Vadim Yuldashev, general director of the construction company YuKO, told Lenta.ru which building tasks are best suited to the warm season.
Yuldashev said construction is technically possible down to minus 10 degrees Celsius, but most work should happen above zero because of how materials behave and because workers face greater injury risk, such as falls on ice, in cold conditions. He said extreme heat carries similar risks, since materials can deform and change properties or appearance as they cool.
Earthworks and foundations
He recommended doing earthworks and installing drainage systems only in warm weather, since frozen soil and sand take far more time and effort and can cause the ground to sink or cave in by spring.
Winter work on foundations, roofing and facades is possible but requires strict temperature control and a created "microclimate," Yuldashev said. Curing concrete in the cold requires heated enclosures with heat guns warming the area to about 15 degrees, adding costs that can reach several hundred thousand rubles. He also warned against pouring concrete above 25 degrees, since water evaporates too fast and the material fails to reach its stated strength despite looking hard, leaving it prone to cracking and crumbling. He said early spring is the optimal time for foundation work.
Facade and interior work
Yuldashev said "wet" facade work such as plastering must never be done in cold weather, since uneven drying can crack, peel and destroy the finish even inside a heated enclosure. He said winter, by contrast, is the best time for interior finishing, including electrical and plumbing work.
