More and more construction companies, property owners, and architects are realizing the benefits of natural, organic, and climate-friendly materials in the construction processes for a sustainable and climate-smart future, both in terms of construction and the environment as a whole. Here, we ask Madeléine Johansson at Maxade Entreprenad AB in Djurhamn, who uses Swedish-made cellulose insulation from iCell in her production, among other things, to gain a better understanding of her decision and how it affects their construction projects.
Who are you, and what do you do?
– My name is Madeléine Johansson, and I am the owner and carpenter at Maxade Entreprenad AB in Djurhamn. We work 99 percent of the time on the various islands in the Stockholm archipelago.
What type of natural materials do you use, and why did you choose them?
– We exclusively use cellulose and wood fiber insulation in our projects. We also use flax tow. We have also started looking at solid wood houses, but no customer has taken to this yet, but we hope for this in the near future.
What advantages do you see in using cellulose as insulation compared to commonly used synthetic alternatives such as mineral wool?
– First and foremost, it is incredibly important for us who work with the materials that we have the opportunity to work with a material that we do not feel affects us negatively. It doesn’t itch, and we don’t need as much protection to handle the material as when using regular synthetic insulation. It also feels good to impact the environment for the next generation, and it feels like we are impacting our buildings so that the houses actually feel better. We also find that these materials are easier to work with as they have a different dimensional stability than synthetic materials.
Have you encountered any challenges in connection with the use of natural materials? If so, what were they, and how did you solve them?
– What has been a bit challenging is that they are so tightly packaged that they become round in one corner. That is the only disadvantage with the dimensional stability, that it does not expand in the same way. The challenge for us today is to explain the advantage of choosing these materials versus the cost to our customers. We believe that both the installer and the house benefit from choosing these materials in the long run.
What types of construction projects are best suited for cellulose insulation?
– We believe that it is a very good product within our company, as we almost exclusively build holiday homes around the Stockholm archipelago. Several of our customers drastically lower the heat during the cold season, as they do not use their property more than in the summer. Cellulose combined with a vapor barrier is, therefore, a winning concept for our customers.
How do you experience the use of organic material such as cellulose to work with when it comes to the environment and sustainability?
– The working environment has a positive impact, and for us, it feels really good to hand over a house to the customer that has not negatively impacted the environment, as synthetic materials do.
What is your general attitude towards other material choices when it comes to the environment and sustainability?
– We are curious and want to keep up with the more sustainable thinking of the future. Especially when it is our profession, and we work daily with material choices. It is something that we actually see as an important part of the development within our company.
What advice would you give to other builders who are considering switching more and more to organic and natural materials?
– The more people who choose these products, the faster the development towards a more sustainable construction industry will go. It is, in fact, we who can influence the suppliers. And it will lead to these choices today becoming obvious for both the builders and the customers. We tested ICell for the first time in 2018, and after that, no one within our company can imagine going back to choosing synthetic materials again regarding insulation.
How do you see the future for the use of more natural building materials in the construction industry?
– Only positive. We hope that this will become an obvious choice for more people in the future.
Name: Madeléine Johansson
Company: Maxade Entreprenad AB
Location: Djurhamn
Website: Maxade.se
