Pine Wood

Pine Wood Tree Definition & Their Uses

A Pinewood tree is an evergreen tree that never loses its leaves that grow in more excellent world areas. The trees can grow up to 80 m tall, but 15– 45 m tall in common.

A pine tree is one of the long-life trees. It can reach ages of 100–1,000 years, or even more. Pine is a softwood tree that naturally flourishes in Northern Europe.

It is considered softwood since the wood is softer than hardwood. The wood material has been commercially spread out around the world.

Pine Wood Texture

The pinewood primarily has a relatively coarse and resinous texture. 

It is open grained. It means the natural patterns of lines in the wood surface are broad with conspicuous annual rings in which there is a considerable difference between earlywood and latewood.

It is common to have false rings in pine wood.

Pine Wood Color

Pine is white or pale yellow. The pale color can range from yellow to almost red in appearance.

This range of colors shows true natural beauty.

Pine Wood Facts

Pine is softwood that has over 100 species all over the world. There are various types of pine in the Genus Pinus. The followings are some of the most common types of pine wood:

1. Pinus strobus or Eastern white pine

It is also known as Weymouth pine, soft pine, white pine, or northern white pine. It grows mainly in the middle Atlantic and the South Atlantic States, some in New England and the Great Lake States. 

The wood has a uniform texture and straight grain. It is soft and lightweight but moderately low in strength and stiffness. 

It ranks high instability since it has low shrinkage. It is also easily kiln-dried, so it is easy to work and can be readily glued. 

The high-grade lumber of Eastern white pine is used for patterns, sashes, doors, furniture, interior woodwork, knotty paneling, caskets, shade and map rollers, and toys. At the same time, the lower grades are used for structural lumber.

2. Pinus banksiana or Jack pine

It is also known as scrub, gray, and black pine. It grows naturally in the Great Lake States and some areas of New England and north­ern New York. The wood has a relatively coarse and resinous texture. 

Like another kind of pinewood species, Jackpine is moderately lightweight. It has relatively low strength, shock resistance, stiffness, and also shrinkage. 

Jackpine is mainly used for pulpwood, box lumber, pallets, railroad crossties, mine timber, slack cooperage, poles, posts, and fuel.

3. Pinus contorta or Lodgepole pine

It is also known as knotty, black, and spruce pine. It grows in the Rocky Mountains and Pacific Coast regions as far northward as Alaska, some in other areas such as Idaho, Montana, Oregon, and Washington. 

Lodgepole pine generally has narrow growth rings and straight grain. The wood is moderately lightweight and soft, so it is pretty easy to work. It has a relatively high shrinkage but rather low in strength, stiffness, and shock resistance. 

Lodgepole pine is mainly used for lumber, mine timbers, railroad crossties, poles, structural lumber, millwork, cabinet logs, engi­neered wood composites, posts, and fuel.

4. Pinus rigida or Pitch pine

It grows from Maine along the moun­tains to eastern Ten­nessee and northern Georgia. The wood is moderately strong, stiff, hard, and heavy. 

It is moderately high in shock resistance, while the shrinkage varies from moderately low to moderately high. Pitch pine is used for general construction, lum­ber, posts, poles, fuel, and pulpwood.

5. Pinus ponderosa or Ponderosa pine

It is also called western yel­low, bull, and blackjack pine. The wood is generally moderately lightweight, soft, and stiff. It also has moderately low strength, shrinkage, and shock resistance. 

Ponderosa pine is generally straight-grained. The wood is quite uniform in texture and has little tendency to warp and twist. 

Ponderosa pine lumber which high- grade is used for sashes, doors, blinds, molding, paneling, interior woodwork, and cabinets. At the same time, low-grade lumber is used for boxes and crates.

6. Pinus resinosa or Red pine

It grows in New Eng­land, New York, Penn­sylvania, and the Great Lake States. Red pine is moderately heavy, strong, stiff, and high in shock resistance but moderate­ly soft. 

The wood is gener­ally straight-grained, resinous, and not as uniform in texture as eastern white pine ( strobus). 

Red pine is not difficult to dry and is dimensionally stable when dried since the wood has moderately high shrinkage. 

The lumber of Red pine is commonly used for building construction, including treated lumber for decking, siding, flooring, sashes, doors, general millwork, boxes, pallets, and crates.

7. Pinus lambertiana or Sugar pine

It is sometimes called Cali­fornia sugar pine. As the largest species of pine in the world, it grows mostly in California and south­western Oregon. 

The wood has a straight grain and is fairly uniform in texture. It is easy to work with tools since it has very low shrinkage and stable dimensions. 

It is also read­ily dried without warping or checking. Sugar pine is lightweight, moderately low in strength, shock resistance, stiffness, and moderately soft. 

Sugar pine is used extensively for boxes and crates, sashes, doors, frames, blinds, general millwork, building construc­tion, and foundry patterns.

8. Pinus monticola or Western white pine

It is also known as Idaho white pine or white pine. The wood is moderately lightweight, soft, and stiff. It has moderately low strength and shock resistance and but moderately high shrinkage. 

Western white pine is straight-grained, easily kiln-dried, and stable after drying, making it easy to work. Western white pine is used mainly for millwork products, such as sashes and door frames. 

The lower-grade boards are used for knotty paneling, while the high-grade material is made into the siding of various kinds, exterior and interior woodwork, and millwork.

9. Pinus radiata or Radiata pine.

It is also known as Monterey pine. The wood is planted ex­tensively in the southern hemisphere, mainly in Chile, New Zealand, Australia, and South Africa. 

The wood has moderately even and fine texture and not interlocked grain. Its strength properties may vary according to the location and growth rate, but it is comparable with red pine’s strength. 

The wood is kiln-dried rapidly with little degradation. It also easily works with machines. For the finishing process, Radiata pine nails and glues easily, and it takes paint well. 

Radiata pine is commonly used for veneer, plywood, pulp, fiberboard, construction, boxes, and mill­work

Is Pine Easy to Work with?

Definitely, yes, it is. The wood of pine is lightweight and has good elasticity. It is also soft, so it is easy to work with. Pinewood is one of the craftsman’s favorite.

Is Pine Wood Good for Outdoor Furniture?

Since it resists shrinking and swelling so, the answer is YES. It also holds paint and varnishes well.

Therefore pine wood is a good choice for outdoor furniture.

Pine Wood Uses and Its Pros & Cons in Furniture Usage

Due to its availability, pine wood has become one of the most affordable building materials. Pine wood uses highly valued in furniture works. But, it is also preferable in other usages.

Pinewood is commonly used for cabinets, unfinished furniture, outdoor furniture, and some high-quality furniture. 

The second-growth knotty wood or lower grade is mostly used for structural lumber, while the high-grade lumber is used for patterns.

Pine Wood Furniture Designs

Pine wood has been quite popular in furniture making. One of the main reasons is its rustic look that gives country vibes. As time goes by, pine will gain a patina.

It is like aging properties that will give the furniture an antique look. This could be very appealing to some people. Another reason is its good durability.

Pinewood is generally designed for furniture as sashes, doors, blinds, molding, knotty paneling, caskets, boxes, crates, pallets, decking, siding, flooring, sashes, interior woodwork and millwork, built-in cases, cabinets shade and map rollers, frames, foundry patterns, and even toys.

Pine Wood for Flooring and Decking

Truth be told, pine wood is not a good option for both flooring and decking. In flooring, people would prefer hardwood which is stronger and more durable.

In the meantime, decking will have high exposure to weather and soil. Pine is not known for its good resistance toward insects and decay. But, this will change with pressure-treated pine.

This pine has so many benefits. It has better durability and resistance to moisture, fungus, insects, and fire. The only drawback is its slightly higher price than the regular one.

Molding and Trim Pine Wood

Pine is an accessible wood to work with both hand tools and machinery.

That’s why it is often used as a trim product.

This is usable for windows and doors frame, cabinet trim, and baseboard.

I am using it as a molding like a picture frame, and chair rail is possible too.

Paper

Besides carpentry, pine wood uses can also be found in the paper industry.

They usually use the pulp of pine trees to make paper.

Ornamental Tree

Sometimes pine tree is cut in a certain way to get the smaller version of a pine tree.

We usually call it an ornamental tree, which is commonly used during Christmas time.

Pros of Pine Wood Furniture

Now that we have learned about pine wood uses, we would like to share some pros and cons of pine furniture.

These will help you decide whether to go with this wood material as your furniture or not.

Cost-Effective

Pine offers a lower price than oak in the same version of furniture.

Pine tree does not take much care and require less time to market.

That’s why the manufacturers sell them at lower prices.

Compatible with Any Color

Its light tones go well with any wall colors or patterns in your home decoration.

Easy to Paint

Are you getting bored with its one look?

Then try to stain it with your desired colors.

No need to worry as pine is easy to paint Moreover, and it takes well in finishing.

Hence, you will have various finish options.

Strong and Durable with Good Resistances

Pine can be solid and durable, primarily used in furniture.

It also has good resistance to shock, which takes minor damage of an impact.

Unlike any wood that can shrink and swell because of temperature and humidity, pine resists them well.

Light Weight

Pine furniture is lighter than the ones made of oak.

This can come in handy when you want to move them.

Eco-Friendly Furniture

Once pine trees are cut down,

they will be replaced with new growth.

And pine can grow fast.

So, it only causes little impact on its natural habitats.

Pine Wood Planks

As we know, planks are long narrow flat pieces of wood that are usually used for making floors or roof decks. Planks that are made from pine wood have some strengths, and they are durable and economical. 

As roof decks, pinewood planks give good insulation against heat and cold. While as a floor, they can resist the changes in temperature and soil humidity well. 

Pinewood planks are very easy to maintain. Therefore, they are economical since they are cheap and do not need special treatment.

Pine Wood Strengths

Pinewood has been popular since there are some inherent strengths it. First, the wood of pine trees is a cheaper and more readily available alternative to traditional hardwoods. 

It is a cost-saving wood since its abundant supply and established market preference. The next important point is this wood has the best treatability.  

It is soft and light in weight, so the timber can be sawed without difficulty. Pinewood also has good elasticity. As stated before, it also resists shrinking and swelling, which makes it stable for furniture manufacturing. 

The last remarkable point is that this wood can be transformed into a beautiful finished furniture product. It has various attractive grain options and can hold paints and varnishes very well.

Disadvantages of Pine Wood

On the contrary, there are a few disadvantages of pine wood that should be considered. The main problem is this wood has less strength. It can be easily damaged.

Besides, the common lumber of pinewood often has defects such as scratches and dents.

Disadvantages of Pine Needles

Like other needled evergreens, pine trees drop needles periodically. The dropped pine needles are difficult to remove. 

When they cover the soil as mulch, they will not restore the soil mineral or plant nutrients. In addition, insects love needle mulch very much. 

They can create potential issues for the soil when they settle into the soil layer beneath the pine needles. 

Furthermore, pine trees like higher temperatures and additional water, so the mulch sometimes holds too much moisture on the soil. These conditions could bring destructive issues that should be removed to maintain the soil’s health.

One Style Only

Though it works on most styles, it can only offer you its classic rustic style.

Visible Signs of Wear

Over time, dents and scratches might occur on pine furniture. Unless you like that kind of style, you may consider other wood furniture.

Regular Maintenance

Pine furniture requires less maintenance.

But, if you want to prevent it from dent and scratches, you may need to do some refinishing and repairing regularly.

Excessive Knots

Knots can cause a hole to form, which may lead to weakness on the furniture.

So, what do you think after learning pine wood uses and its pros and cons?

Is it still to your liking?

All in all, we can agree that pine wood is still a good material either for furniture or other aspects.