Gry Alfredsen
Seniorforsker
Forfattere
Geir Wæhler Gustavsen Philip Bester Van Niekerk Jonas Niklewski Christian Brischke Gry AlfredsenSammendrag
This cross-country study examineed perceptions of maintenance for coated wooden cladding in residential buildings across Norway, Sweden, and Germany. As timber cladding gains popularity in European homes, understanding expectations around cleaning, recoating, and replacement intervals becomes increasingly important. An online survey gathered responses from over 3,000 participants aged 18–89, randomly selected from representative regional panels in each country. The survey focused on the perception of maintenance practices and intervals, while also collecting data on personality traits, risk aversion, and socioeconomic background. Perceived maintenance practices for coated timber cladding differed across countries, but individual characteristics were generally more influential than national context. Most respondents accepted longer cleaning intervals than recommended, while their preferences more closely aligned with guidelines for recoating. Acceptance of replacement intervals varied markedly by country. Longer acceptable maintenance intervals were associated with a higher preference for uncoated cladding, particularly in Germany and Sweden. Younger age, urban residence, limited experience, and selected demographic and personality traits were linked to more intensive maintenance preferences.
Forfattere
Gry Alfredsen Lone Ross Atle Wehn Hegnes Michael Altgen Andreas Treu Sverre Aarseth Tunstad Igor A. Yakovlev Mari Sand Austigard Johan Mattson Maria Paz Nunez Garcia Anne Cathrine Flyen Cecilie Flyen Trine Mathea Skjeltorp Nanna Bjerregaard PedersenSammendrag
Prosjektet «ArcticAlpineDecay» har undersøkt hvordan klimaendringer og økt menneskelig aktivitet påvirker trebasert kulturarv i arktiske og alpine miljøer, med fokus på Svalbard og Finse. Resultatene viser at lengre perioder med varme og fuktighet gir bedre vekstvilkår for råtesopper og øker risikoen for biologisk nedbrytning. Samtidig forsterker økt ferdsel slitasjen på sårbare kulturmiljøer, særlig på Svalbard hvor mange kulturminner er vanskelige å identifisere og tåler lite påvirkning. Fire faktorer øker risikoen for skader i kulturmiljøene: vanskelig lesbarhet, dårlig teknisk tilstand, spennende detaljer og høy tilgjengelighet. Det er funnet omfattende råte nær bakken, og DNA-analyser viser et stort mangfold av vednedbrytende sopper, inkludert arter som ikke tidligere er dokumentert i polarområder. Alvorlig soppnedbrytning oppstår etter rundt 50 år, noe som betyr at taubanebukker med eldre fundamenter nå er kritisk nært restaureringsbehov. For Finse og Hardangervidda er de største utfordringene økt bruk, manglende kunnskap og fysisk slitasje. Det anbefales økt informasjon til turister og guider, enkel fysisk tilrettelegging, bedre overvåking og kombinasjon av metoder for å avdekke både overflate- og indre råteskader, samt videre forskning.
Forfattere
Gry Alfredsen Geir Wæhler Gustavsen Lone Ross Jonas Niklewski Philip Bester van Niekerk Christian BrischkeSammendrag
To optimise the use of renewable materials in construction, it is essential to understand the factors influencing decisions throughout their design and service life. Life Cycle Costing (LCC) supports sustainable development by aiming to minimise long-term costs through informed planning of service life, maintenance, and replacement. Central to this is the engineering concept of limit states - Ultimate Limit States (ULS) for structural safety and Serviceability Limit States (SLS) for functionality. However, in non-loadbearing applications such as cladding, maintenance is often driven by aesthetic deterioration rather than structural concerns. These aesthetic limit states are subjective and influenced by user preferences, personality traits, and cultural background. In practice, undesired aesthetic changes are among the main reasons for cladding replacement in Europe, alongside fungal decay and modernisation. Premature replacement due to insufficient communication about weathering effects and maintenance needs remains under-addressed. By accounting for variation in user preferences, material selection can be tailored to support a longer service life. This study presents multi-country variation in climate-related perceptions of wood and user preferences for wooden cladding.
