Why polar pine?
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), with excellent dimensional stability.
A Constant Source
Trees spread like a carpet
over 60 percent of Finland’s
countryside now, 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 country’s virtually
endless supply of
wood.
“Forest
Plus” Principle
- No clear cutting is permitted
- Only mature trees are harvested
- No more timber 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
