure that the worksite partner is familiar with the properties of NT DECO and is able to utilize them in order to carry out high-quality surface treatments quickly and smoothly.”
Pekka Hurri, Technical Manager, Nordtreat Oy
The personnel of Propio were convinced by the training. Michal Drazek expects to use Nordtreat's products and services in the future as well.
“The technical service and communication of Nordtreat has been excellent throughout the surface treatment process, and I only have good things to say about their work. We intend to use NT DECO in our future projects as well, and I can also recommend the product to others.”
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