Waterproof Innovations for a Long-Lasting Kitchen

Every year, around 90,000 households in Sweden suffer from water damage, and more than a third of these incidents occur in the kitchen. Over a decade ago, Tollco entered into a partnership with Europe’s leading kitchen specialist, Nobia, to make it easier to detect water leaks early and prevent serious damage.

“Sustainability responsibility shouldn’t fall on the consumer, but on us as suppliers and designers in the first place. It’s our duty to listen carefully to what the customer wants and needs, and to use our expertise to find solutions that are loved by both customers and the planet,” says Herman Persson, Head of Design at Nobia.

Nobia designs, manufactures, and sells kitchens through 13 strong brands, such as Marbodal and HTH in the Nordics and Magnet in the UK. Every year, Nobia brings about 300,000 kitchen dreams to life and is part of the everyday lives of millions of people. With a presence in several countries, Nobia has a unique opportunity to drive positive change – including helping its customers avoid water damage in their kitchens.

Together with Tollco, Nobia began developing products to prevent water damage in kitchens. Thanks to innovations like the Sink Liner and other sealants, water is directed out of the kitchen cabinets instead of disappearing beneath the baseboards. This makes leaks visible, so they can be addressed before causing major damage.

“The kitchen accounts for more than one-third of all water damage in Swedish homes. To counter this and ensure long-lasting kitchens, we need to get better at detecting leaks in time. With water protection systems in place, our customers can feel safer if an accident happens,” says Oscar Ulv Gammeljord, Lead Buyer at Nobia.

Over the span of ten years, sales of water damage protection systems have increased by 80 percent. One reason for this is that it’s more economical to install protection systems than to deal with the aftermath of water damage. In collaboration with Tollco, Nobia continues to develop and improve methods and installations for customers, and together they meet the evolving regulatory demands of the future.

Source: Water Damage Report 2023 from Vattenskadecentrum