The VELUX Timber
Our 6 types of wood
Wood is essential in the production of VELUX windows, but not just any type. Read on to learn more about the types of wood that frame our windows.
Wood is a sustainable and environmentally friendly raw material – in fact the best in the world because it is CO2 neutral. As trees grow they remove CO2 from the air and store it. Wood also stores CO2 when used, and when it is finally decomposed by, for example burning, the same amount of CO2 is released to the air, which can then be absorbed by other trees. However, the prerequisite for the carbon neutrality is, of course, that the wood is produced sustainably. During production, no more wood must be harvested than the continuous growth, so that the carbon stock remains fairly constant. This condition is met in Europe and North America, which are also the regions where the VELUX Group purchases its timber for the production of roof windows. Click on the different wood types to read more
Nordic pine
Douglas fir
Southern yellow pine
Ponderosa pine
Maritime pine
Common spruce
Nordic pine/Scots pine
The most important species of tree in the VELUX Group through the years has been the Nordic pine or Scots pine. The tree thrives in Denmark but does not have the same wood density as the more northernly pine species from Finland, Sweden and Norway for example. Nordic pine from Sweden and Finland has been the primary source of timber for windows production within the VELUX Group. The Polish factory, NB Polska, also uses locally grown Nordic pine, in order to minimize transport costs.
Douglas fir
Douglas fir was used in the American production at VELUX Greenwood from the late 1970s. Douglas fir is named after the English botanist, David Douglas, who in 1825-27 brought seeds of the species from the USA to Great Britain. Douglas fir is widely used in North America for furniture, flooring and in the building industry. The species is common in North America and British Columbia, North California and the states of Oregon and Washington and is one of the tallest trees in the world. In 2009, a Douglas fir in Oregon was recorded as being almost 100 meters tall. The tallest species of tree in the world is however the Giant redwood in California, with a height of up to 115 meters.
Southern yellow pine
In 1990-91, Southern yellow pine replaced Douglas fir as the timber used in production at VELUX Greenwood. Southern yellow pine is common in the southern United States and is the collective name for several related species. The timber can present certain challenges in its processing for production of window profiles and, after some years, it became clear that it would make more sense to switch to an alternative species.
Ponderosa pine
Ponderosa pine has been used in production at VELUX Greenwood since 2007. Ponderosa pine is very similar to Nordic pine and is a species widely used in North America. It is common in the western United States and the southern part of Canada.
Maritime pine/Pin des Landes
Maritime pine or Pin des Landes is something of a French VELUX speciality that has been used since the 1990s in some production in VKR France. It is unusual to use Maritime pine in windows and, as it is difficult to find timber of the right quality, special agreements have to be reached with local sawmills for their cooperation to find timber of high quality. Maritime pine is closely linked historically with the planting programmes in the dunes and marshland areas of Landes forest, southwest of Bordeaux. This plantation was started in 1787 by the engineer Nicolas Brémontier, but with the passing of the legislation introduced by Emperor Napoleon III on 19 June 1857, the municipalities of Gascony were obliged to carry out wide-scale reforestation of coastal areas in a move to protect against coastal erosion. The forested area of Landes extends over 10,000 km2 and is the largest man-made forest in Europe.
Common spruce
Common spruce (Norway spruce) from Sweden, Finland and Russia has been used as a supplement for Nordic pine/Scots pine in the VELUX production in Hungary. Common spruce is available in abundance in central, northern and eastern regions of Europe but is rarely used in the production of windows as the timber invariably contains numerous knots and pockets of resin.