The Most Common Types Of Pine Woods

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There are many people who opt for pine wood furniture, but how many of them really know about the different types available? There are a wide range options out there with varying strengths and densities.

The soft pines

This group is characterised by an even grain, low density and a gradual earlywood to latewood transition. Species within this group can’t be reliably separated from one another, but it can be helpful to recognise their features to distinguish them from the hard pines. There are three principal species of soft pine:

• Western white pine (Pinus monticola)

• Sugar pine (Pinus lambertiana)

• Eastern white pine (Pinus strobus)

• Limber pine (Pinus flexilis)

Of the four, the third one tends to have the finest texture, which means the smallest diameter tracheids. Eastern white pine have the smallest resin canals too. On the contrary, sugar pine has the coarsest texture and the largest resin canals. Western white pine falls somewhere between the two previously mentioned species. All species weigh approx. the same, with average dried weights ranging from 25 to 28 pounds per cubic foot. Most of the pine Furnitures in Sydney are made up of soft pines.

The last one in the soft pine group, is not commonly used. This group is somewhat opposite to the features of soft pines. It is a bit hard and dense and also differs from earlywood to latewood transition, and grain evenness.

The hard pines

Hard pines in general have a more abrupt transition from earlywood to latewood. Overall, average dried weights for hard pine species range from 28 to 42 pounds per cubic foot.

Southern yellow pines: This group fits into the signature hard pine profile. They have the highest densities between 36 to 42 pounds per cubic foot. Yellow pines have an abrupt earlywood to latewood transition, and the grains are very uneven. Some of the pine beds in Sydney are also formed from yellow pines. The four major species of southern yellow pine are:

• Slash Pine (Pinus elliotti)

• Shortleaf Pine (Pinus echinata)

• Loblolly Pine (Pinus taeda)

• Longleaf Pine (Pinus palustris)

Western yellow pines: This grouping is an intermediate position between the soft pines and the hard pines. Western yellow pines tend to be lighter in weight. Their average dried weights range from 28 to 29 pounds per cubic foot, and have an appearance of more even grains.

Most of the pine furniture stores in Sydney offer a range of pine furniture based on your budget and requirement.