The Coldest and Snowiest Winter

Hello and welcome back to the 11th part of my series, Beyond the Image, where I share the story behind the house featured in Super Finnish’s marketing. In this series, I take you through the inspiration, the five and a half months of building, and where the house stands today.

In this post, I’ll talk about the conditions I built in and how they affected the process. Spoiler alert: it was one heck of a winter. I hope you enjoy it!

Beyond the Image: Part 11

Not long after the ground building was complete, Finland decided to freeze solid. The days turned brutally cold, followed by relentless snowstorms. I had chosen to build in winter so the house would be ready for landscaping by summer. What I wasn’t prepared for was the harshest winter Southern Finland had seen in years. After a long time of mild winters, 2021 showed up with a vengeance.

I was incredibly lucky to finish the ground building just days before the temperature plummeted below freezing. Winter construction in Finland has its perks! Snow is much easier to deal with than water, which can find its way into everything, damage structures and make the whole process messier. So, in a way, the timing worked out: the deep freeze set in after the groundwork was done.

Just as the ground building was finished, Finland decided to show off its best winter self. The temperatures dropped drastically, and later we also got more snow than we’d seen in years combined.

Keeping the Base Clear

Before we started building the foundation, I had a couple of weeks to wait. My main task during that time? Keeping the building base clear of snow and frost. I used massive tarps to cover the site, which made cleaning snow so much easier and helped keep the base insulated. The gravel base was another lifesaver, as it didn’t hold water that could freeze, expand, and shift the ground.

I lost count of the hours I spent shoveling snow. Many of the spots that needed to be kept clear weren’t accessible by machinery. Luckily, I’m just crazy enough to actually enjoy manual labor!

Building in Freezing Temps

When we finally started on the foundations for the main house and sauna building, the cold was intense. Thankfully, there’s a magic solution for this: winter concrete. Designed for cold conditions, it allowed us to pour and set the foundation even on freezing days.

Fun fact: when concrete cures, it generates heat due to the chemical reaction. This internal warmth prevents it from freezing, so we didn’t encounter any issues. The foundations were finished without any problems - like champions, if I do say so myself.

Winter concrete is specifically designed for the harsh conditions we often face in Finland. Its chemical reaction generates heat, allowing it to set properly even in freezing temperatures.

Snow, Shovels and a Farmer's Kindness

While building, I lived about an hour away from the site. Many mornings began with me heading out before sunrise to make sure everything was cleared for the workers’ arrival. Snowstorms often left the "yard" buried, and I spent countless hours shoveling through drifts that reminded me of childhood winters.

There were many early mornings when I had to head to the site before anyone else to ensure the yard was clear and accessible for the workers. The upside? I got to witness some of the most breathtaking sunrises!

Call me crazy

There was something satisfying about those quiet, snowy mornings. That said, my amazing farmer neighbor saved my sanity more than once. With their heavy machinery, they plowed through the worst of the snowfalls, making my job much easier.

The farmer next door was a lifesaver on days when we got so much snow that it would have taken me an entire day to clear it with a shovel.

The Sauna Building's Foundation

Once the main foundation was done, we had to wait before filling it with gravel for the floating concrete floor. For the sauna, I opted for a pillar foundation. Since the sauna building isn’t heated when not in use, this was the perfect solution! It simplified construction and saved me some money.

The main structure's foundation was designed for a floating concrete floor. The next steps involved filling it halfway with gravel, adding a thick layer of insulation and finally pouring the concrete floor on top.

The Waiting Game

Even though the building process was incredibly efficient overall, there were occasional delays. Sometimes I had to wait for workers’ schedules to align with mine; other times, it was the weather dictating the pace. Patience isn’t exactly my strong suit, but I made it work - and truthfully, I enjoyed every second of my winter building adventure.

Building in one of Finland’s coldest and snowiest winters may not have been easy, but it was deeply rewarding. Looking back, I wouldn’t change a thing.

Jussi-Pekka Kajaala

Nordic Visionary, Creative Entrepreneur