Tradesmen (Håndverkere)

Most tradesman are reliable and honest. But there are so many exceptions that dealings with tradesmen top the list of complaints to the Consumer Council (Chapter 26). Consequently the Council and the Heating and Piping Information Bureau (VVS Informasjon) suggest precautions that you may take whenever you have cause to doubt the reputability of tradesmen, for example:

• Check with the Brønnøysund Register (Chapter 38) that the firm is registered.
• Check with the tax authorities to verify that the firm pays its taxes and VAT (MVA).
• Call the local office of the Consumer Council (Forbrukerrådet in the Pink Pages) to check that there are no outstanding complaints against the firm.
• Ask for references and verify them.
• If the services involve the work of plumbers (Chapter 45), ask to see the firm’s certificates.
• Ask if the firm has routines for health, environment and safety – HES (Helse, Miljø og Sikkerhet – HMS).
• Have a written contract for services and goods to be delivered, stipulating costs and a schedule for completion of work. Standard contracts are available from the Consumer Council.
• Don’t pay in advance.
• Be wary of travelling tradesmen who sell their services unsolicited, door-to-door.

Vacuum cleaners (Støvsugere)

Portable vacuum cleaners are the most used; they are sold principally by white goods (Chapter 14) shops, but some manufacturers also have their own brand outlets; look for them in the Pink Pages. Built-in central vacuums (sentralstøvsugere) are increasingly favoured in new buildings, in part due to the convenience they offer and in part because they are vented outside and therefore contribute little to indoor air pollution. They are sold by heating and ventilating companies, listed under ventilasjons- og varmluftsanlegg in the Yellow Pages, as well as by hardware shops and building supply houses.

Ventilation (Ventilasjon)

Draughts in homes are uncommon, because buildings now are well insulated, have tight-sealing double- or triple-glazed windows and otherwise are designed to minimise heat loss. The downside of that design feature is that the air in buildings has become unhealthy. Accordingly, buildings are fitted with a variety of ventilators that their inhabitants can adjust to regulate air flow. The most common room ventilators are square ducts, about 10 x 10 cm or 15 x 15 cm, through walls, fitted with internal flaps for regulating air flow. Some window frames are made with built-in, adjustable ventilators. Baths and kitchens are usually fitted with mechanical exhaust fans that vent through walls or in a common channel above the roof. Mechanical ventilating systems with heat exchangers are fitted in new homes and commercial buildings and retrofitted in older buildings. Ventilating systems and components are widely available in hardware shops and building supply houses across the country. The leading brand is Flexit, manufactured by a specialist company that now exports home ventilation products to 13 European countries. You can find the nearest Flexit dealer in the interactive map on the company website at www.flexit.no.

Vestibule (Vindfang)

Just inside the outer door of almost all houses there is a small hall or antechamber that serves the dual purpose of restricting heat loss due to a draught when the outer door is opened – hence the name vindfang (“wind trap”) in Norwegian – and of providing a place to take off and hang up outer garments. In homes with small children, the vestibule may have a boot dryer (støvltørker), and most will have a rack for outside shoes and hooks for hanging clothes.

Window cleaning (Vinduvask)

Many double-glazed windows can be swung round so you may clean the outside panes from the inside. Triple-glazed casement windows usually have frames that can be opened to permit cleaning the panes in the air space between the sealed double pane and the outside panes. Cleaning is easiest and fastest if you use the traditional implements used round the world, a squeegee (nal) and a chamois (pusseskin); both are sold in supermarkets and hardware shops. Wet the window with a cleaning solution and draw the rubber blade of the squeegee over it to remove the liquid. Use the chamois to clean the blade of the squeegee. Some technique is needed to clean a window without streaks; you can learn it by going to town early in the morning, before shops open, and watching professional window cleaners at work. If you wish, you may mix your own cleaning solution and apply it with a sponge, as do professional window cleaners. But the readymade glass cleaners sold in supermarkets and petrol stations are more convenient for home use. They usually are in pump-spray plastic flasks labelled universal, for vinduer, speil og vaskbare flater (“universal, for windows, mirrors and washable surfaces”). If you prefer not to wash your windows yourself, you can find window washing services listed under vaktmestertjenester in the Yellow Pages.

Windows and doors (Vindu og dør)

Windows and doors are similar to those used elsewhere in Europe, with additional features suiting a cold climate. The casement window, in which the sash opens on hinges that usually are attached to the upright side or the top member of the frame, is the most common type, because it seals well. Modern casement windows usually have a triple-glazed sash, with two hermetically-sealed inner panes (isolérglass) hinged to a single outer pane with muntins (sprosser) to permit cleaning between the inner and outer panes. The double-hung window, which consists of a pair of single-glazed sashes running in vertical grooves in a frame fitted with cords and counterweights, seals poorly and requires external storm windows for weather protection, and consequently is not used in Norway. The traditional, and still most common catch is a hasp on the sash that fits over a cleat on an upright member of the frame. Some modern windows, particularly those in prefabricated houses, are held closed by casement handles that engage strikers in the frame members. Most often, a window sash is held in the open position by a long-shaft hook fixed to the outside of the lower frame member, but some windows are fitted with adjustable casement stays. Some windows, particularly those in blocks of flats, are fitted with nearly fully reversible ironmongery (husmorvindu) so they may be reversed, with their outer sides facing inwards, for ease of washing. Most doors are hung on two or three hinges, and are fitted with handles, not knobs. Most houses and the entryways of many blocks of flats are fitted with enclosed porches (vindfang) that have two doors, to trap air and thereby cut down on draughts and heat loss in the wintertime. Almost all doors and windows are made to take standard fittings.

Wood briquettes and pellets (Trebrikketer og pellets)

Wood briquettes and pellets, made from compressed sawdust and chips, are an increasingly favoured alternative to firewood, because compared to wood of the same weight, they produce more heat energy – half again as much as birch, the most popular firewood – burn more evenly and leave less ash. The briquettes are burned together with firewood in stoves and fireplaces, while the pellets are burned in stoves made to accept them as fuel. Both are sold by dealers selling firewood. The typical briquette measures 6.5 x 9.5 x 15.5 cm and is sold in a plastic-wrapped pack of 12 that weighs 10 kg. Most are made in the Baltic countries, and a leading distributor in Scandinavia is Rosager; Gudmevej 14, DK-5874 Hesselager, Denmark, Tel: +45 62252680, www.rosager.dk. A major importer and seller in Norway is Konnerud Brensel; Lundavn 78, 3032 Drammen, Tel: 40223227, Fax: 32883574, www.konnerudbrensel.no, post@konnerudbrensel.no.