Finnish pool renovations hit costly delays and construction defects

Renovations at swimming halls in Hämeenlinna, Riihimäki and Forssa have been delayed by construction problems, Yle reports. The projects have cost millions of euros, while some defects were discovered only after the work had been completed.

Forssa’s Vesihelmi swimming hall was due to reopen in August 2026, but completion has been pushed back to spring 2027. The delay is linked to scheduling problems and poorly executed plastering work on the pool floors.

The plaster had to be removed and redone before the pools could be tiled, according to Forssa city project manager Jukka Perälä.

The renovation also revealed that the Vesihelmi, built in 1993, lacked waterproofing. Although this was not initially expected to have caused damage, opening up the pools revealed several serious leaks. Chlorinated water had reached the reinforcement inside pillars in the basement.

Antero Koskinen, the responsible site manager for main contractor VM Suomalainen, said the reinforcement inside the concrete had corroded.

“We are behind the original schedule, but the aim is to build a good swimming hall so that it will not need to be repaired again in a year or two,” Koskinen said.

The work cannot be delayed much further because the contractor is already facing delay penalties.

Riihimäki swimming hall required additional funding

Riihimäki announced in May that the cost of its swimming hall renovation would increase because defects had been discovered after the work. The hall underwent renovation between 2023 and 2025.

Riihimäki city construction manager Paavo Vuori said the main defects involved the fastening of tiles in the washing facilities, drainage problems with the canopy over the main entrance and an error in the surface structure of the roof.

“For example, the sauna tiles could not withstand the heat load,” Vuori said. Some of the tiles have now been fastened with metal strips.

Most of the defects identified in the spring were repaired during the summer. However, the city, contractor and supervisor have still not signed an agreement on how responsibility will be divided.

Vuori estimates that the city’s share of repairing the newly discovered defects will be about 50,000 to 100,000 euros. The city has also granted an additional 1.7 million euros for the swimming hall’s comprehensive renovation.

Hämeenlinna diving pool repairs cost 400,000 euros

In Hämeenlinna, problems arose with the tiling of the diving pool. The tiles began to come loose a few years after the renovation was completed. The pool was finally repaired in August 2026, seven years after the hall renovation was finished.

Investigations found that the waterproofing and mortars used in the tiling differed from the plans. The sprayed concrete in the pool walls was also of poor quality.

The repairs cost 400,000 euros.

Expert says tiling problems are becoming more common

Jussi Ritola, an engineer and renovation specialist at AFRY Buildings Finland, specialises in renovating swimming halls and spas and in assessing the condition of concrete structures.

Renovating swimming halls, spas and swimming pools, particularly their surface structures, is demanding work, he said.

Most of the tiling and surface structures in a swimming pool are constantly submerged, creating continuous moisture stress. Chemicals used to clean the pool water also place strain on the materials.

Problems related to tiling have increased over the past five to ten years. Ritola estimates that between one and three cases come to light each year.

“Renovation work requires specialised expertise, broad knowledge and thorough attention from everyone involved in the project,” Ritola said. “There are many stages of the work where even a small error causes visible problems.”