Spruce logs and spruce sawn timber 

Spruce covers 24% of Finland's forest area, making it one of our most economically important tree species. Spruce wood is light and homogeneous, which makes it a good building material for both interior and exterior use.     
   
Spruce sawn timber is suitable for a wide range of applications, including construction, furniture, glulam production, packaging, interior and exterior cladding panels. UPM Timber produces spruce sawn timber at the Seikku sawmill in Pori and the Alholma sawmill in Pietarsaari.

 Properties of spruce logs and sawn timber

Finnish spruce grows slowly, and its wood is stronger than that of fast-growing trees. The growth rings of spruce are clearly visible, and the colour of spruce logs is light yellowish. The pale colour is uniform from heartwood to sapwood. When it reaches the sawmill, spruce is known as whitewood.
  
Spruce is strong and tough and easy to process and work with. The wood is straight-grained and the wood fibres do not stand up when sanded, planed, cut or painted. The dry part of the spruce trunk is short and the dry branches are small. The planks and boards have few knots, which are small and easy to plane. When properly sawn, the wood retains its shape well and does not twist easily.

Spruce has good moisture tolerance and thermal properties. The low water permeability of the surface means that moisture penetrates slowly in the wood, making it a particularly durable material for façade construction.

Did you know this about spruce? 

Spruce is a straight-branched and fairly dense conifer that grows almost everywhere in Finland, except in northernmost Lapland. It grows up to 15–30 metres tall and is most impressive in fresh, nutrient-rich soils. The bark is reddish and smooth when young, but thickens and starts to crack as the tree ages.

Spruce cones are 8-15 cm long and mature in the autumn of the flowering year, after which they fall off whole. The needles are 15-25 mm long, needle-like and pointed. Spruce is very shade-tolerant, so it forms dense undergrowth areas. However, in the oldest spruce forests, the undergrowth may be lost due to heavy shading and acid needles. 

Spruce is usually protected from damage by moles, hares and deer because of its bitter taste. The main threat to it is the spruce rootworm, which rots the trunk of the tree. Its thin bark also makes it vulnerable to forest fires. The spruce has broad but shallow roots, which is why the trees often fall during storms.