General Forestation Across Europe Finnish Wood Species
1 = 4500 Trees per person in Finland Source: Mapping tree density at a global scale in Nature (September 10, 2015) 1 = 420 Trees per person globally Source: Mapping tree density at a global scale in Nature (September 10, 2015)
Annual Growth + 104,400,000 m 3 4.4% 2,375,400,000 m 3 Source: Finnish Statistical Yearbook of Forestry, Finnish Forest Research Institute, 2013; Statistics Finland, 2013; PEFC Finland, 2013 Annual Growth + 104,400,000 m 3 4.4% Annual Harvest - 51,500,000 m 3 2.2% ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Annual Surplus 52,900,000 m 3 2.2% 2,323,900,000 m 3 Source: Finnish Statistical Yearbook of Forestry, Finnish Forest Research Institute, 2013; Statistics Finland, 2013; PEFC Finland, 2013
Which woods grow in Finland? All others 1% Birch 10% Pine 67% Spruce 22% Tree species in Finland by total volume
Common in Europe Common in Finland Not found in northern climes and usually imported from the Southern Hemisphere Coniferous Deciduous Exotic English Name Latin Name kg/m 3 Hardness Norway Spruce Picea abies 470 1,3 Silver Fir Abies alba 460 1,3 Scots Pine Pinus sylvestris 520 2,4 Eastern White Pine Pinus strobus 400 1,9 European Black Pine Pinus nigra 670 3,0 European Larch Larix decidua 600 1,9 Siberian Larch Larix Sibirica 750 2,3 Atlas Cedar Cedrus Atlantica 580 2,8 Douglas Fir Pseudotsuga menziesii 570 3,6 Common Juniper Juniperus communis - - Mountain Ash Sorbus aucuparia 650 - Sycamore Maple Acer pseudoplatanus 660 3,0 Pedunculate Oak Quercus robur 760 3,7 Sessile Oak Quercus petraea 730 3,7 European Beech Fagus Sylvatica 720 3,8 Eurpoean Ash Fraxinus excelsior 720 3,8 Cherry Prunus avium 640 3,0 Silver Birch Betula pendula 650 2,7 Sweet Chestnut Castanea sativa 650 2,3 Black Walnut Juglans nigra 600 5,2 Wych Elm Ulmus glabra 680 3,9 Black Locust Robinia pseudoacacia 750 3,7 Black Alder Alnus glutinosa 520 2,1 White Poplar Aspen Populus alba 530 2,1 Black Aspen Populus nigra 450 2,3 Aspen Populus tremula 440 2,0 Small-leaf Linden Tilia cordata 520 2,9 Broad-leaf Linden Tilia platyphyllos 540 3,1 Mahogany Swietenia mahagoni 500 3,0 Teak Tectona grandis 660 4,5 Hardness (Brinell Scale) Aspen Spruce Siberian Larch Pine Alder Maple Birch Elm Ash Oak 1.0 1.5 2.0 2.5 3.0 3.5 4.0 Spruce Picea abies 470 1,3 Pine Pinus sylvestris 520 2,4 European Larch Larix decidua 600 1,9 Siberian Larch Larix Sibirica 750 2,3 Juniper Juniperus communis - - Mountain Ash Sorbus aucuparia 650 - Maple Acer pseudoplatanus 660 3,0 Oak Quercus robur 760 3,7 Ash Fraxinus excelsior 720 3,8 Cherry Prunus avium 640 3,0 Birch Betula pendula 650 2,7 Elm Ulmus glabra 680 3,9 Black Alder Alnus glutinosa 520 2,1 Aspen Populus tremula 440 2,0 Small-leaf Linden Tilia cordata 520 2,9
Pine (Pinus sylvestris) Spruce (Picea abies) Birch (Betula pendula) Aspen Tree species most used in industrial production (Populus tremula) Pine Image by Katja Vahtikari
Pine needles (longer and thinner than spruce) Image by Katja Vahtikari Pine bark (reddish toward the upper part of the tree) Image by Katja Vahtikari
Pine (Pinus sylvestris) light sapwood, reddish heartwood heartwood is weather resistant sapwood can be impregnated density: light (520 kg/m³) hardness: soft (2.4) uses: panels, window and door frames, furniture, plywood, construction Pine panels Note that profile shape dramatically affects appearance of grain Image by Kimmo Lylykangas
Pine in exterior use Image by Kimmo Lylykangas Pine in interior use (note color variation) Image by Kimmo Lylykangas
Spruce Image by Katja Vahtikari Spruce needles (shorter and thicker than pine) Image by Katja Vahtikari
Spruce bark Image by Katja Vahtikari Spruce (Picea abies) light in colour, homogenous and knotty cannot be impregnated density: light (470 kg/m³) hardness: soft (1.3) uses: construction, glue lam, LVL, plywood, exterior cladding, panels
Spruce is commonly used in glu-lam structural members such as this truss assembly because it is light weight, easy to work and relatively inexpensive
Spruce is also the most common wood for dimensional lumber used for framing members Spruce has a high frequency of small diameter knots which can affect its appearance significantly, but have a relatively minor influence on its structural capacity in larger dimensions.
When left unpainted, the visual presence of knots is strongly noticeable, particularly in lower quality grades of the material When painted spruce has a uniform apppearance, reducing the visual presence of knots Image by Kimmo Lylykangas
Birch (late season as leaves turn color) Image by Katja Vahtikari Birch leaves Image by Katja Vahtikari
Birch bark (white, becoming grey or silver in old age) Images by Katja Vahtikari Birch silver (Betula pendula) and white (Betula pubescens) not weather resistant, decays quickly good bending characteristics structurally homogenous density: moderately heavy (white birch 610 kg/m³ - silver birch 650 kg/m³) hardness: moderately hard (2.2 2.7) uses: furniture, plywood, floors
Birch is most frequently used in interior applications and furniture due to its color, hardness and density. Image by Kimmo Lylykangas
Birch plywood is lighter in color and has much less noticeable grain figure than spruce or pine plywoods As a result, it is commonly used as an interior surfacing material and is readily available in high quality grades with few to no visible knots.
Aspen Image by Katja Vahtikari Aspen leaves Image by Katja Vahtikari
Aspen bark (flat grey in color) Image by Katja Vahtikari Aspen (Populus tremula) white and homogenous in colour no patterning density: light (440 kg/m³) hardness: soft (approx. 1.1) uses: panels, furniture, matches
Aspen is commonly used now in log applications due to its workability, low density (thus thermal efficiency) and the silver color it takes when weathered Image by Kimmo Lylykangas Aspen is mechanically split for use in shingle claddings
In these condiitions when the wood is left untreated, eaves and other obstructions can dramatically affect the appearance of the facade over time. Alder Black (Alnus glutinosa) Grey (Alnus incana) reddish colour, homogenous no patterning not weather resistant density: light (500-550 kg/m³) hardness: soft (approx. 2.1) use: panels, furniture
Image by Kimmo Lylykangas
Larch Siberian (Larix sibirica) European (Larix decidua) yellowish sapwood, red heartwood, strong grain pattern heartwood is extremely resistant to decay one of the hardest and strongest softwoods density: heavy/moderately heavy (550-650 kg/m³) hardness: soft (european) to medium (siberian 3.2) uses: terrace deckings, panels, construction, furniture Image by Kimmo Lylykangas
Maple (Acer platanoides) density: heavy/moderately heavy (690 kg/m³) hardness: moderately hard (3.4) uses: furniture, surfaces, instruments
Image by Kimmo Lylykangas Image by Kimmo Lylykangas
Oak (Quercus robur) density: heavy (720 kg/m³) hardness: moderately hard (3.7) uses: furniture, surfaces, instruments Image by Kimmo Lylykangas
Color (changes over time) Species Finish Appearance Tooling