Honka grows, harvests and manufactures
their logs, windows and doors from polar pine which grows near the Arctic Circle for only seven months out of the year.
The extreme growth conditions in Finland force the pines to grow slowly with reduced moisture content, and result in a wood that is denser and straighter with fewer knots than pine grown at more southern latitudes. This makes polar pine an ideal wood for log homes. The narrow growth rings ensure a wood that is resistant to warping, twisting and checking (splitting), and with excellent dimensional stability.
Trees spread like a carpet over 60% of Finland's countryside, which ranks Finland among the most forested countries in the world. But it wasn't always so. The benefits of a reforestation program, begun in the 1800's, has assured the growth of the Finnish timber industry, and has guaranteed the countries virtually endless supply of wood.
'Forest Plus' Principle
- No clear felling is permitted
- Only mature trees are harvested
- No more timber can be taken from the forest than can be replaced by natural growth
- Branches and bark from cut trees are mulched and left to replenish the forest floor
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