Buidling houses in Sweden

It may get really cold, it may be far away, but it feels very familiar.

There's blue sky above Marek's current building site and while it looks picturesque Malek reflects "The blue sky is perfect for us but more from a meteorological perspective," Malek says, "When making a timber construction, it's important to make it weatherproof as quickly as possible and this underpins everything. If there's moisture inside, then you've got big problems."

The work therefore needs to be done quickly. And it has to be done right. Marek's team have already erected a two-storey house in next to no time on this plot of land with mature trees where a small summer house once stood.

Large quantities of wood are processed on the site for a variety of applications, from the framework and the ridge purlin, to the façade and the interior finishing. Workers are busy fitting insulation, panelling, applying coatings, cutting wood to size, sanding areas and tightening screws. On top of this, there is the special decorative work for the windows and columns which needs to be carried out with great attention to detail.

Timber construction in Sweden
A large amount of timber needs to be processed to build a two-storey house, whether for its construction, façade or interior finishing.

In particular, careful craftsmanship is required for the façade panelling – which might be considered the "face" of the house.

Making constructions from timber is considered to be long-lasting, sustainable and environmentally-friendly. What's more, this natural construction material grows right on Sweden's doorstep. About two thirds of the country is covered by forests, equating to around 280,000 square kilometres.

For it to stay this way, three to four new trees must be planted for every tree felled.

Over 30 years of experience and expertise
"Wood is a living material that's wonderful to work with," says Marek, and there's more than enough of it in Sweden.

No other contry in Europe builds as many constructions from wood. This was one of the reasons why the Polish-born Malek decided to move to Sweden.

The carpenter started IMM in 1989 and now feels like he has always lived in the area. He knows everything there is to know about timber construction in Sweden and has built typical Swedish houses in Germany, Switzerland and Ireland.

He continues to be shaped by the experiences he has accumulated over more than 30 years, for better or for worse. On the one hand, Malek is proud and pleased to have built up a business with a good reputation. 

A few years ago, he fell from a piece of scaffolding and landed on his back. Doctors gave him a prognosis of spending the rest of his life in a wheelchair but, thanks to his strong will and good physical condition, he was able to walk again without walking aids.

Expertise in and passion for woodworking

As dramatic as his workplace accident was, it didn't change anything about Marek Malek's firm resolve to continue running his successful company.

In fact, he had originally wanted to be less involved but the large number of customers who greatly appreciated his work wouldn't relent. "We currently have 16 employees. And we could easily take on a few more because demand is very high," he says.

At the same time, Malek explains, customer expectations are rising in the belief that everything should be done better and faster, adding with a wry smile, "people online seem to suggest that anyone can become a builder.

Because lots of DIY shows give the impression that a house could be fixed up in four days, it's easy to think that this is also possible in real life."

Malek refutes this misconception with the absolute expertise of someone whose knowledge of and passion for woodworking is invaluable. And that's precisely what he communicates to his employees.

At the construction site, he instructs the workers and gives them valuable advice about the material and how to process it, as well as explaining how to correctly handle the right tool. "Good carpenters can work wonders and optimal tools help to make wonders a reality," Malek believes.

Since his teams carry out all of the work at the construction site, it is all the more important that they always have the right tool for each application.

Working efficiently and achieving the highest quality
"Having good machinery is essential to our work," says Malek, "and the models have been getting better and better over the years and from generation to generation. In particular, the cordless system from Festool helps us tremendously, enabling us to work efficiently on construction sites, to save time and to achieve outstanding results." Marek, as a Festool test customer, and his brother Josef had the chance to try out the new cordless KAPEX KSC 60 and both thought that it was great – and said that the dust extraction system with the new CTLC MIDI cordless extractor was even better. "Lagom," muttered the boss, "just right".

And that's the highest level of praise that he can give. Because "just right" is the best.

Orginal article courtesy of festool.co.uk