Rovaniemi Log House News Magazine
Summer 2019
LOG HOUSE
WELCOME TO THE LOG HOUSE!
PUBLISHER
Rovaniemi Log House
CONTACT DETAILS
+358 400 663 999 contact@loghouse.fi www.loghouse.fi
ADVERTISEMENT SALES
Timo Kähkönen +358 400 663 999 timo@loghouse.fi
DESIGN & LAYOUT
All About Lapland
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Alexander Kuznetsov +358 400 82 55 70 alex@allaboutlapland.fi
PRINTED BY
Grano, Finland 2019
CIRCULATION
800 copies
ONLINE VERSION
ROVANIEMI LOG HOUSE is the Finnish quality log house producer, based in the city of Rovaniemi. Our houses are made out of pure Lappish pine logs, with decades of know-how.
Rovaniemi Log House is at the bleeding edge of log house technologies. We are constantly thriving to deliver our clients the latest achievements in log house construction. Our latest log house material is Non-settling log. Unlike traditional log, it does not require settling and enables the construction of modern, tall log house buildings. Another solution is the modern city corner, a joint type that makes it possible for log houses to be built in residential areas. You can read about these new technologies on pages 12-13. We’ve been quite busy lately in our home region of Finland. We have completed several log house projects in Oulu and Rovaniemi. Read about them on pages 8–9. We are also planning a new log house campus in Rovaniemi that will provide space for our office, and also welcomes local companies involved in Arctic technologies.
issuu.com/rovaniemiloghouse
ISSN 2343-0338 (print) ISSN 2343-1067 (online)
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Of course, we love our beautiful Lappish nature. It is not only the source of our main material, Arctic Pine, but also a great relief from the everyday stress. Read about it on page 14.
S U M M E R
E D I TO R I A L
NEW MARKETS FINNISH LOG HOUSE INDUSTRY is in change. Sure, traditional log houses have a long and successful history, and they enjoy a moderate popularity even today. However, the trend of the industry is that the architecture of a modern log house is becoming more modern, refined and creative.
New architectural designs bring challenges to traditional log house construction frame that tends to settle over time. To answer this problem, we are introducing our new material, the non-settling log. The vertical lamellae inside the log can now make Rovaniemi log houses truly non-settling. And thanks to correctly placed sealings, non-settling log also provides excellent air tightness. When the non-settling log is used, there is no more need to adjust the log frame at any point after its assembly. Recently, our company has discovered new markets, for example, in South Korea, Algeria and the UK. This has come at a great time, as the Russian market is still stagnating under the influence of sanctions. We have also found a new and unexpected segment of clients: foreign customers who want to build their log house right here, in Finnish Lapland. Lappish nature, with its snowy winters and sunny summers, is not only our strength, but a competitive advantage. Every time, after having visited Lapland, our clients end up choosing our products and services. This always works, without exception! You are very welcome to find out more info about our company. Read this beautiful magazine, find us online, or come chat with us at our Head Office near Rovaniemi Airport in Lapland, Finland!
TIMO KĂ„HKĂ–NEN Managing Director Rovaniemi Log House
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R OVA N I E M I N E W S
E XC E P T I O N A L LO G H O U S E B U I LT I N D U N K I R K , N O RT H E R N F R A N C E THIS EXCEPTIONAL LOG HOUSE
was built in a small countryside village of Ghyvelde, situated in Northern France, just a few kilometres away from the famous city of Dunkirk. This architect-designed house is decorated on the outside by bricks, giving it the traditional look that is so typical to the region. Behind those bricks there is a genuine log house and wall structure, created with our latest innovation: the nonsettling log. It is made out of crosslaminated wooden lamellae, making it as durable as concrete, without the need for settling space. Non-settling log enables the designers to combine various construction materials, such as steel, glass and bricks, allowing for more creative solutions. You can read more about the non-settling log on page 13 of this magazine. This stunning house has over 500 m2 of floor surface on three floors, and it even includes a private elevator. Spacious living room is dominated by a big fireplace and the back wall is covered with bricks. Large panoramic windows offer beautiful view over the French countryside.
The wooden logs are left uncovered on the inside, allowing the residents to enjoy the atmosphere and warmth of a log house. Rovaniemi delivered the wooden kit in December 2017, and the log frame was raised by our long term partner and French distributor Napapiiri Chalet’s carpenter team in January 2018.
ROVANIEMI LOG HOUSE GOES SOUTH-KOREA ROVANIEMI LOG HOUSE has recently participated in Busan Housing Interior Exhibition 2019 in South Korea, together with our local partner, Rovaniemi Korea Co. The exhibition took place from 7 to 10 March 2019 in Busan, South-kora’s second most-populous city. People in various Asian countries have recently picked up on the trend of ecological living. With urban areas rapidly expanding, it is more crucial than ever to have a safe and comfortable living environment. Finnish log houses with their aesthetic appeal provide just such healthy living surroundings. Choosing a renewable material for one’s home also helps reduce the load on the environment. Recently, first houses produced by Rovaniemi Log House were succesfully delivered to Seoul in South-Korea, and more houses will be underway.
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FINNLAND BLOCK CONSTRUCTS A NEW OFFICE BUILDING ROVANIEMI LOG HOUSE has many distributors all around the world. Our distributor in Austria, Finnland Block, has recently opened their new log house office. Finnland Block is based in a small city of Hall in Austria. A few years ago, Finnland Block found a new plot for their main office. The whole process of construction took only 3 months. The logs came from the factory in a couple of neat packages, numbered and ready for construction. The house uses laminated pine log, measuring at 205 x 275 mm. Even looking from the outside, you can see that the spacious rooms are filled with natural light. The building has several large windows, as well as quite modern design. According to the staff member Konstantin Schmidt, the house’s large open areas make it real pleasure to work in. Our Austrian colleagues have a beautiful view out of their windows, as their office is situated in a beautiful valley near Gesäuse national park.
Finnland Blocks’ customers also enjoy the comfort of their new office and can immediately experience all the benefits of living in a log house. Finnland Block offers the whole range of services, with planning, delivery and construction of log houses that are produced by Rovaniemi Log house in Finland.
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ROVA N I E M I LO G H O U S E TO B U I L D A N E W O F F I C E O N T H E A RC T I C C I RC L E ROVANIEMI LOG HOUSE is planning to build a new main office near the Rovaniemi Airport. Rovaniemi Log House is aiming to build a new ecological corporate block that will provide space for enterprises that are involved in Arctic construction, security, ecological materials and energy efficiency. Rovaniemi Log House CEO Timo Kähkönen says: “We are currently searching for new partners who represent the vast array of skills relevant in the North. Our new log main office will serve as a window into the Arctic know-how”. Two-storey main office will be built out of ecological Lappish pine and will have the address of Teknotie 1, Rovaniemi. Company’s previous main office and show room ‘Kieppi’ operated in Rovaniemi’s Santa Claus Village since 2014. In Summer 2018, the entrepreneurs behind the Finnish luxury brand Balmuir have purchased the building.
Rovaniemi Log House main office was built at the Santa Claus village in 2014.
“We want our office to be accessible by walk-in customers, however, Rovaniemi’s growing tourist number have proved to be a challenge for us,” says Timo Kähkönen. “Santa Claus Village with its over 500.000 yearly visitors is a perfect location a luxury retail shop such as Balmuir”, says Timo.
Rovaniemi Log House is an export-driven company that brings the benefits of Finnish ecological construction to the world. Since its inception in 2009, the company has delivered dozens of Finnish log houses and villas to Russia, China and Europe. In addition to Rovaniemi, the company has offices in Moscow, St. Petersburg, France, Austria and UK.
LU X U R I O U S A RC T I C G L AS S H O U S E S I N ROVA N I E M I , L A P L A N D TOURISM IN ROVANIEMI is growing, and the demand is high for premium accommodation. Customers from Asia and Europe value comfort, quality services and want to experience Lappish nature. To answer this demand, SantaPark Arctic World has opened their Arctic TreeHouse hotel near the popular SantaPark attraction in 2016. The hotel features 60 cubic suites, as well as five premium Arctic Glass Houses. The latter were designed and produced by our partner Kontio. Their log house factory in Pudasjärvi is the largest in the world. Arctic Glass Houses are located on a high slope and have a panoramic view towards the north. They also feature a large terrace which is a great place to enjoy nature all-yearrond, but especially in summer.
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Each Arctic Glass House can fit up to 4 people in two separate bedrooms. A spacious living room is situated in the middle of each Arctic Glass House, providing a great environment for the guests. The
stylish chimney will create an extra bit of comfort in the middle of snowy and dark winter. The terrace of the Glass Houses provides great views of the northern skies. More info: www.arctictreehousehotel.com
MEET THE TEAM
“It’s the feeling of a log house, its warm atmosphere that our clients are longing to have around them.”
H A N N U P O RT I M OJÄ RV I : O U R E X P O RT M A N AG E R I N F R A N C E HANNU PORTIMORJÄRVI was born in Kemi, Lapland. After finishing his degree in mechanical engineering in Oulu, he moved to Nizza, France in 1996. There, he worked at KONE international sales organization. Finding a common language with the French people was not easy. His first six months in the country were devoted to studying the language. “France is that kind of country where you really must speak the local language in order to do business here”, says Hannu. In 2004, he became an export manager for governmental Finnpro company, helping several Finnish companies with their export efforts. In France, he also met his future wife, with whom he moved back to Rovaniemi, Finland for a few years. Lapland’s dark and harsh winters proved to be too much for the warmloving couple. In 2008, they moved back to Nantes, France. In 2016, he started his service at Rovaniemi Log House Ltd as an export manager. He is responsible for several markets, including Norway, UK, Benelux countries, Switzerland and Northern Africa. The latter has been the latest conquest of Finnish log houses. Hannu’s main country of interest still remains France. According to Hannu, a log house is still a niche product in France. Those
Hannu has built himself a beautiful log house in Nantes, France.
who do purchase a log house here, are looking for a more organic way of living. Log house, with its breathing and anti-allergenic properties, provides such a solution. But is it easy to convince a Frenchman into buying a log house? Hannu says that most of their clients have had a prior, first-hand experience with log houses, such as visiting or staying at a log house owned by a friend or a relative. This is where their interest sparks. “It’s the feeling of a log house, its warm atmosphere that our clients are longing to have around them. They just can’t experience anything similar in other types of houses”, says Hannu.
According to him, it was confirmed by research that log material helps the human body to relax. In Nantes, Hannu has built a log house for his family of four. He says that a wooden house fits the French climate quite nicely. Hannu also welcomes potential customers to his house, if they want see a modern wooden building up close. So Hannu, are you now more happy in France? “France is a great country to live in. I would not compare it to Finland though, as each country has its own sides to it”. If you are in need of Hannu’s assistance, you can reach him via email: hannu@loghouse.fi.
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A HOUSE BY THE SEA ROVANIEMI LOG HOUSE HAS RECENTLY FINISHED A BEAUTIFUL WOODEN COTTAGE AT THE SHORE OF THE GULF OF BOTHNIA, OULU, FINLAND.
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ovaniemi log house has recently completed a new wooden house in Oulu region of Finland. This modern log cottage is situated near the shore of the Gulf of Bothnia, offering amazing view towards the sea. This house was custom designed by Rovaniemi Log house planner Kauko Rytilahti. The owners of the
house gave lots of input regarding its design, resulting in a rather unique floor plan and shape of the house. Wooden log is a very flexible material that allows for unique planning without the substantial rise in cost. The laminated log used in this house measures at 240 by 260 millimetres. This is sufficient to provide warmth in the middle of the Finnish winter. The house has 157 m2 of internal space. It features three bedrooms, a living room, kitchen with a dining hall, two bathrooms, housekeeping room, and a Finnish sauna. The master bedroom provides a separate storage room, reducing the clutter in the room itself. The second bedroom features a smaller, yet functional storage closet. Two bedrooms are divided by a bathroom which also provides additional soundproofing. Third bedroom was transformed into a study.
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One can access all rooms via the bright hall. The absence of doors into the kitchen and living room adds to the feeling of spaciousness. Kitchen is connected to the small dining room, and the living room. Kitchen utilities are conveniently placed around the room with wall surfaces matching the colour of the floor. White cupboards add extra brightness of the room. The dining space is situated near the big bright window. Morning coffee must taste great in this house! Big panoramic windows enable for lots of natural light to enter the house and the living room. It is decorated with an impressivelooking chandelier. The living room’s central element is the greytinted soapstone fireplace by the Finnish company Tulikivi, providing additional comfort in winter. The house also has a terrace of 12 m2.
Living room features large panoramic windows with lots of natural light.
The housekeeping room is compact but features all of the necessary facilities, such as sink, cleaning closet and a washing machine. The housekeeping room leads into the big bathroom and sauna. The bathroom, featuring two showers, is a truly beautiful space, with bright tiles and natural light. The house’s most authenticlooking space is the traditional Finnish sauna whose walls are made out of dead-standing “kelo” pine log. As Finnish tradition stands, the sauna is kept under the supervision of two Sauna Elves who take care of the good spirit in the room! If you are interested in comfortable Finnish log houses, browse our collection at www.loghouse.fi.
The design had lots of input from the owners of the house.
Kitchen & dining hall.
The Sauna use the unique dead-standing “kelo” pine logs.
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SAFARI HOUSE SAFARI HOUSE MADE OUT OF WOODEN LOG IS ONE OF THE RECENT COMMERCIAL BUILDINGS FINISHED NEAR OUR HOMETOWN OF ROVANIEMI. ROVANIEMI LOG HOUSE Ltd has
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recently completed another beautiful project — a safari house made out of wooden log near our hometown of Rovaniemi. The safari house was ordered by a local tour operator, Christmas House Safaris, which provides the guests of Rovaniemi with different excursions. The safari house will be the heart of their newly established reindeer farm, situated half-an-hour drive away from the city centre. Safari house is situated in a truly beautiful area, in the middle of the Arctic forest, near the lake. It is surrounded by pristine nature, yet, it is relatively close to civilization. The construction of the project started in Summer 2018. The plot was prepared and connected to the road network. The logs came from our log house factory, numbered and ready for assembly. Assembly of such a house by the experienced crew only takes a few days, and you can immediately proceed with building the roof. Floor plan of the house features a huge main room to host the guests of the reindeer farm, as well as spacious kitchen facilities, rest rooms and a shower.
of guests at the same time, in a traditional and cosy environment. The large dining hall features space for up to 100 people. The kitchen facilities will provide catering for the guests. In the heart of the safari house, there is a big and spectacular fireplace. The views from the safari house are also nothing short of breathtaking! The area offers several auxiliary structures, such as lean-tos for barbecue. The activities offered in the area include reindeer safaris, feeding the reindeer, snowmobile safaris and ice fishing. This safari house is a great example that a building intended for commercial use can still fulfil high ecological standards!
Wooden log is the main construction material for this project. Log is very warm, looks beautiful and requires no maintenance — perfect for a forest residence! This house uses one of the thickest log sizes available through Rovaniemi Log House: laminated log that measures 243 x 275 mm. This ensures a great insulation from the elements, particularly the harsh Lappish winter, as well as structural stability. A wooden chalet dedicated for living would usually use a less thick log. On the outside, the wooden log is painted with a nice dark paint that protects it from moist. Repainting every 5–10 years is advisable. The main goal of the building is to accommodate significant groups
Amazing fireplace is at the heart of the wooden chalet.
COSY LITTLE HOUSE THIS COSY WOODEN HOME HAS BEEN COMPLETED BY ROVANIEMI LOG HOUSE COMPANY IN SUMMER 2018. the wooden log walls provide a natural and pleasing texture. The door in the above picture leads to the shower / bathroom, which can also be accessed from the large housekeeping room. It also holds the necessary heating equipment for the house. The second bedroom is conveniently situated on the other side of the house. The smaller of the bathrooms is right nearby, and next to it, there is a closet for outdoor and winter clothing. The door in the living room leads to the small outside terrace. Big yard gives lots of room for recrecation, and offers a great view towards the river. We image that the owners of the house must really enjoy their summers outside!
has a concrete foundation with logs sitting on top. The logs were delivered from the factory already numbered. Putting them in place was as easy as putting pieces of legos together. Entering this little wooden chalet, one can smell the fresh wooden log! The central space of this wooden home is dominated by the large kitchen and dining room. The kitchen of the house has a minimalistic appearance, with a marble counter. There is a fair amount of space for dishes in the armoire at the back wall of the kitchen. The kitchen and living room share the common open space. It is a great solution for a wooden house with a smaller living area, as the light enters the room from both sides of the house. The living room is equipped with a fireplace which will bring comfort and warmth during the dark and cold winter days! This wooden home stays true to the minimalistic Scandinavian design which is both functional and stylish. The master bedroom has access to a small storage, built in the wall. This reduces the need for a bulky armoire. The interior design of the rooms stays very simple, because
THIS COSY WOODEN HOME was completed by Rovaniemi Log House in Summer 2018. We are particularly proud of this project, because it is built right in our home town of Rovaniemi! This log house is situated by the picturesque river, just 10 minutes away from the city centre. The project is custom designed for one of our old customers. The house is built for a small family of three. Thus, it has the house area of only 131,5 m2 and the living area of 120 m2. The small size is explained by the fact that there is already a second log house structure on the plot that features a Finnish sauna and a drawing room. Building log houses in a residential area has usually been somewhat challenging due to building regulations. Thanks to our modern solutions such as the city corner, we are able to place a wooden log house in the city area without any problems. The log used for the outer walls is the squared laminated log measuring 205 x 275 mm. Such log is a great solution for the residential area, as it is both durable and warm. The facades of the house are very modern and minimalistic. The house
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This log house in Austria uses the morern city corner solution.
CHOOSING THE CORNER OF YOUR HOUSE LOG CORNER IS ONE OF THE IMPORTANT DECISIONS IN LOG HOUSE PLANNING. CLASSIC CORNER
One of the important choices when building a log house is the choice of the corner or joint of the building. Traditionally, log houses have been made in Finland (and all around the world) using the long corner. It is the easiest solution that offers a lot of support and sturdiness for the structure. With long corner, the logs extend over the join, creating that classic look! Long corner is a great option for construction in the areas where building regulations permits this solution. Thus, long corner is a natural solution for building a log house, for example, in the countryside or in the middle of the forest. Classic long corner is now available in both modern and classic variation. With a classic long corner, the facet of the log is larger and sturdier. With a modern long corner, the facet has a clean and minimalistic look. 12
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CITY CORNER
Log house is a perfect solution for residential areas as well! However, in many cities, house regulations do not allow for traditional log corner. Modern city corner is a perfect solution for this problem, as from now on, log houses can be built in the middle of the city area. City corner is designed right from the start to fit the requirements and styles of the residential area. With the city corner, the logs do not extend over the joint, creating a cleaner and modern look. In some ways, city corner is more advanced than the traditional long corner. One of its key features is that city corner technology provides better air tightness than the traditional corner. Many of our log house projects are available with this new option, and lately, more and more of our custom log house designs are using this solution.
As with the long corner, city corner can also come with a modern or classic look. The facets or bevels of the logs can be longer and more pronounced or shorter and cleaner.
Another option is the ‘sharp corner’ (image). With Sharp corner, the intersecting logs of the joint are placed on the same, equal level. With the classic or modern city corner, the logs are placed half of their height apart. Thus, ‘sharp corner’ enables an even cleaner and minimalistic look. Now, it’s time to choose your log corner! Visit our website for info: loghouse.fi/log-house-materials.
Non-settling log is our construction material of the future.
NON-SETTLING LOG NON-SETTLING LOG IS OUR LATEST MATERIAL. IT IS AS FIRM, AS CONCRETE, AND ALLOWS FOR COMPLICATED DESIGNS, AND TALLER LOG BUILDINGS. Rovaniemi Log House produces a wide range on wooden construction materials for every taste and need. Our materials include the classic round log, laminated squared and round log, as well as the unique, dead-standing KELO pine. Our new Non-settling log is the latest innovation in log house building technology. These logs are made from a special multilayered cross-laminated timber. The lamellae in the middle of the non-settling log are placed in vertical direction, acting as pillars. They are surrounded by horizontally placed lamellae. Vertical lamellae come from a part of the pine that only has 0,3% of settling. This great innovation allows to eliminate the phenomena of settling of the log frame made from traditional massive or laminated logs. Non-settling log is strong like concrete, and enables to construct higher buildings made from wood.
ADVANTAGES OF THE NON-SETTLING LOG:
• Fast assembly • No settling • No need to adjust after construction is finished
• Allows higher log buildings • Architectural freedom • Pure & elegant design • Building material of the future
Using the non-settling long allows the designers to mixing different materials such as glass, stone and steel, either as visible design elements, or to cover the log. Normal log requires for some settling space for installing the windows. With nonsettling log, you only need a small installation space. Non-settling log is very easy to assemble due to high-precision machining. It does not require nearly as much maintenance, as the classic log. You also get a minimalistic style with smaller skirtings that makes it easy for the log house to blend into the modern residential areas. It also provides excellent air-tightness. The non-settling log (also known as ‘Cross Laminated Log’ or CLT), is currently available in several thickness options: 135x275 mm, 205 x 275 mm and 275 x 275 mm. Non-settling log is truly a construction material for the future!
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Pallas-Ylläs national park in Lapland offers many opportunities to enjoy outdoors.
NATURE: OUR GREATEST GIFT LAPLAND’S NATURE IS THE SOURCE OF OUR MAIN MATERIAL. IT IS ALSO GREAT TO EXPLORE, ESPECIALLY IN SUMMER!
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apland’s nature is the source of our main material, the Arctic Pine or Pinus sylvestris. Due to moderate climate, the pine grows very slowly, resulting in high density of the material. The timber used in construction of our log houses comes strictly from designated commercial forests. In addition to these forests, Lapland has large areas of old-growth forests that are protected from exploitation. They are mostly enclosed in vast national parks and numerous smaller nature reserves and local hiking areas. Their primary role is the conservation of nature, but they also welcome visitors on their trails. Both commercial forests and national parks are open for hiking. Finland’s “Everyman’s right” ensures that the country’s residents and even its guests can go hiking, foraging for berries and mushrooms in these forests without the landowner’s permission. One can even spend a night in the tent in the middle of the forest. Fishing is allowed upon 14
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purchasing a special permit from the offices of Ministry of Forestry. Cutting wood and foraging for herbs and other plants is not permitted. Of course, national parks and recreational areas are the primary choices for going on a hike, thanks to their unique nature and amazing landscapes. Finland has 40 national parks. Six are situated in Lapland: Lemmenjoki, Urho Kekkonen, PyhäLuosto, Pallas-Ylläs, Riisitunturi and Oulanka. Of course, Lapland’s national parks are the largest and most beautiful in the country. Summer is the best season for a trip outdoors. In Lapland, the Sun is shining all the way through the night
for several weeks, and the nights stay bright for 3 months. This enables us to enjoy nature around the clock! According to the study by Natural Resources Institute Finland (Luke), spending just 20 minutes in the forest per day could boost your mental and physical health. And you don’t need to take a long trip to see Lappish nature and its vistas. Lapland’s national parks also have shorter trails, perfect for a day trip. Grab some snacks with you, make a fire at a lean-to, enjoy fresh pot of coffee and relax! Find out more info about hiking in Lapland: www.nationalparks.fi.
PUUMERKKI - PROVIDER OF EXPERTISE AND QUALITY
Puumerkki provides both expertise and products for professionals using wood; house industry, construction companies and merchants. Puumerkki’s Finnish quality product range covers all major areas of wood construction from interior design to sawn goods. As a recognition of commitment to responsibility and ecological values, Puumerkki has been granted the PEFC™ and FSC® certificates. www.puumerkki.fi/en
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