Good night, better indoor air

Beds matter because we spend a large part of our life sleeping. Demanding M1 laboratory tests were conducted to ensure that Siparila’s glulam bed components were emission-free.

The old bed model had become obsolete. It had begun to look to crude with the braces nailed to the underside.

Siparila wanted to solve the problem of its customer Hilding Anders, a major Nordic bed manufacturer. The proposal was to use glulam components instead of solid wood in a continental bed.

However, at the same time, it was necessary to ensure that the solution was also safe in terms of indoor air and people with allergies. We spend a good part of our life in bed, so the materials used do matter.

“We were fully aware that neither the Kiilto adhesive we use nor the glulam emit hazardous emissions. Nevertheless, we had to prove it. When solid wood and glulam are compared, it is a common preconception that glulam is an inferior option in terms of health in some way,” says Siparila’s CEO Juha Sojakka.

More detailed information with M1 tests

Siparila, the German timber trader Jacob Jürgensen used by Siparila and Kiilto decided to have the bed components tested by an impartial laboratory in accordance with the M1 low-emission test.

“Kiilto’s adhesive already had the M1 classification for low emissions, and also the Finnish spruce used in the bed component is rated M1. Now, we had to prove that the combination of the adhesive and wood does not generate harmful emissions either,” explains Johanna Kaitaranta at Jacob Jürgensen.

”We didn’t apply for a separate M1 classification for the bed components, but we wanted to have comprehensive test results we can use,” Lilli Puntti at Kiilto adds.

Good results were reassuring

The bed components were tested for four weeks in accordance with the M1 template for the emission of total volatile organic compounds (TVOC) and emissions of formaldehyde, ammonia and carcinogenic compounds belonging to class 1 of the IARC classification.

“The good test results were reassuring,” Juha Sojakka says.

Siparila already has a lot of experience in glulam and cooperation with Kiilto. The company previously supplied Ikea with glulam bed components for years.

According to Sojakka, the future of glulam seems quite promising:

“When you make wide beds, glulam keeps its shape better than solid wood solutions.”

Johanna Kaitaranta says that the trend in German-speaking countries is that massive continental beds are becoming more common at a fast rate. Demand for beds with timber slatted bases traditionally used in the region has declined.

“In the German bed market, there is not yet much talk about emissions or indoor air issues, but they will certainly emerge in the future. The fact that Kiilto and Siparila invest in good indoor air might be surprisingly useful in trading in Central Europe later,” Kaitaranta speculates.

Photos: Hilding Anders Finland Oy and Siparila Oy

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