Sundsberg?

[benja]

Hi,

Being voted as the best residential area in Finland in 2009, how is Sundsberg nowadays? Is it still the happy village as it's usually called as there seems to be mixed opinions about that? I heard on the news there was some issue with subsidence. Was that true or just rumor? Could anyone please comment on how it's like to live in Sundsberg for a family with kids?

Thank you!

[reindeer]

I just visited one friend who is living in Sundsberg and the area looks really nice, at least for me. I'm not sure how typical Finns think about it since some people may not like living in an area with all similar-looking houses and a bit cramped. As I did some googling, the area has its own primary school, daycare but for other services such as shops, library, healthcare etc you need to go to the nearby Masala. Other than that, I don't know much about it since I haven't been living there.

[Flossy1978]

My friend lives there. They tried to make it a mini America type of place. It's quite cramped. But the houses are nice and it is in a beautiful place. A good school. Lots of kids. It's quite posh. Right near the sea. Expensive houses. You need two cars if you are a family.

[reindeer]

You need two cars if you are a family.

My friends don't have a car and they still survive because there is direct bus connection to Kamppi.

Expensive houses.

I think it's still a bit cheaper than in many areas in Espoo and Helsinki. One thing I'm not very sure is the quality of the houses. I've heard that they built the houses in factory and resembled them on the construction site. Most (maybe all) of the houses are made of wood, which I guess may not be as good as the concrete or brick and there may be also higher risk in case of fire. Natural gas is used for the heating and they said it's more economical and environment friendly.

[Flossy1978]

Wood is better than cement or brick, in Finland. It lets a house breathe.

But it is true. The houses inside have pretty basic "cheap" looking interiors. My friend's kitchen had crap appliances. But they still look nice.

You can't access my friend's backyard in any way other than through their house. But their yard is a good size.

They did not have a bus before. I am glad there is one now. How about daily life though? Not just going straight to Kamppi?

[Oho]

One thing I'm not very sure is the quality of the houses. I've heard that they built the houses in factory and resembled them on the construction site.

And that is a bad thing? Modular house constructed inside on a dry, warm factory floor and assembled onsite in a day to a state where the building is protected from moisture should be a good thing, also I would think that quality controls are easier to enforce in factory setting. On the downside one has rigid floor plans having limitations imposed in part by the transportation on flat bed truck on public roads, restricted selection on surface materials and fixed furnishings and of course the snide remarks of living in a temporary house constructed from containers. But I have survived that, at least my house was not moldy the day I moved in as wall insulation materials were not soaked during construction. There really is very little in the building to betray it's birth as modules on a factory floor. Well I am trailer trash and there is very little I can do about it.

[reindeer]

They did not have a bus before. I am glad there is one now. How about daily life though? Not just going straight to Kamppi?

As far as I know, there are several buses (171,172 etc) that go directly to Kamppi. Depending on where you live in the village, it can take from a couple of minutes to 10 minutes walking to the bus stop. The train station is in the nearby Masala but it's a bit further.

[reindeer]

And that is a bad thing?

I'm not very sure but looking at these pictures..





..it looks like the house is made out of cardboard and then glued against the concrete base . I wonder what material (ok, it's wood but what kind of wood: timber/laminate etc) they used to make the walls and whether it can withstand the moldy and humid weather of the Finnish autumn.

[Oho]

..it looks like the house is made out of cardboard and then glued against the concrete base . I wonder what material (ok, it's wood but what kind of wood: timber/laminate etc) they used to make the walls and whether it can withstand the moldy and humid weather of the Finnish autumn.

Well they are made of pretty much exactly the same materials with the same techniques as any wood element house and have to conform with the same standards.

[riku2]

..it looks like the house is made out of cardboard and then glued against the concrete base . I wonder what material (ok, it's wood but what kind of wood: timber/laminate etc) they used to make the walls and whether it can withstand the moldy and humid weather of the Finnish autumn.

If you have ever watched Grand Designs then you'll realise it's much better to make the walls and modules inside a warm dry factory and then transport them to the site and connect them together. The alternative is to take 3x as long to do it out in the open with rain and humidity and people getting in the way of each other. Just because the modules are built in a factory doesn't mean they use different materials to those that might be put together on site like with a normal house.

[Upphew]

And that is a bad thing?

I'm not very sure but looking at these pictures..

..it looks like the house is made out of cardboard and then glued against the concrete base . I wonder what material (ok, it's wood but what kind of wood: timber/laminate etc) they used to make the walls and whether it can withstand the moldy and humid weather of the Finnish autumn.

Materials are the same as in basically every wood framed house built nowadays. Difference is that part of the assembly/building is done in factory under a roof. Even the market leader Kastelli switched from pre-cut to a system where they deliver pre built walls.

The impregnated wood is separated from concrete by bitumen strip, as can be seen in the pictures. Outer panels seem to be painted at least once, probably twice. They are meant to be used outdoors.

[sotka_]

And that is a bad thing?

I'm not very sure but looking at these pictures..

..it looks like the house is made out of cardboard and then glued against the concrete base . I wonder what material (ok, it's wood but what kind of wood: timber/laminate etc) they used to make the walls and whether it can withstand the moldy and humid weather of the Finnish autumn.

Looks like the blocks have been shielded from the elements, both during construction and transportation. Something that can be difficult to achieve when building on site. Once transported, blocks are attached and covered by roof in one go, I'd assume. Looking good.

[Upphew]

Just because the modules are built in a factory doesn't mean they use different materials to those that might be put together on site like with a normal house.

I know that at least one company that didn't stand up to competition as they had to make much stronger structure to withstand stresses during the freight from the factory to the building site.

[Oho]

Looks like the blocks have been shielded from the elements, both during construction and transportation. Something that can be difficult to achieve when building on site. Once transported, blocks are attached and covered by roof in one go, I'd assume. Looking good.

I my case it took a day to assemble the house to a state where it was protected from weather. Roof trestles were installed and covered by the water proof under coverage and was really only missing support or foundation framework for the concrete tiles and of course the tiles themselves. If I correctly recall the tiles, which really do not provide water proofing, were installed by day three.

[benja]

Thank you! Is there anyone who is living in Sundsberg on this forum?