As you can imagine, the wood from such a tree will be very useful. If you’d like to know more about pinewood properties, then keep reading!
The pine tree is one of the fast-growing tree species, and it can reach heights of up 40 meters. The tree also lives for as long as 500 years.
Pinewood Features
The yearly growth rate of a pine tree under the right conditions can range between 0.8 to 1 meter. You can see the annual ring on each cut made to pine tree wood.
It has a monotonous texture and the density is on the low side, thanks to significant differences in the structure of both the early and latewood.
The average humidity of a growing pine tree in the sapwood is -112% and -33% in the core.
At the top of a pine tree, the sapwood moisture increases, although the humidity in the core remains unchanged.
Pinewood experiences daily and seasonal humidity fluctuations.
Pinewood is soft, so it is very easy to cut. Its softness also makes it very easy to grind. This makes it easy pickings for lumberjacks.
Is Pine Wood Good For Furniture?
Even though pine wood is soft, it remains a good choice for furniture.
One of the major reasons for this is that it is pest resistant. You would rarely find a pinewood tree that has infested branches or stems. They also give off a sweet-smelling aroma that would do justice to your living room, kitchen, and bedroom areas.
Pine Wood is also “shock resistant”, thanks to its sturdy nature. If you love the old, country-style furnishings, then pine wood is an excellent choice!
As time passes, pinewood develops a patina, which gives it an antique-looking feel, which will appeal to the older folks. With its softness, you may find some dents here and thereafter years of use, but that only adds value to the antique-looks you desire.
Pros and Cons of Pinewood
As good as mine wood may be, it still has its downsides. I’ll list out some of the pros and cons of pinewood below.
The Pros
Here are some of its pros.
Price: Pinewood furniture is much cheaper than furniture made from oak wood. Pinewood grows fast, so furniture makers have quicker access to its wood, hence the very low price.
Cutting pine wood is also very easy, and this also contributes to its low price.
So if you’re looking to buy furniture at the fairest prices, then pine wood furniture is an excellent option.
Color: Pinewood had a very light color, which helps it blend well with other existing pieces of furniture in your home.
Its versatile color also allows it to blend in nicely with almost any kind of wallpaper design or wall paint you may have.
Options to change the color: The nature of pinewood allows for easy staining. This means you can easily change the color according to your taste. With pine wood, you will have many options as far as color finishing is concerned.
If you wish, you can choose to leave the natural color untouched, as it will still blend in well with your already existing furniture.
Stiffness: Pinewood may be soft, but it is very stiff. Its stiffness makes it very durable and long-lasting when used for furniture.
Furniture made from pine wood cannot be compared to furniture made from oak (strength-wise) but it still offers good durability, especially when you consider its fair price.
Lighter in weight: Generally, all wooden furniture is expected to be heavy, however, furniture made from pine wood is significantly lighter than furniture made from oak wood.
Pinewood furniture is easier to move about, and if you decide to use pine wood for firewood, it would also be easier to gather and move to the area where it is to be burned.
We know how tough it can be to re-arrange home or office furniture, so using pine wood may be your best bet, especially if you don’t plan to live in a particular place for too long and you have to move.
Shock resistance: One of the major benefits of pone wood is that it can resist shock. This feature will help reduce damages in cases of hard impacts.
For example, when offloading furniture from a truck, it is common that the couch or table slips off and falls to the ground. With pine wood furniture, there will be very little damage done.
Imagine the money you would have spent having furniture replaced all because they fell off a truck!
Distinctive look: Pinewood has one of the most distinctive looks you can find in wood. This is all thanks to its dark knots and light wood color. If you’re a fan of unique furniture styles, then pine wood is an option to consider.
Less environmental impact: As I have mentioned before, pinewood grows very fast. This means that the pine tree that has been felled will quickly be replaced by another fast-growing pinewood tree.
They grow well on different types of plantations and don’t have any negative impacts on their natural habitats. Oakwood on the other hand usually comes solely from old-growth forests.
Resistant to shrinking and swelling: Changes in humidity and temperature of a region can cause almost any wood to swell or shrink, but pine wood is resistant to these climate changes, as far as maintaining its original form is concerned.
Furniture made of pine wood will maintain its original shape and would last longer.
It is always available: Since pine trees grow very fast, and they come in large supply, it means they are always available to those who need it.
Top it all up with its cheap price and natural quality, and you will find that there aren’t too many wood types that are as available as pine wood.
The Cons
So, we’ve seen all the major advantages of pine wood. However, some cons come with it. Let us take a look at them below.
Less style versatility: Pinewood can work with different styles, but the problem is that it tends towards a more country or rustic look.
For those who are fans of modern styles, pine wood may not be your best option.
Increased signs of wear: Pine is shock resistant, but being soft only means you will find bumps and wear around your pine wood furniture over time. This is not the case with harder wood like oak, which can resist wear for so many years.
Pine dents and scratches easily, so if you’re in the market for furniture that will last you a long time and still maintain its original fresh look, then you should go for oak wood furniture instead of pine wood furniture.
More maintenance: Due to its tendency to scratch or dent, you will need to spend extra on its maintenance. A dent or a scratch doesn’t mean the wood is damaged beyond the use, of course, it just means that the beautiful looks will continue to diminish.
If you want it maintained, then you have to polish-spray the wood now and then.
If you’re okay with the aged look that comes with using pine furniture over time, then that’s great. But if you want it looking new all the time, then be prepared to spend some extra bucks.
Potential for excessive knots: As you select your pine furniture, keep a sharp eye out for knots, especially if they form a hole in the wood.
Too much knotting can be a problem for your furniture, as it causes it to be weaker over time.
If you must buy pine wood furniture, then buy from a trusted furniture maker to ensure you are getting the best value for money!
Is Pine Wood Good For Firewood?
Choosing the right firewood is important since you most likely want to heat your home with it. Maybe you want to make a campfire? Whatever the reason, you should make the right choice.
You may have wondered if pine wood is a good choice for firewood. The truth is, pine is great if you want to use it exclusively as a kindler, and not as the main firewood itself.
Thanks to its high level of sap and resin, it is best to use it outdoors. It gets messy when lit, but it smells great.
There are better firewood options out there, but you can make do with pine wood.
A major advantage of using pine wood as firewood is that it is easy to cut, so you won’t have any problems hacking away with your saw.
Pinewood is also very light, which means moving the pieces to where you want to light the fire would require less physical effort.
Conclusion
Pinewood has a great smell, it is shock-resistant, and it is lightweight. Not a bad choice of wood if you ask me.
I hope this article on pinewood properties has been enlightening.
Good luck!