You should choose a professional as the expert for the repair project of your own apartment or housing association.
Energy renovations of buildings are the most effective way to reduce emissions in the built environment. Up to 76 percent of buildings' emissions are generated by energy consumption during their use. In the coming years, the stricter energy efficiency requirements will also create pressure on the renovation construction of housing associations, which should be prepared for in time.
Making repair decisions may be postponed for too long. For individuals serving on the boards of housing companies, the construction industry, its terms and tasks are often a difficult entity to manage, and it can be difficult to identify competent professionals from a wide group of factors.
Project manager of the renovation construction and circular economy on the construction site training project Katariina Heikkinen The Construction Industry Training Center RATEKO is happy to talk about customer skills and what is at least important to understand in a building society when planning a renovation. When choosing an expert in the construction industry, the selection criteria should be more than just price.
Even when preparing the request for tenders, one must know how to take several things into account, such as quality requirements, the schedule and the scope of the project, so that it would be easier to compare the received tenders and make decisions.
"RATEKO offers free training related to renovation construction and the circular economy as well as sustainable energy solutions for small houses. We organize a wide variety of trainings that are suitable for professionals in the construction and real estate industry, such as property managers, but also for anyone interested in the subject," says Heikkinen.
Heikkinen recommends training for those who sit on the boards of housing companies from the point of view of ordering work. The free trainings are financed by the Service Center for Continuing Learning and Employment. There will be several trainings again next year.
The trainers in renovation construction and circular economy trainings, as in other RATEKO trainings, are experts in the construction industry who have the latest knowledge in the field. RATEKO also organizes a lot of different paid additional and supplementary training for professionals in the field, which can be completed in addition to work. There are also several self-paced online training courses on current topics.
Asbestos and harmful substances as well as insufficient moisture insulation are potential risks that wake up even laymen in the boards of housing associations. However, there is no need to be afraid of these in repair projects, if the authors are professionals.
"The use of asbestos was completely banned in 1994. With the Asbestos Act that entered into force in 2016, all buildings completed before 1994 must have an asbestos survey carried out by a professional before starting demolition work," says the education expert Laura Kokko.
Exposures to dangerous substances can occur, for example, due to insufficient protection, if there are deficiencies in competence. RATEKO has training to prepare for the certificate of an asbestos and harmful substance specialist. A certified professional is also obliged to regularly participate in updating their information in order to maintain their qualifications and professionalism.
The certificate is a way for the work orderer to make sure of the professional skill of the creator and that he works in accordance with good construction practice.
The construction personal certificate or qualification is one way for the work orderer to be sure of the author's professional skills. Obtaining a certificate or qualification requires strong proof of competence: approved proof of competence, extensive work experience and educational requirements.
RATEKO offers certificate-preparatory training for e.g. structural moisture testers, asbestos and harmful substance experts, installers of blowing insulation, building tightness testers, thermal imagers of buildings and supervisors of wet room work. Completion of the training does not directly give a certificate, but it must be applied for separately. In addition to the preparatory education, basic education and work experience affect the awarding of the certificate.
"For example, anyone can get measuring devices for measuring the moisture in structures. However, the choice of the right measuring device, the right measurement method and the interpretation of the measurement results should be left to a certified professional," says Katariina Heikkinen.
Certified construction professionals and experts' qualifications can be checked on public search engines.
"Those who are planning a repair project should check the expertise of the authors even before sending requests for tenders," states Heikkinen.