Renovation status and technical condition of Norwegian dwellings

Abstract

Purpose -The purpose of this paper is to gain knowledge on the renovation status for Norwegian dwellings that can be used to design attractive energy efficiency measures. Norwegian dwellings are exposed to a windy, cold and moist climate and the technical condition of existing dwellings depend on the owners priorities regarding maintenance and renovation. The paper focuses on the renovation status and technical condition of privately owned detached houses built in Norway in the 1980s constituting 10 per cent of the total Norwegian dwelling stock. These houses are high-energy spenders and are at a stage in their lifetime where major renovation such as new windows and ventilation system is expected. Design/methodology/approach -The status for redecoration, maintenance and renovation as well as the technical condition of 91 dwellings are mapped and analysed. Findings -An analysis of the empirical data identified four categories of houses when considering home upgrades and technical condition: the as built, the aesthetic, the well kept and the do it yourselves houses. There is no correlation between the observed technical condition and the home upgrade level for the houses in the study. Significant resources may have been used for redecoration and unskilled renovation while not dealing with the need for maintenance and repair.Research limitations/implications -The knowledge on homeowner categories can be used to tailor policy instruments to accelerate energy efficiency rates for privately owned dwellings. Originality/value -There are no previous studies on Norwegian private homeowners and the technical condition of their homes.

Technical State, Renovation Need and Performance of Renovation Solutions of Estonian Wooden Log Houses

“…Lourenço et al (2006) presented the need to renovate the roof or facade due to water seepage and condensation in buildings from historical city centres in Portugal. In Norway (Risholt et al, 2013), the foundation was also one of the most defective building elements, but wet rooms and windows replaced the roof and exterior wall in acute need for renovation. In Finland serious damage from moisture has been found in 82 % of detached houses (mainly wooden) built since the 1950s, concentrated to wet areas, base floor structures and the joints between the base floor and wall structures (Heikkilä, 2005).…”

Development of a Housing Eligibility Assessment Scoring Method for low-income urgent repair programs

“…Eggers and Moumen (2013) found that between 1985 and 2009, 5 to 9 percent of the occupied units had moderate to severe physical problems, and some quality deficiencies existed in 43 to 56 percent of all units. Risholt et al (2013) noted that moisture-related defects in basements, bathrooms, and laundry rooms were most frequently observed in Norwegian dwellings; also, there were window and roof defects. The structural aspect of the home environment was associated with about 38 percent of all the home injuries in the owner-occupied housing stock repair program in New Zealand (Keall et al , 2013).…”