Wellbeing
Wood is a very warm material. Massive wood has a great warmth capacity. That is, there is a lot of accumulating mass. The mass balances out the temperature changes in different times of day and keeps the interior temperature comfortable. In summer the atmosphere is pleasantly calm and in winter retains its warmth.
Longevity
Wood is a durable material. The oldest log houses in the world are over 800 years old. Wood is a very strong load-bearing structure compared to its lightness in weight. After earthquakes most of the undamaged buildings are made of logs.
Appearance
Wood is a beautiful material. Its natural forms and colours are pleasing to the eye. Many well-knows artists, composers and writers have given birth to their greatest creations whilst living in a log house. Natural surroundings bring about creativity.
Safety
Solid log is a fire resistant material and lasts longer in fire than concrete columns or steel beams. This is due to 15% of wood mass being water, which will evaporate before the wood actually burns. In addition, logs get charred which protects the core.
Ecology
Wood is a renewable resource and using it supports global sustainable development. As a tree grows it binds carbon dioxide to itself and slows down global warming on its behalf. The materials of a genuine wood house are recyclable after decades. Building a log house is an environmental act.
Economy
Wood is a comparatively inexpensive material. The forest is a wood factory which produces wood using only solar energy. Only minimum amounts of power are required for maintaining the forest, tree-felling and transport. In comparison, the production of a cubic metre of steel requires about 320 times more energy than for providing a cubic meter of wood. In processing and production too, wood requires far less energy than other building materials.
Environment
In sourcing its wood, Honka favours Finnish forests. This way Honka ensures that the wood is grown in accordance with sustainable development. In addition, Honka favours forest areas near to their factories, which are located in optimal pine growth areas and result in short transportation distances. The glue used in the lamination process of Honka logs is pro-environmental. Neither the use of this material or the maintenance of the machinery generate any polutant waste. Honka is able to generate heat by burning surplus wood material at its factories. In Karstula, the waste wood is burned in a 10MWh power plant that produces almost all the heat needed by Karstula town centre and neighbouring companies, in addition to the factory. Additionally, it generate 1MW of 'green' electricity which covers the annual power requirement of the Karstula factory.
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