The Petreliuksenrinne housing company, located in Turku, includes two eight-storey blocks of flats and one three-storey block. There are a total of 124 residential units. At the turn of the millennium, buildings that were constructed in 1969 began to suffer from leaking sewerage and water supply pipes in increasing numbers. The starting point for the overhaul was to renovate the water supply and sewerage systems before the pipes began leaking so regularly as to become an intolerable problem.

The renovation began in autumn 2013 and the buildings were subject to a complete overhaul: the water supply and sewerage lines were overhauled, the floor drains were relined, the bathrooms were comprehensively renovated, and the electricity distribution and antenna systems were updated. The housing company was also fitted with generic cabling.

As regards the bathrooms, the original option was to remove all of the bathroom flues but the housing company opted for a solution using Uponor Cefo elements upon the recommendation of the planner.

"Cefo was considered to be a suitable alternative as the majority of the flats in the Petreliuksenrinne housing company have the same floor plan from top to bottom. A modular system such as Cefo is ideal for situations like this as it was particularly suited to the relatively large bathrooms and the installation work saved time," says planner Lassi Leppänen from RTC Vahanen Turku Oy.

Elements and modules speed up renovation projects

The Uponor Cefo renovation system consists of coupleable elements and modules that enable water supplies, heating, sewerage and ventilation services to be brought into homes. The system also includes wall-toilet elements and electric routing elements equipped with electric switchboards.

The building's old riser flues do not need to be removed – they can be left in place and a new riser can be built alongside – or in any other suitable location – using Uponor Cefo elements.

The elements are delivered to the construction site in the form of coupleable packages. The elements are equipped with noise insulation and fireproofing, as well as pipe conduits. Two fitters from Cefo-Elementit Oy were responsible for installing the elements into the Petreliuksenrinne complex.

Comfort for the residents and cost-efficiency are top priorities

Petreliuksenrinne is the first housing company in Turku to be overhauled using Cefo elements. Leppänen thinks that Uponor Cefo is a worthy alternative when sewerage lines and bathrooms are being renovated and there is no desire to open up the old flues. Cutting out a work phase saves time and money but also makes the process more comfortable for residents: they are saved the hassle of outages, dust and noise.

The cost of renovating the pipes using the Uponor Cefo system was about 10 per cent lower than with traditional methods. But perhaps more importantly, good design reduces the potential for nasty surprises: the elements are precisely manufactured in accordance with the drawings for the site. Each job is precisely tailored in advance at Uponor's factory and manufactured with the needs of the specific site in mind.

"All in all, the overhaul project went well with Uponor. Uponor provided us with measurement images and help with planning. As regards the planner, I also appreciate the precise work descriptions and job timings, which helped me to carry out my own work," says Leppänen.