Norway's different residential building practices

[@fintux]

A Finn here (we share a lot of the methodology with Norway, but not all of it). The reason we often have separate electric heating in the bathroom floor is to make sure the floor dries up after using the bathroom even in the summer, when the rest of the heating switches off. Also, it keeps the floor warm to touch even during the summer time.

[@allahsnackbar9915]

most important in the bathroom is the proper ventilation...

[@fintux]

@allahsnackbar9915 yes, I never said the floor heating was the most important thing, though. I was just explaining some reasons why there often is electric floor heating in the bathrooms despite of having circulating water floor heating in other rooms.

[@sampsalol]

@@fintux Ventilation is a given that it is always on and speeds up and down according to the humidity percent detected by the ventilation system. In my Finnish 2023 built house the bathroom also has a liquid heating in the floor slab with 35 celsius water going through it all year round. The only difference to the rest of the house is that the liquid is flowing unrestricted always, unlike the rest of the house with each liquid circuit panel controlling the flow according to the room temperature. Heating source is a ground source heat pump.

[@silentdeath7847]

Generally bathrooms will have its own temperature controll seperat from the rest. This is most likelly to make it easier to keep pipes from freezing in the winter. Every single house i've lived in and visited have had that.

[@fintux]

@@sampsalol yup, where I live there's a constant water flow heating in the bathroom (provided the circulation pump is on); however, the water temperature is not constant there, it depends on the outdoor temperature. But I've seen many dwellings where the bathroom has electric heating while the rest of the house has water-based heating.

[@jumboegg5845]

9:45 "Its almost like there's a handbook on how things need to be built, and everyone's following it". At first, I thought he was being sarcastic, but he was actually being serious lol.

[@spinnetti]

Well, being from Texas, proper construction is purely optional.

[@sofiehalvorsen3881]

Norwegian plumber here👋 In norway we do actually have a national buildings manual, it gets update from time to time, and explains in detail how everything must be built or minimum. Now a days, we follow the TEK17, before that it was TEK10, the numbers refer to the year it was written/updated😊

[@glot1n]

Here is a link to an english version of TEK17 www.dibk.no/globalassets/byggeregler/regulation-on-technical-requirements-for-construction-works--technical-regulations.pdf

[@nickk7653]

I heard that and immediately thought "well, obviously... that and formal apprenticeships make sure people are properly educated". Such nouveau methods we've been doing since at least medieval times.

[@KaspersMC]

hmm ... "handbook" 🤔it sounds like some conspiracy theories ; )~ thihi

[@Elektoos]

The hand book is called TEK17 and the research for the standards are a collaboration between the industry and a program called Byggforsk (building research) by SINTEF one of Europes largest independent practical research organisations. The best practices in TEK17 is THE LAW when you are building new constructions i Norway.

[@GreenIllness]

Yeah, right.

[@tomivar9469]

TEK17 is also a big reason why living costs are so High in norway

[@Elektoos]

@@tomivar9469 this is true.

[@ALCLCFVIS]

@@tomivar9469 higher construction costs is the reason why in Portugal they are built cheaply and then cry in winter...

[@RuneBørsjø]

@@GreenIllness He's not joking. If you don't follow the rules, you are liable, as a contractor.

[@janhanchenmichelsen2627]

Regarding rain and wood: The oldest part of my all wooden Bergen townhouse is around 250 years old. Of course, many repairs have been made during all these years, but the timber core and load bearing structure is still in great shape. Even many of the horizontally mounted weather boards date back to around 1850, when the house was enlarged. This is in the wettest town in Europe. These very traditional wooden buildings can last for centuries, but when insulating, a the advice I got from experts was to leave everything diffusion open, including insulation materials. I use blown-in cellulose fibre or wood based insulation mats when renovating. No damp barrier. This will allow the house to "breathe" between seasons.

[@Mnnvint]

We have a nice outdoor museum close to where I live, Sunnmøre Museum, with lots of old, extremely rustic wooden buildings, and my sister who lives in the UK pointed out that the little, normal house they lived in was older than all the houses there! In Norway, 250 years on a house is really old, in the UK, it's quite normal...

[@iimaev]

Yeah thats pretty much spot on. I'm a building engineer in Norway. Whenever I have clients that want to after insulate their house and only that I have to explain just this. It's a good thing to make the house warmer and more efficient. But the moisture also need to be addressed. Else you will find mold and other problems real quick even in a surface renovation

[@kristofferr.b3224]

The exterior gypsum is threaten so it can handle more moisture than the interior one. The rainscreen is crucial for this to work, but if works in Bergen it will work anywhere. It's not that hard to get to passivehouse level of airtightness with just the exterior gypsum if its taped correctly. The rockwool on the steel column is probably fire protection. This building probably have a higher firerating than normal since its multiple units over many floors. The heatcable in the bathroom floor isn't just for comfort it's also to dry the floor. In the summertime the liquid system is probably shut off, thats why it's electric in the bathroom.

[@savagegtalks5912]

That's damn sure! if it works in Bergen, it work anywhere^^ 🤣

[@frodej6640]

Glass wool from the company Glava is the most used insulation material you will find everywhere(We just call that insulation "Glava"). Rockwool is sometimes used as alternative. I have never seen the american style insulation like spray foam, and thank god for that. That just look messy. I also find it questionable to put stuff in a house when you need hazmat to apply it. Not to mention having to handle that foam or dust when renovating or destroying a building. Glava has its own issues for sure, but I find that much more acceptable than the american alternative. The insulation we get from "Glava" is very good when it is applied with enough thickness and done properly.

[@onfungi8815]

Spray foam is easy and a known cost that returns value to the installer. The long term consequence for the building and home owners however, spray foam is starting to look like its not a good idea. Congratulations to the Norwegians for adapting quickly. I would like to see more hemp insulation. I think there's a real opportunity to go the next step with smarter less energy and emission intensive insulations.

[@agilagilsen8714]

@@onfungi8815just for fun I’d recommend looking up the story of glava on youtube. It’s a fun video and the story is quite interesting as well. Also, glava is a Norwegian company, which almost certainly helped with the quick adoption.

[@MrYishaiShields]

The hazmat suit is because its basically spray glue. You wont be able to clean up without it.

[@Zajuts149]

Spray foam is mostly used in nooks and crannies where Glava or Rockwool won't fit.

[@seag1492]

Fascinating to see the differences. Great video Mark!

[@onfungi8815]

Thanks guys. Benchmarking is always a smart idea and it really looks like the Norwegians have things dialled. Learning is good.

[@josuelugo4506]

It would be interesting to see somebody from Norway come over here to America and check our building methods 😁

[@raspucin70]

As someone who grew in Europe and now resides in US (30+ yrs) I can assure that people in Europe would not build a barn using US methods, let alone a house.

[@JM-kn9dh]

I think it really depends on the area

[@sparksmcgee6641]

Yeah do a multi-story condo building vs this multi-story condo. Everyone compares the worst US to the best European.

[@Knasern]

I did do just that with a team 15 people, we traveled for 3 months through the US in 2019. We all had the same experience " Wtf is this" We might have been unlucky, but we went everywhere from skyscrapers in new york, to a simple garage build in the suburbs and we followed a big conctrator all the way. Now im not saying everything is bad, there where many cool tools and material features that i would like to implement in Norway, but the material felt cheap, so it would need to be upgraded to be used

[@JM-kn9dh]

@@Knasern is it cause its mostly wood construction? Or is it some of the other stuff?

[@mattiaarnio9249]

In the Nordics we do have national build standard manuals, and they are quite alike in between us. Also the product vendors look very familiar even though I am not in Norway.

[@georgelynch6139]

Our saying is “insulation is cheaper than electricity” 👍

[@silentdeath7847]

It deffinently is now😂 thanks Europe....

[@Mnnvint]

Well, the electricity is cheap (most of the time), but it's cold outside also.

[@frodenystad6937]

Im from Norway, and we use a standard all over in all new houses - so they all are similar. It’s also a building-control system so it’s done right. If you borrow money then the bank also is going to have a management role. And yes Siga rules!

[@gnomiefirst9201]

Financial investors (banks) back the mega home builders and banks make many (all?) mortgage loans in the US. They don't care about the construction quality or condition of the property being sold. A lot of dirty deeds going on.

[@TullaRask]

@@gnomiefirst9201 In Norway everyone screams for the government to do something, and they can start making even banks comply. During the financial crises in the 80's the government would help the private banks who had been doing something wrong, but only if they bought the hole bank. That was the punishment for the bankers, suddenly the government owned them all. They sold a few years later. In Norway the government lurks in the shadows. A very different attitude than in the US, where you just sue someone.

[@VidarLund-k5q]

​@@TullaRaskYou're wrong. Banks went bancrupt thanks to their own stupidity, even old well renowned banks like Bergens Kreditbank and Kredittkassen, plus some new irresponsible banks. The biggest bank that survived by the Government taking over was the DNB, formerly Den norske kredittbank. It's partly state owned and is extremely successful.

[@TullaRask]

@VidarLund-k5q I didn't talk about specific banks, I was thinking about DNB, what happened in Bergen I have no clue. Also I wasn't WRONG as you say, only it was a lot of banks going down in the Jappetida, some where bought by the government, and some not even saved.

[@VidarLund-k5q]

You should have dine to understand fully what happened​. I mentioned the most renowned banks, Bergen bank (Bergens privatbank had subsidiaries everywhere, not only in Bergen. New banks that went bust were Oslo anken and Fokus bank, they were only a few years old and practically threw money after people totally irresponsible. All this happened solely because prime minister Kåre Willoch became smitten with the disasterous economics of RonaldReagan and Margareth Thatcher.@@TullaRask

[@Nils_1984]

Builders and plummers follow the TEK17, the electrical is done by book NEK400. The house even get pressure tested. All new houses has balanced ventilation as well. The TEK, is the minimum and then you could even further and have a goal of passive house. I believe the EU is aiming for this soon.

[@EmilKlingberg]

My Norwegian house was built in the 60s, it uses horse hair, and sheep's wool as insulation in some of the older walls XD There are starting to be some humidity issues, so it's time to refresh them but considering they held so well for 60+ years is pretty impressive for such a caveman material.

[@caiusjacoby9257]

The houses build in the 60s and 70s here i Norway seems to hold pretty well, they are built to dry up easy. I dont think new houses dry up inside the construction as well

[@ALLworldCONSTRUCTIONLLC]

When black ink is applied to wood, it can create an effect similar to staining, but with more intense pigmentation. The wood absorbs the ink, darkening the surface while still allowing the grain patterns to remain visible. It's often used for artistic pieces or wood-turning projects, especially if a sleek, modern look is desired.

[@fredericapanon207]

@ALLworldCONSTRUCTIONLLC, I thought that perhaps that wood had been charred black (Japanese or Korean technique). Apparently that keeps insects away.

[@Orbit353]

The black wood is most likely "royalimpregnering", a common wood treatment in the Nordics to get low maintenance. The wood is first impregnated with copper salts, then vacuum boiled in oil (e.g. lint seed) along with the staining. Maintenance coatings of oils can be applied when needed, but are needed less frequently compared to paint.

[@Mnnvint]

Right now in Norway, it's fashionable with untreated wood cladding. Supposedly if you used the right types of wood it doesn't rot, or at least doesn't rot much faster than treated wood. That may be, but it looks really ugly if it's unevenly weathered, with splotches of black where it's hardest hit. Even if evenly weathered it's not exactly beautiful.

[@greatstomp]

There is electric heating in the bathroom beacause there is no heat in the liquid system in the summer :).

[@Memeonomist]

In Finland, and I guess in Norway too, there is often separate heat exchanger and piping circuit for just bathrooms which can provide heat during summer too.

[@ristekostadinov2820]

i use flip flops when i get out of shower and i don't feel cold, and in the summer because i don't cool the bathroom (and outside easily get 40C) the floor is warm 😁😁

[@buckbenelli8]

This is a how a country should be run.

[@KlausEvenEnevoldsen]

No, no, to an American it's communism :D

[@caiusjacoby9257]

Here in Norway it is too expensive to build new houses because of theese regulations. Only very rich people can afford to build because you have to follow all these rules, so this is not tge right way

[@guylambrechts2303]

Funny to see my favourite building team visit Europe,

[@1CelloOne]

I enjoyed watching this, thank you!

[@FranciscoTChavez]

Seattle doesn't really get that much rain. It is a rainy area, and it does rain often. And, it does have a rainy season where it does rain a lot during that time. But, when it comes to total-yearly rainfall, it's a lot less than most people expect.

[@treborsirrah7916]

In short 40 inches a year

[@Noam-w1l]

At 6:40 - I'm surprised that Steve seems to find supplemental electric bathroom heat to be a sort of novelty. Growing up myself decades ago in a warm southern climate, every house with middle-class or better pretensions always had some form of supplemental switched electrical heat in each bathroom for just the reasons Steve intuits here. It might be hot outside, but if the whole house is air conditioned then you might be uncomfortably cold getting out of the bath. Or it might be a rare cold winter's night, you're gutting it out without central heating as the whole house cools to 68, 67 degrees, and you can wear long sleeves everywhere else except when you are stepping out of the bath dripping wet and unclothed. When I built some new bathrooms in the mid-Atlantic I made sure they all had supplemental heat - either an exhaust fan assembly that also had a recirculating 1000w fan heater mode (from Broan) that I put on a twist-timer, or an electric heating mat under the tiles run off a special thermostat that probed the floor.

[@knutbergan]

It is good construction techniques, but not without faults. Flat roof with parapet walls is certainly not a good idea where snow and ice form 5 months out of the year and neither is it in Florida with torrential rain. I recently observed, a less than 2 year old commercial flat roof building in Trysil, a massive failure in the sealing of the roof drain pipe due to frost/ thaw cycle. Needless to say a massive flooding inside with resultant damage was the result. If it had been on a multistory family or office building the insurance claim would have grown exponential. One thing they do right in Norway and should be mandatory in US is that everything should be pipe in pipe or wire in pipe for safety and serviceability.

[@Level10Gamers]

We have a standard that says how to build houses so that would be why as you say we build all houses very similar.

[@Guiltyme]

The city you are in, Bergen, is the rainiest city in Norway

[@Randomdude21-e]

In europe

[@Guiltyme]

@@Randomdude21-e 😂

[@Randomdude21-e]

@@Guiltyme 😅 Bergen, Norway Bergen, Norway Securing the number one spot as the rainiest city in Europe is Bergen in Norway! Topping the data table for being both the city with the highest average rain days per month (12.7) as well as the highest average daily rainfall (8.8mm), Bergen is the outright rainiest city in Europe. 🤣

[@Guiltyme]

@@Randomdude21-e not supprised😂

[@Randomdude21-e]

@@Guiltyme hehe, no😅

[@jongwinner7205]

Sure would be nice to see how the modified bitumen roof membrane was installed and how the roof system was insulated as well as installed.

[@clivewilliams3661]

Torch-on polymer modified bitumen felt roofing has been around in Europe for about 40 years and is basically laid as traditional pour and roll bitumen felt roofing used be be. The big advantage of the polymer modified variety is that the bitumen does not become brittle and crack, so can last for upwards of 15 years and often a lot longer, whereas the previous standard bitumen roofs only last 5 years. I am slightly surprised that bitumen felt is still used as a main roofing material in Norway because here in UK we have moved to PVC and EPDM because of their improved performance. I appreciate that the roofs are due to be finished with a Sedum that will protect the bitumen from the UV and solar gain/freezing cycles but the cappings are exposed.

[@jongwinner7205]

@@clivewilliams3661 I am a commercial roofing contractor in Washington state my company has been around for over 100 years. I’m a fifth generation owner not of the same family. I wanted to see somebody in another country torching on rolls. The manufacturers we use were originally from France. I’m sure they’re the same.

[@clivewilliams3661]

@@jongwinner7205 Torch-on felt is still available in UK but whereas it was the go-to product in 1980's it has been superseded by other, higher performing materials and torch-on tends to be used on small projects. Where bitumen roofs have failed it is now far cheaper to overlay the original roof with a hi-perf alternative that can give a 25years insurance backed guarantee rather than re-roof with bitumen felt . The original big player supplying roofing felt was Tarmac, who used to produce a seminal extensive handbook on the detailing and installation but the scene has changed in favour of more 'modern' materials

[@Randomdude21-e]

@@clivewilliams3661norway also mostly use pvc now

[@AmandaHuggenkiss]

Isn’t it good Norwegian wood?

[@disqusrubbish5467]

Your five upvotes (at the moment) make me think only 5 people remember that song...

[@philt77]

They buy Swedsih wood. As USA do too, so is most carpenters. Swedish carpenters are very good and get better salary in Norway

[@Orikix]

11:00 Remember that you are in the most rainy city in Europe

[@xokissmekatexo]

Question re: the radiant heat. If the dwelling is so tight is radiant overkill? Or do people just like it because it feels overall more comfortable?

[@mattiaarnio9249]

It is quite pleasant to have the floor feel warm enough that you do not need thick carpets on floors. Also that avoids the need to have separate radiators or ducted heated air. Of course our weather is such that we rarely would need any cooling systems. (30 cm/1 feet thick wall/floor/ceiling insulation minimizes heat flow - be it from inside to out, or from outside to in. Doubling that insulation thickness is not unheard of..)

[@TheWetting2]

It became common when newer codes for energy efficiency came about (early 2000 i believe, but i dont remember) One code required alternative heating source not reliant on active grid power or fossile fuel. Basically that ment either wood stove, stored electricity or circulating heated water. (probably forgetting some alternatives). Wood stoves works great in single houses. Alternatively air-to-water heat pumps are popular. For apartment complexes water-to-water heat pumps gets used a lot.

[@xokissmekatexo]

@@mattiaarnio9249 makes sense! Where I live we would still need AC, it is pretty hot with intense sun in my location.

[@clivewilliams3661]

Underfloor (radiant) heating is a very efficient way to heat a space. The circulating water is set at a temperature of around 45degC (113degF). Heat rises from the floor and cools marginally by the time it gets to the ceiling so that there is no stratification of the heat. If the temperature at floor level is say 24degC (75degF) then that is likely to be the temperature at all levels. Generally we feel the temperature on our bodies at the extremities i.e. our feet so that more often the room temperature can be reduced and we can still feel warm if our tootsies are. With a radiator system, much of the heat is generated by convection so hot air from the radiator rises, moves across the ceiling to the cold spots like windows, cools and then flows across the floor back to the radiator thus the temperature at floor level is probably 1-2degC colder than the level set by the room stat because it senses the upper air temperature. We then set the room stat to gain our warm feet at say 24degC but are generating a room temp of 26degC to compensate. The same applies to warm air systems but without the modicum of the radiant heat that also provides a warming feel to the upper body that radiators give. This means that underfloor heating is the most efficient followed by radiators and then warm blown air. The underfloor heating system shown will be overlaid with a sand/cement screed that then gives thermal mass to the system as well as even distribution.

[@PowerfulWarbird]

BÆRGEN!!!

[@halholloway5694]

the uncured sealant looks to be similar to the lap weather seal on R Panel metal roofing.

[@jonjak80]

These "nails" on the steelbeams are hotwelded and are many time used to prevent fire hitting the steel

[@nikinnorway]

"It's almost as if there is a handbook..." You're so close to getting it.

[@makingwaves1239]

We have building specifications, for instance TEK-17, that the entrepreneurs use as blueprint for what requirements new buildings need to meet.

[@MrBaconis]

So, is a 4" rain screen better than the huber 3/16 rain screen?

[@LogansRun314]

I feel like this was a sarcastic and/or excellent question😁

[@garygibson133]

Interesting, the very deep annular space for the rain screen/plane does have a gigantic increase in drying potential due to air flow / low flow resistance (I have significant experience w/ CFD, computational Fluid Dynamics, and in situ validation of such computations). Something to consider for environments with high potential of rainfall/water intrusion.

[@Darrida]

It depends on the height of the building. There is hardly any air movement on low buildings.

[@kurtzcol]

fascinating

[@olgajoachimosmundsen4647]

The gypsum has a wax layer on it

[@PunQueen]

2:43 The name Primur is a pun of Primer and "Mur", meaning a wall of brick or concrete

[@Infernal_Elf]

in Norway u either build very proper or the house will be mouldy or fall apart very quickly. There is overall rules for how u should build buildings also. we have alot of rain and Temperatures range from -20 to 30+ Celsius this applies to almost all regions. in recent decade or so tho there has been many times shortcuts where taken and use of cheap unskilled labor from eastern europe on multiple family developments.

[@disqusrubbish5467]

Standing next to a concrete wall: "Lots of wood framing..."

[@aritakalo8011]

Yeah. Those are mere balcony and interior dressing walls. It's all concrete elementing on the actual structural elements. Most likely built as fire cells. Meaning solid reinforced concrete walls between apartments, with few controlled and insulated penetrations. Heck not most likely, it is fire cells since fire safety building code demands that. Also I found them calling the airing vent an "wood furniture element of the window" funny. No that is the optional ventilation hatch, when you really want to air out the apartment. So one doesn't have to open the whole window or door. With the standard rain screen on out side so you can also vent during rain without it raining inside.

[@lawnthusiast]

Can anyone help me out find the stock music track used at the end of Matt's videos? Thanks a bunch.

[@LucasRichardStephens]

We also have solid wood wall buildings in Norway, that are more pleasant to live in than these houses you have reviewed, though they are less well suited to that particular coastal region you visited. Also cellulose fibre insulation is used extensively and will continue to increase in use. This building technique you have shown is a sad development for home owners here. Post war building here can be characterised by a continuous experimental progression of methods that change due to failure more than due to improving (though theoretical U and K values have increased). Conversely traditional timber houses continue to attract new builders and exhibit a level of sophistication these buildings are generations behind, displaying systems that were perfected and stabilised 5-600 years ago. These building traditions are also influential across Northern Europe. Solid wood houses will, however remain niche products for an above average informed market.

[@aBoogivogi]

All houses that are a hundred years or so are usually solid timber and initially had very little if any insulation, but if they have been in continuous use most of them have all been insulated heavily since then. If the technique you are talking about is "lafting" then you can forget your R values. It's also problematic in areas with heavy rainfall like Bergen as the continuous rain and high humidity prevents the wood from drying.

[@LucasRichardStephens]

@@aBoogivogi If you learn the tradition of "Lafting", it is a very deep subject. Too extensive for a comments section.

[@elg1gy]

Tell me a single benefit of a mass timber wall compared to the type of exterior wall in the video? There is none.​@@LucasRichardStephens

[@LucasRichardStephens]

@@elg1gy No you can educate yourself. Why would I try and convince a person that has made up their mind already. I would not live in that building if you payed me. It is worst than a timber house if every way (for me).

[@PIL-t3x]

Tiny living boxes at extremely high prices saddling the owners with debt for life. Costing typically USD 5,000-10,000 per m2. Full of all kinds of synthetic materials making sure it burn down in minutes. Including mechanical ventilation adding costs and make indoor environment stuffy. That is Norway.

[@AgentSmith911]

I hate what our politicians have done to ruin our housing politics and policies. The bureaucratic proces and regulations have gotten way out of hand. Building a house is getting so expensive and unnecessarily energy efficient because of EU regulations pushed on us.

[@jepulis6674]

Building is expensive because of the price gauging done by companies. Greed has no limits.

[@pawelolender3709]

That reddish board is not gypsum. It's actually cement board - very expensive and resistant.

[@martintotland341]

The climate in Norway is very similar throughout the country so the buildings needs to be the same minimum. In the US you can't build a house in Alaska and expect it to work well in Florida.

[@MrDLYouTube]

As a Norwegian watching this: "They get 89 inches of rain here"....Me: What? Where is this? "We are in Bergen.." Me; Ah, right. That checks out.

[@jabberwockytdi8901]

What's different?, how about they don't build houses out of poor quality timber, house wrap and chicken wire, then forget the insulation in the loft while deleting the odd truss fastening for that elusive something different....

[@LogansRun314]

lol, this is so true. To be fair, Matt and Steve aren't exposed to any of that crap these days. They're builders seem to be super detailed by US standards.

[@Doubie.]

@@LogansRun314that’s true of most builders that aren’t massive corporations or that do anything but spec homes

[@mopar_6643]

​@@LogansRun314US standards? As a whole US has some of the strictest and safest building codes in the world.

[@ingegerdandersson6963]

@@mopar_6643according to whom?

[@VidarLund-k5q]

​@@mopar_6643Really? How come houses are demolished by storm all the time and torn away from their foundation. And without decent cellars.

[@OnlyEirik]

The rainscreen is for the cladding to dry, not the gypsum.

[@VelcorHF]

It does make sense that all of it would be similar. Why reinvent the wheel when you have something that works and you’re trying to protect your people from extreme cold.

[@Twikkilol]

Imagine simping over building quality of your house. This should just be standard practise

[@OriginalPuro]

There is a standard we built after, called Tec17. If you don't follow the standard then you end up with problems. It's amazing that any country can build anything without a standard, to me that just seems so stupid and wrong. PS: Not isolation, insulation.

[@qv81]

There is a hand book for everything hahaha.

[@Robin-xe4yz]

Wow, the Risinger brand is global now. Never thought you'd end up here when you started this whole thing huh?

[@kristianskarstein4564]

The reason every new building is done under the same code is because every laborer need to be certified and have been in labor school. in america it is allmost encuraged to not, because its cheaper for the contractor to employ young guys straight from highschool and mexicans without visas, and school cost money there and are not high standard alltho there are exceptions sometimes.

[@SimenFive]

Homes in Norway is made to last, Homes in the use are mad Fast

[@spirits_]

Actually there is such a book

[@Aikaramba12]

Ugly big boxes as cheap as possible to house the most people possible for a radicoulous price. That's how they build in Norway.

[@eddiOrtiz]

too the guy in red: another thing is u always, always NEED, is to wear safety shoes on a construction site, not just a vest and a helmet

[@stenc1]

come to Slovenia to see the whole of Europe how it's done

[@hubertkudyba2397]

how they build in Norway? They call for Polish construction company, give them projects paperwork and come back after a month.

[@barearerarehare]

Downside is they take forever to build, they are expensive and only well established upper middle class can afford new apartments. Most of the country is still old 60-70s apartment complexes

[@pivA00]

I've seen similarly constructed apartment buildings in Sweden getting built in 6-10 months after foundation work is completed. Is that considered "forever to build" by your standards? Genuine question, I do not know much about construction

[@barearerarehare]

@ hard to answer, it all depends of size, but I do work in construction and I’ve seen over and over again the budget cracks and delay in Norwegian construction unfortunately

[@pivA00]

@@barearerareharefor example of a category of building I've seen propping up in that time frame (6-10 months) close to me in Stockholm: some multistory apartment buildings (some 4-6 stories high) with 4-6 units per floor, divided into 30m2 to 65m2 units. Those are quite common in Stockholm's new construction in the suburbs not close but also not extremely far from the city centre (areas like Nacka, Solna, some parts of Söderort).

[@barearerarehare]

@@pivA00 if they are constructed the same way as this video highlights I would say it’s quite impressive

[@andrewgalloway9766]

we had that prema sealent 25 years ago and are wsay ahead of that in uk now

[@BritMemes]

Norway builds very slowly and extremely expensive most builders in Norway are Polish

[@ericmyrs]

Handbook? No. But there is the TEK standard, which for any new built building has to be followed. The current one is TEK17, and if you do not follow it, you will get your ass sued off, and you have to go back and fix it.

[@caiusjacoby9257]

Here in Norway it is too expensive to build new houses because of theese regulations. Only very rich people can afford to build because you have to follow all these rules, so this is not tge right way

[@aage2k]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/rV6wpIOKecRkatU there is one :P

[@smaakjeks]

Ah, a copyright safe version of A Real Hero by College and Electric Youth. Nice try, Ihop!

[@christoffer1973]

Look like you haven't asked Norwegian builder ore Norwegian engineers about your questions... It look like for me that you guess a lot. You could ask an Norwegian builder why.

[@bioliv1]

I just know that in Norway they build ugly as Hell. What happened to the Dregestil? Anyway, we move to France if they don't come up with a superb village in Dragestil for us. Doesn't help with the world's best nature, when we have sick towns.

[@raystormont]

I am not ever going to buy into letting sheetrock get wet this is never going to have a good long term outcome anywhere it rains a lot even it was to dry in 1 minute. Visqueen is a good product it just becomes fragile with age and outgases will always be present and I would use visqueen on exterior surfaces not inside the wall added benifit drywall would be protected and not get wet. Fixed triple glazed windows I would have expected in Europe to see VIG windows especially at Norway's latitudes. Troch down rubber membrane roofs are very sound however becomming outdated in US newer adhesive based membranes are now prevelant in the south and hot moping is rarely used. It's almost like stepping back 10-15 years in build science. Ray

[@Fekillix]

Well, the sheetrock itself shouldn't get wet since the seams are taped and it is faced with tyvek, not paper like interior drywall. It is also for fire protection so a fire in the wood facade can not burn in. So there might be better products, but not a product that is fire resistant, water resistant and breathable in one.

[@espenovnerud4793]

The drywall is impregnated with a silicone resin so it's water resistant and can handle the weather during the building period. The reason to use a simple and cheap bitumen roof membrane is that it will be covered with a green roof later. Argon filled double and triple glazed windows have been the standard since the early 70' and windows in Norway has typically a US u-factor of 0.15

[@raystormont]

@@espenovnerud4793 Windows used in this build are fine and as good as gas filled glazed windows get it's just at Norway's latitudes I expected Vacuum Insulated Glass windows in Europe which can get into the Mid R20's 4-5X more efficient than the best triple glazed high end windows, costs are admittably high but with increasing energy costs paybacks get better with time and now I can have a glass floor to ceiling exterior wall that the R value is about equal to a insulated framed w/o windows wall. It's amazing to walk up to a window and not feel any chilling or have any condensation.

[@Asbjoern]

@@raystormont Remember that norway gets cheap electric power due to a lot of hydro power.

[@raystormont]

@@AsbjoernYou are totaly correct in that Norway pretty much leads the world in sourcing their electric power from hydo at over 98% of Norway's electric production is from hydro. cost savings will still be present with longer payback cycles and if you have ever been next to a VIG window some comfort factors get ones attention. No chill or need to locate heat vents next to windows and no condensation on any surfaces.

[@Oimbubi]

OK, just another Siga ad. So kinda useless

[@-flanders-8975]

Yep

[@duggydo]

You obviously didn't watch the video.

[@Oimbubi]

@@duggydo Oh I did. the only products that are mentioned are Siga. In Europe you would get punished for that ad. It is a long ad, as was the video of him going into a "European hardware store". This is a joke.

[@duggydo]

@@Oimbubi Why would you get punished?

[@Oimbubi]

@@duggydo It is a hidden ad.

[@richdobbs6595]

Norway has a population of about 5,600,000 people, and the climate is pretty similar in areas that are populated. Its natural that there would be less variety than in North America.

[@Thedrek]

The climate is extremely varied. However a strict code of how a building is supposed to be put together fits, no matter the climate.

[@richdobbs6595]

@@Thedrek No, its not. You have a very local view. Any hot dry deserts? Any hot humid areas? Any regions that are particularly prone to tornadoes or hurricane? Any high risk seismic zones.

[@gromitNOR83]

@@richdobbs6595 Entire west coast of Norway is prone to hurricanes. You have some municipalities with added local regulations like if you have a stone/concrete roof every tile has to be nailed and not every 3rd like normal.

[@richdobbs6595]

@@gromitNOR83 Great, you hit one issue that I wasn't aware of. You've got variation in rainfall and wind that covers the same as the USA. But you don't have variation of humidity and temperature that spans the USA. And you don't have the magnitude in population that makes it reasonable to customize the solutions to particular regions. You are convincing me that you are very parochial. Your problem isn't what you know, it is it admitting what you haven't thought of! It is like me growing up Minnesota, and saying why don't those Texans build full basements, because they work so well here! You are a child!

[@pivA00]

@@richdobbs6595 > It is like me growing up Minnesota, and saying why don't those Texans build full basements, because they work so well here! You are a child! What a stupid line of argumentation. You can be correct without sounding like an asshole. Yes, the USA is the size of a fucking continent, it will have a lot more variety in climates and consequentially in building codes/techniques.

[@robertbrzozowski5803]

What about the isolation between the wood and concrete?!!! Tape just outside didn’t do anything!!!! Still the wood taking humidity from the concrete. Im leaving in Norway almost 20 years, I know that most of this buildings have a lot of issues after some years. Same with quality of the details in this houses, looking good from 5m, but if you look closely it’s just garbage.

[@coffeepot3123]

Kva meinar dykk spesifikt?.

[@chrisbabbitt4202]

I'm gonna push back on this 'national build standard' that keeps getting talked about. We have 50 states for a reason. There is far too much 'nation wide' mandate stuff as it is and tearing this country apart. The more the states have a say in things the better. If a state decides to have a build standard and someone wants that. Move there and enjoy it. Please stop with talk of eliminating competition between the states.

[@j.r.arnolli9734]

Competition in the US is toward cheap building, in Europe it is toward quality building...

[@Haraldwaldr]

We don't actually have a national standard in Norway, goverment decided and such, but we have this org called SINTEF who publishes a lot of recommended ways of doing things. You can totally do something different, but then you should have the expertise and know-how.

[@iyaramonk]

You make it sound so easy to just get up and move. Get real guy

[@disqusrubbish5467]

And in building, there's a large variety in terms of climate, different challenges from the weather (wind, rain, etc.), and some place face earthquakes, other don't. It only makes sense to have regional building codes.

[@disqusrubbish5467]

@@j.r.arnolli9734 I framed here in the US and our crew was always concerned about quality.

[@Bjørn-u4r]

They build as much they can in the smallest amount of space possible. It means you have very little space, if any, to store your stuff. If you get a garage, it is so small you can hardly park your car there. And people think it is supposed to be like it. Buying an appartment in these buildnings will set you back between 300 000 - 400 000 dollars.

[@kilipaki87oritahiti]

I grew up in the 90’s and 2000’s here in Norway and we didn’t have heated flooring in our bathrooms (we have 3) back then. Only a radiator mounted on the wall above the door near the roof. Now days it’s the norm, we have it in our generic family cabin, and it’s so nice. And since heated floors now days are the norm, if you don’t, people would be like WTF👀 Personally I don’t understand what the Yankees are doing here. alike you don’t want our free universal healthcare because it’s “communist socialist propaganda”, but you want our building methods?🤭🫣🫠