Kelo (Snagwood)
Kelo captures the calm, grey-brown tones of weathered standing deadwood, evoking the aesthetic of the northern wilderness.
Applications
Manufacturing
Kelo product is made by charring the wood surface at over 1000 °C using Hiil's charring technology. After charring, the product is pressure-washed with water, dried, brushed and oiled with grey-tinted special linseed oil. The oil alters the char surface structure and binds the carbon into the wood.
Specifications
| Surface | Charred, washed, brushed, oiled, tinted grey |
|---|---|
| Wood species | Pine, Kiertopuu® pine |
| Wood certification | PEFC certified |
| Standard sizes | |
| Panel | 26 mm Widths 118, 143, 193 mm Lengths 4110, 5030 mm, end-matched Exterior / interior cladding Coverage −10 mm from the width  |
| Board | 26 mm Widths 118, 143, 168, 193 mm Lengths 4200, 5100 mm Decking  |
| Plank | 43 mm Widths 143, 193 mm Lengths 4200, 5100 mm Decking |
| Country of origin | Finland |
| CE marking | Product is CE marked |
| Fire class | D class B-class when treated with fire retardant, spruce as material. |
Indicative lead time for the standard range is about 5 weeks from order. Check availability for each product.
Outside the standard range, products can be made to order in thicknesses 20–43 mm, widths 93–193 mm and lengths 2000–6000 mm. Price and lead time are quoted case by case.
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Weather exposure
Weather exposure test for Hiil Oy charred wood products
Natural Resources Institute Finland - 27 March 2025 results - Veikko Möttönen and Nina Pottonen.
Weather exposure test programme: 102 min UV exposure and 18 min UV+rain exposure, repeated over 6 weeks (1008 h). Equivalence: The treatment can be considered to correspond to approximately 3 years of outdoor exposure to rain and sunlight. UV radiation dose in the test was approximately 218 MJ/m².
Installation and maintenance guides
Downloads
Find more on the Resources page.
Example projects using Kelo
Grey exterior cladding in varying widths on a detached house
A detached house on a tight plot: grey Kelo cladding in varying widths settles the stone house into the slope and the sea view.
Decks and interior surfaces in charred wood at a holiday home
At a holiday home in Kustavi, a Kuura ceiling, Hiili accent walls, Kelo decks and Noki benches continue from indoors into the archipelago landscape.
Beautifully greying charred terrace
An uncovered terrace of about twenty square metres in Kelo decking, with Kaarna posts, beside a compact house in the woods – evenly grey in less than a year.
Halo Igloos Resort – Northern lights and charred wood
Halo Igloos is a glass igloo resort in Rovaniemi where Hiil Kiertopuu products bring an ecological dimension both outdoors and indoors.
AITO Saunas’ charred wood cladding
AITO Sauna builds saunas where Finnish design meets everyday wellbeing. Hiil has supplied charred wood surfaces to AITO projects in Ibiza and beyond.
Sturdy outdoor bench in charred wood
Rest benches at Aalto University campus in Kelo finish and wide batten. Built to last weather and use.