Unique features of finnish forests

Why Is Finnish Timber the Highest-Quality in the World?

The forests of Finland are recognized as among the best in the world by the World Forestry Industry Organization. There are 3 main reasons why Finland has achieved the highest timber quality in the world.

1. All Finnish Forests Are Privately Owned

90% of Finland’s land area is covered by forests, and all of these forests are privately owned. It is clear that every forest owner wants to grow trees of such high quality that they can eventually be sold at the highest possible price — which means the timber must be of the highest grade.

How do you grow the highest-grade timber? Exactly the same way we grow fruit and vegetables in our gardens and orchards — so that they do not remain small and weak, but grow large and healthy. To achieve this, Finns plant trees properly, control their growth, remove weak trees, and plant new ones in their place.

And most importantly, Finnish forests are regularly maintained and undergrowth is removed (in other words, the forests are “weeded”), so that trees receive the maximum amount of nutrients from the soil, as well as sufficient sunlight and light. Only with such careful management can trees grow into healthy, straight and strong trunks.

Finns take such meticulous care of their forests for at least 60 years, until the trees reach maturity, and only then are they harvested. Trees between 60 and 90 years old are at the peak of their strength. This is the optimal period of technical maturity for tree trunks, which, according to Finnish standards, are used in the construction of residential wooden houses.

Before the age of 60, timber is young, immature and not yet sufficiently strong. After 90 years, it becomes over-mature, old and more porous. Forest owners sell their forests only once a generation. By dedicating their entire lives to caring for the trees, the owner often does not live long enough to sell them… In other words, parents take care of the forest, while their children sell it.

2. Sensible Policies and Strict Laws

Forests are recognized in Finland as a national treasure, and since the 18th century the country has introduced strict laws governing the cultivation, preservation and protection of its forests.

Although all forests in Finland are privately owned and, at first glance, it might seem that no one should care how individual owners manage them, Finland’s sensible state policy ensures strict control over forest management. Under Finnish law, forest owners are required to be responsible stewards and to care for their forests continuously. This has become the most reliable guarantee of the highest timber quality throughout the country.

3. Ideal Climatic and Natural Conditions

When discussing timber quality in general, trees growing in northern latitudes have the best technical characteristics. Trees growing farther south have a softer and looser structure and are therefore not as strong or dense, making them unsuitable for the construction of high-quality houses.

In addition to Finland’s northern location, its coniferous forests have significant advantages over coniferous forests in other northern countries. Finland has ideal weather conditions for conifers — the country lies at the boundary of different climatic zones and is influenced by the warm Gulf Stream — as well as exceptionally favorable soil conditions for conifers, including highlands and dry sandy soils.

Finland — An Unlimited Source of the World’s Finest Raw Material

Thanks precisely to sound government policy and strict laws, Finland’s forest resources are growing larger and larger every year:

100 million m³ — annual growth of timber reaching technical maturity
60 million m³ — annual volume supplied to export and the domestic market
40 million m³ — annual increase in Finland’s total forest resources

Finnish Forests — Unique Ship-Mast Timber

Thanks to the optimal climate, meticulous forest management and strict laws, Finland is home to exceptionally high-quality ship-mast timber — beautiful, tall, healthy and exceptionally strong trunks. This is the raw material used to produce the world’s finest log and timber houses in terms of both technical and aesthetic characteristics.

Wooden houses made from Finnish timber, which has absorbed decades of the energy of the sun, the strength of the earth and the fragrant resins of the forest, give all of this back to the people who live in them. They bring joy to the soul and heart, provide peace and well-being for many years, and continue to benefit future generations of the family.

The Forest for Finns Is Green Gold — the Country’s Strategic Reserve

Finland is the embodiment of natural purity, the country of “a thousand lakes” (189,000 lakes), almost entirely covered by magnificent forests. Finns have neither gas nor oil nor significant mineral resources… For centuries, they have relied on cultivating high-quality forests, and the forest has become their true green gold.

The Main Thing Is the Quality of the Material — Everything Else Is Secondary

No product can be truly high-quality if it is made from poor-quality materials. Therefore, the primary task for Finns — whose largest industries include timber processing and wooden house construction — is to source the highest-quality raw materials from their own country.

This rich Finnish heritage remains our greatest source of inspiration and gives us an extraordinary sense of confidence. Today, Finland is one of the world’s leading countries in the design and manufacture of wooden houses. Its production facilities meet the highest standards in the world and offer the highest levels of quality and reliability.

A Wooden House Should Be Made in Finland

To hold a strong position in the global wooden-house market, a product should be made in Finland. And Finland means forests, water and very small towns. For centuries, we have lived surrounded by forests — we have learned to plant them, grow them and care for them. And, like no one else in the world, we have learned how to understand, improve, dry and glue this material and use it to build some of the highest-quality wooden houses on the planet.