A Modern Versatile Material
The Swedish sawmill industry knows that its future is linked to the protection and expansion of its forests. This, in combination with strong, effective laws, ensures that all Swedish timber comes from sustainably managed forests. Every harvested tree is replaced by at least two planted seedlings.
Swedish sawn timber consists mainly of two conifer species: pine (Pinus sylvestris) and spruce (Picea abies).
Swedish wood is used for furniture, floors, wall panels, mouldings, windows, doors, outdoor decking and as a construction material.
Total Swedish production of sawn and planed timber stands at 18 million m3, of which 13 million m3 is exported. Large investments in the modernisation of the Swedish sawmills have resulted in automated high-speed manufacturing technology.
This enables the sawmills to produce high quality products in accordance with customer demands in an efficient way.
Thanks to its high quality, Swedish pine is a material that is very well suited for furniture, as it is easy to work with in the production process. The Swedish sawmill industry delivers wood adapted to the needs of the furniture industry: wood with a consistent quality, precise dimensions and a low moisture content.
Photo Ajay Bhaskar
Photo: Magnus Glans
The surface of Swedish pine and spruce also offers endless aesthetic possibilities. The surface can for example be brushed, sanded or carved to give the wood different textures. Swedish pine and spruce also have the advantage of being light coloured wood species, so they can easily be stained in different colours and shades.
Photo: Åke E:son Lindman
Interior products
Swedish pine is often used for wall panelling, floorboards and mouldings, as well as for doors and windows.
Panels and floorboards are available in a wide range of profiles and finishes, to create a traditional style or give a more modern appearance to the room. The Swedish sawmill industry can deliver panels and floorboards in many different styles and dimensions, and in some cases also ready-painted and treated panels and boards.
Wooden windows and doors are available in a wide variety of designs and finishes, to suit all architectural styles. The Swedish sawmill industry can produce window components ready to use by the window industry.
Photo: Åke E:son Lindman
Photo: Åke E:son Lindman
Glulam
Glulam – glued laminated timber – opens up many architectural possibilities. Glulam consists of individual laminates of structural timber, providing a highly effective utilisation of the raw material. The laminates are finger-jointed to give greater lengths and then glued together to produce the desired size. In relation to its weight, glulam is one of the strongest construction materials available. This means that glulam beams can span large distances.
Photo: Åke E:son Lindman
Single-family houses
Sweden has a long tradition of building one and two-storey buildings in wood, and about 90 percent of the single-family houses are constructed in wood. Wood is a light material that can carry heavy weights and it is therefore suitable for a high degree of prefabrication.
The interest in timber construction for multi-storey buildings is increasing worldwide due to its efficiency and climate friendliness. The construction of a multi-storey building in wood reduces the emission of carbon dioxide by approximately half compared to concrete. (Construction and its impact on the climate, 2016, Swedish Construction Federation).
Photo: Johan Ardefors
Swedish timber is also used for packaging purposes and suits various functions and quality requirements.
Examples of wood packaging are pallets, pallet collars, cable drums and packaging crates.
