Pine

PINE OF THE TIMES

No matter where you want to add a modern Scandinavian look, pine furniture is the answer. It is as popular as it has ever been, and is less expensive than other wood furniture. Pine furniture is preferred by furniture makers because it is easier to work with and more pliant than most other woods. Solid pine furniture is durable and beautiful, and an excellent value. It will easily add warm, casual and even elegant appeal wherever it is used.
 

Solid woods are classified as either hardwoods or softwoods, but the description is based on the tree's foliage rather than the strength of the wood. Solid pine furniture is durable and beautiful, and an excellent value. It is light in weight, has straight grains and offers resistance to swelling or shrinking. Pines have been used for centuries to build furniture for both indoor and outdoor use. Solid hardwood furniture like pine can also be repaired if damaged because there is no veneer or artificial surface that can be scraped or rubbed through.
 

Pine grows quickly and is an inexpensive wood in the production of furniture. Thus, pine furniture can offer excellent value for your money. It is also among the most commonly finished or painted types of furniture, which means you'll have many finish options to choose from if you purchase your furniture unfinished.

All products from KARUP are also offered with a waterborne lacquered finish such as: Natural, White, Cherry or Wengé coloured.


The quality of pine furniture can vary widely. Although pine is more pliable than most hardwoods, pieces can last for decades if it is constructed well. Therefore it is important to do your homework before making your furniture purchase. Knots should be expected and can be attractive in a piece of furniture, but watch out for knots that create a hole in the furniture. Too many knots can weaken the piece. Manufacturers and sellers of quality pine furniture know this and take care to avoid using and selling such pieces. Although pine is a very sturdy wood, it can easily be dented and scratched (as can cedar and other outdoor-use woods.) Like all woods, pine will warp when exposed to constant humidity or moisture if not finished. When finished, however, it is very stable. Well-crafted pine furniture will be smooth to the touch, solid and sturdy.

 

Wood's Advantage

 

        • Steel requires three times as much energy as its wood counterpart to extract, manufacture, transport, and construct.
        • The energy efficiency of forests extends to forest products.  For example, aluminium framing requires 20 times as much energy to produce as wooden wall studs, steel studs require almost nine times more.  In general, products made from steel, glass, plastic, cement, or brick require approximately 24, 14, 6, and 4.5 times more energy, respectively, than does wood to make a final product.
        • Carbon dioxide emissions, which contribute to global warming, are three times higher for steel than for a comparable quantity of wood.
        • While wood accounts for 46 percent of industrial raw materials (by weight) worldwide, it uses only 4 percent of the energy required to process raw materials into useful products.
        • Air pollution emissions such as sulphur dioxide, nitrous oxides, methane, particulate and volatile organic compounds are significantly higher for steel than for wood.
        • The steel structure requires 25 times more water than the wood structure, primarily at the manufacturing stage, and steel manufacturing also has a greater impact on the quality of the waste water during manufacture.
        • Wood is the only building material derived from a renewable resource.  It is considered an agricultural crop that is harvested and replanted in a continually regenerating cycle while non-renewable resources such as iron ore are mined on a permanently depleting basis.
        • A 1976 study by the National Research Council committee on Renewable Resources concluded that producing 1 Ton of steel requires 50.3 million BTU oil equivalent, compared to 2.9 million BTU oil equivalent for 1 Ton of softwood lumber.
        • A 1991 U.S. EPA listing of toxic substances released and transferred in the manufacturing process, indicated primary metals at 757 million pounds, fabricated metals at 103 million pounds, plastics at 195 million pounds, petroleum at 103 million pounds and wood at 38 million pounds.
        • Trees are a renewable resource.  Forest products are also recyclable and biodegradable.
        • Most wood substitute materials come from non-renewable resources--petrochemicals used in plastics and ores used for aluminium, iron, etc.
        • We sometimes forget that wood is naturally reusable, recyclable and biodegradable. 
        • One mature tree absorbs approximately 13 pounds of carbon dioxide per year.
        • For every ton of wood a forest grows, it removes 1.47 tons of carbon dioxide and produces 1.07 tons of oxygen.
        • On average, it takes 60 years to grow a 100 foot tall tree.
        • In 60 years a tree moves about 5 million pounds, or 660,000 gallons, of water from the soil into the air.
        • Ounce for ounce, wood is the strongest structural material commonly used in building.