All You Need to Know About Larch Wood
Larch trees are widely grown in Europe, North America, and parts of Asia. This tree has stable dimensions and is more resistant to weather.
Most of the high-quality larch wood is in Siberia. It’s just that the numbers are very small in Germany forests.
Several Disadvantages of Using Larch Wood for Furniture
The heartwood of the wood has a reddish-brown color. The use of this wood can be used to make floors and furniture.
Every tree that grows in a different country has different characteristics. Some of the disadvantages of larch wood are:
1. Change Depends on Weather
This wood does have strength properties and can be placed outdoors. Furniture made of wood is usually heavier but commensurate with wet resistance as well.
Its use doesn’t require a lot of maintenance and you can use the standard method by giving it a layer of oil.
The thing that is lacking from this wood is the quality that is very dependent on the weather while still in the form of a tree. It is not yet known how the weather can have an impact on wood quality.
Of course, a quality that is uncertain is very influential in the furniture industry. There is no special treatment that can handle this, so carpenters can only handle quality wood in the manufacture of furniture.
2. Absence of the Rotation
Another disadvantage of larch wood is the tendency not to have a rotational pattern on the wood. This made it difficult for carpenters to work on them. Care must be taken to prevent unwanted tension.
When unwanted tension occurs, usually, the final product will have something that is not desired. It can affect the durability of wood too.
3. Varying Prices
This wood has many variations that grow in their respective countries. It has been explained that the quality of wood is greatly influenced by changes in weather so that the quality offered varies.
The different qualities cause wood sellers to offer it at different prices to consumers.
However, most of the price range for this wood is above spruce wood. Even though the price is still average below expensive wood such as hardwood.
4. Flammable
Indeed, almost all wood has flammable properties. This also applies to this wood which does have a high calorific value of around 1700 kWh.
This makes this type of wood not recommended for use in areas where forest fires often occur.
When a fire occurs, the fire easily spreads from one wood to another.
5. High-Quality Rare Wood
This wood has a tendency to become stronger when exposed to water. The fact is also accompanied by wood that is very difficult to dry out. This makes it difficult to find good quality wood.
Advantages of Larch Wood
Since ancient times, this wood has been used as furniture and home building structures.
This use is definitely due to the adequate characteristics of the larch for making furniture and house structures. What are the advantages of this wood, you can see below.
1. Anti-Insects
Larch wood has a special resin that insects don’t like, such as termites, which can cause damage to wood. The owner of this wooden furniture does not need to bother giving special chemical coating treatments to prevent termite attacks.
2. Do not Experience Decay
In a small proportion of wood that decomposes when it is cut down from the tree, this characteristic does not occur in this wood because it has special properties. Even the wood will not rot after decades of immersion in water.
These properties are very different from other types of wood and these qualities make them highly preferred as construction materials.
Thanks to its resistance to water, it is common for people to use this wood to build ships.
3. More Fireproof than Pine
It is true that larch wood still burns than other refractory raw materials. However, the flammability of this wood is lower than pine wood.
The nature that is more difficult to burn than pinewood, makes this wood more popular as a house construction material.
4. High Density and Strength
Almost all wood furniture lovers understand that wood with a denser density has higher strength. This is true of larch wood too, although it is not as dense as some hardwoods.
Good maintenance of this wooden furniture can last up to hundreds of years. This has been proven in the city of Venice where there are urban buildings made of this wood and still stand to this day.
A study has proven that this wood in contact with water actually makes its structure stronger, similar to stone.
Some of these wood genera are very popularly used in the construction world of strong properties. Let’s say that the genus from Siberian larch is the best type of larch tree.
5. Easier Maintenance
Maintenance of furniture made of larch is easier to perform compared to other types of wood. You don’t need to avoid this furniture from sun exposure. There’s no need to be afraid of rain as long as it’s not acid rain.
Tips for Caring for Furniture from Larch
There are several tips that you can use to care for furniture. Good maintenance can make the furniture last for more than several decades.
You can see all the tips for caring for furniture from wood in the following.
1. Clean Routinely
How to care for all types of wood is to clean it regularly. regular cleaning can make the use of furniture longer. Just use a mild soap to clean any stuck stains.
Use a soft cloth when applying the cleaning liquid. After that, dry using a dry cloth.
2. Good Maintenance
The selection of this wooden table needs to take care of the surface carefully. In addition, it is necessary to prevent the surface from drying out and also cracking due to significantly reduced humidity.
You can keep moisture on the wooden table surface by adding a layer of oil. One of the layers of oil that you can use as a surface layer is linseed oil.
You can do this maintenance process twice in 1 year.
3. Use Natural Oil
Learning from wood has the beauty of natural colors and textures. It is not recommended to use the pigmented coating on the surface of this larch furniture.
if you want to add a layer that can protect the furniture better, you can use a transparent coating.
It is also common to coat the surface with natural oils, such as linseed oil. This natural oil has the characteristic of being able to add a darker color over time.
4. Do not Use in Sauna
Larch wood does have water resistance characteristics but its use is not recommended in saunas. Siberian larch has a high resin and tar content which is not suitable for use in a sauna.
5. Color Change
This wooden furniture is suitable for you to place outdoors. it’s just that it doesn’t mean it won’t experience discoloration due to sun exposure. The wood will still change color because it remains sensitive to UV.
The color change that occurs from brown will become more faded or more grayish.
If you want to protect your furniture from discoloration due to sun exposure, your furniture can be added with a special transparent containing of anti-UV layer.
6. Proper Storage
Store furniture made of wood should not be careless. The owner should store the furniture in an indoor room that has cool and dry air.
Nobody knows about the quality of the furniture wood, so it is potentially moldy.
Characteristics of Larch Wood
The Siberian larch is the only genus of this tree which has of the highest quality.
While the most frequently circulating in trade is the genus originating from Europe. You can find out some of the characteristics of this wood below.
1. Softwood Group
The density level of this wood which comes from Europe is not too dense. Only trees that grow from environments with extreme changes in weather, which produce trees with very dense wood density.
If you are looking for the wood of this type with a dense density, you can buy wood from the Siberian genus only.
2. Reddish color
Most of this wood that comes from Europe has a reddish-brown color. Using this wood creates a natural impression of the surrounding environment, you can place it indoors or outdoors.
3. Straight Pattern
Most of the wood from this tree does not have a rotational pattern. Meanwhile, the existing pattern is only a straight pattern and a few curves.
The texture of this wood pattern is very unique, so it is easy to distinguish from other types of wood.
4. Sapwood Thin
Unlike other types of trees, larch has thin sapwood.
Sapwood thicknesses range from 1 to 3 cm. The color of the sapwood is yellow.
5. Unique Smell of Resin
European larch has a specific smell of resin rather than other types of woods. The smell is getting stronger when being worked.
The only carpenter who can tell the difference of the odor.
