Out at one of the hardware stores in Östersund, we meet the warehouse manager Andreas Hansson.
- There are shortages on pressure-impregnated wood, there are shortages on raw sheet pile shutters, on floor shavings ..., he says.
Other stores say they still have materials but no one knows for how long.
Above all, several state that they see a shortage of lumber, which is something that is used in balcony construction, for example.
Great demand also internationally
When the corona pandemic struck, many industries believed that the market would stop.
So also the wood industry where sawmills went down in production.
But in the construction industry, as you know, it was just the opposite.
The pandemic led to a construction boom and demand for building materials soared.
Both nationally and internationally.
For example, there is a great demand for wood products in the USA and the UK.
Gradually, the sawmills began to roll fully, but due to the great demand, their warehouses have not had time to build up.
Right now, the sawmills have historically low stocks and this is noticeable at hardware stores.
- We can not deliver what we want to our customers, says Andreas Hansson.
Continues during the summer
How it will be this summer remains to be seen, but according to Skogsindustrierna, the situation can be expected to persist because the sawmills' stocks usually decrease the most during the summer months.
How do you think it will be this summer?
- I dare not say that.
But I think it will be tough, says Andreas Hansson.
In the clip above, you hear Anders Hansson and some consumers talk about the lack of wood.