Tikkurila Church is located in a prominent position in the middle of the Vantaa city. The church, inaugurated in January 2021, is the home church of the Tikkurila parish and the Swedish-speaking parish of Vantaa and a new meeting place for city residents.
The most visible and striking part of the building is an angle referring to the trinity of the church, the peak of which rises to a height of 20 metres. Here is the heart of the action, the church hall. The walls and floor of the hall are made of concrete. As a counterweight to concrete, the ceiling is made of wood. The ceiling elements made of spruce laths rise along the pointed space up to the top. All laths have been treated with Tikkurila's Fontefire WF Clear fire-retardant lacquer.
Highest possible fire-resistance grading
The fire protection was done by Lopen Rakennuspuu, which is a certified operator in the handling of fire retardants. The treatments are applied at the company's production facilities in Vojakkala.
Fire-retardant treatment is often required for this type of public sites with a large fire load and many people in the same space. The treatment slows down the fire," says Pasi Tschokkinen, Sales Manager at Lopen rakennuspuu.
Fontefire WF Clear fire-retardant lacquer has the highest possible fire-resistance grading for wood material. When exposed to heat, the lacquer surface swells and foams, forming an insulating layer that slows down the rise in wood temperature. The product is designed for industrial application and is sprayed on the surface of wood under controlled conditions.
Tschokkinen is satisfied with the services provided by Tikkurila prior to starting treatment.
Seamless cooperation from design and material production to surface treatment
From a design point of view, the fire-retardant product had to be chosen so that it would not change the surface of the wooden structures built to the ceilings of the church.
Fontefire WF Clear was the best solution in terms of fire-resistance grading and visual appearance. The product emphasises the natural appearance of light wood species, and the translucent white hue follows the wood grain.
"We received answers and treatment models from Tikkurila on a fast schedule. I was satisfied with the service I received," Hedberg praises.
The ceiling elements were made by Taskisen Puu from Varkaus. The material of the laths was spruce sawn in the radial direction.
"Radial-sawn spruce has been a popular material in churches. The architectural firm also chose this for Tikkurila Church. The use of wood in public construction has increased in recent years, and at the same time the fire safety requirements for construction products have increased. We delivered the laths to Lopen Rakennuspuu, which had the right equipment for fire-retardant treatment," says Matti Taskinen of Taskisen Puu.
Product support and delivery reliability facilitate product selection
In addition to the lath structures, Tikkurila's products have been used to paint other interior spaces of the church. Nova and Luja building paints have been used for interior painting.
Tomi Varonen, Construction Manager at Lujatalo, the contractor of the site, considers the cooperation with Tikkurila to be well-functioning.
"Cooperation in the church project has gone as usual without problems. I have an industrial painting background, and I have been cooperating with Tikkurila since the last millennium. My own long-term satisfaction with Tikkurila's product support, delivery reliability and handling of warranty matters facilitates the selection of Tikkurila's products for sites," Varonen says.
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