Pine is a well-known species of tree that grows across the northern hemisphere and in subtropical regions. There are about 115 different Pine species in existence today, depending on who you ask.
Pine is one of the most versatile tree species in existence and is used for so much more than I could include on this list, and if I were to include all uses of Pine I would have to write an entire book. But here are some of the main uses of Pinewood and the Pine tree.
Uses Of Pine: flooring, protect and preserve wood, nuts, furniture, construction, tea, firewood, perfume and fragrances, pine oil, food, resin candles, pallets, MDF and HDF, paper, and more.
Flooring
Pinewood is a great wood to use as a solid wood flooring because of its availability throughout the northern hemisphere. Throughout the 20th century and to this day, pine is one of the cheapest woods to buy in large quantities, therefore it is great to use when you need to cover large surfaces.
Where I grew up (In Bergen, Norway) we used solid Pine for covering most of the interior surfaces in the house. This gave a unique look and smell to the house.
But pinewood flooring is being used less and less since people like to use more engineered woods for flooring, denser and more neutral-looking hardwoods like Oak are also winning over Pine when choosing wood for flooring.
Pine is soft, dents easily, and has a very unique look when used for flooring. But it is available in large quantities and is cheap.
To Protect And Preserve Wood
Pine tar is a natural preservative, we can apply pine tar to wooden structures to protect the wood from deterioration, insect attacks, and rot.
Pine tar is a product that is made from the resin that the Pine tree produces to protect itself from insects, rot, and the cold winters. This makes it a very natural and environmentally friendly preservative.
Through the years, Pine tar has been used as a wood sealant for maritime applications, on barns, and anywhere wood needed to be protected from the element.
Pine Tar is waterproof.
Pine Nuts
Some species of Pine have nuts that are edible and large enough for us humans to eat. A good example of pine species that produces edible nuts is the Pinyon Pine. Pinyon Pine grows in southwestern North America in places like New Mexico, Arizona, and Utah.
Commercially, Pine nuts are one of the most expensive nuts on the market. Pine nuts are so expensive because they take a long time to grow and a large part of the harvesting process is still done by manual labor.
The taste of Pine Nuts is a very mild and sweet flavor to it which can remind of butter. They are more similar in taste to cashews than peanuts. Pine nuts are commonly used in pesto because of their sweet taste, they can be eaten as they are, roasted, or added to any food you otherwise would use nuts in.
Here is a very interesting video that gives a look into pinecone and nut harvesting in China.
Furniture
Pine is a great wood to use for furniture, it has been widely used for furniture throughout the years in the northern hemisphere because of the availability and affordable price of the wood.
Pine has a unique white creamy color to it that sometimes even comes close to being red. One of the most defining features of pine wood is the number of knots throughout the wood. This gives pine furniture a very unique look which most people can identify.
Some people like the look of pine furniture and others hate it. But you don’t like the look of pine furniture you can just paint the wood, since it stains and paints well.
Pinewood is a fairly soft wood and can dent easily. Pine is best used for indoor furniture, they can still last a lifetime if treated well.
As I mentioned before, I am from Western Norway. And if you walk into an old house or cabin here, you can be sure that most of the furniture is made out of Pine.
Solid wood furniture is being used less and less in the modern age, engineered woods like MDF, LDF, and particle boards are being used for furniture because of price and convenience.
Construction
Pine is one of the most common woods used in construction. Pine is one of the SPF woods, which is short for Spruce, Pine, and Fir. These tree species grow quickly, grow straight, and are profitable to harvest in large commercial economies.
It makes sense to use Pine for construction. Pine can be obtained pre-cut and surfaced in a wide variety of different widths, lengths, and shapes for a fair price. Most home centers are usually stocked with this wide variety of Pine for construction.
Pine can be used for framing, load-bearing structures, outside paneling, window framing, and most wooden construction applications.
The commercial value and production of pine for construction is the reason we can obtain pine wood at such a fair price point.
Pine needle Tea
Pine needle tea is a natural tea product made entirely out of pine needles and water. The needles are boiled in water and the aroma and oil of the needles are infuse the water with a pleasing taste and smell
A popular species of Pine to make Pine needle tea from is the Eastern White Pine which grows widely across North America.
Many people make the assumption that pine needle tea is bitter and has a harsh taste, but the taste of pine needle tea is actually quite subtle and soft.
Have you ever walked in a forest and caught the smooth, and sweet smell of pine trees. Well, that is sort of how it tastes as well.
Firewood
Pine can be fairly good wood to use as firewood. Both indoor in a fireplace and outdoor in something like a firepit. Now, pine is not the best firewood to burn if you want a long-lasting fire that you don’t have to refill so often. Most pine species are fairly soft with a low density, this makes them burn fast and fiery.
Pine also has some impurities and oils in the wood, this makes pine produce a fair amount of smoke and creosote when burned.
The reason pine is good firewood is because of its availability, it also gives off a great smell. But try to not get stay away from the pine smoke if you are sitting by the campfire, the smoke will leave a terrible smell in your clothes that is hard to get rid of.
Pine is a very good wood to use as kindling and a fire starter. It catches fire easily.
Perfume And Fragrances
The smell of pine is so pleasant and unique that many perfumes are actually made to smell like pine. The smell of pine is also used for soaps, shampoo, creams, and so on.
So if you want to smell like a pine forest, you can!
Click on the image above to check out this White Pine Moisturizing Hand Soap
Pine Oil
Pine Oil is an essential oil obtained from the distillation and steaming of different parts of the Pine tree. Not only does pine oil smell good, but it has been used as traditional medicine for a long time.
Most of the claims and health benefits of pine oil lack clinical evidence and need more research. One of the main benefits people claims using pine oil affords is reduced inflammation.
But one thing is for sure, pine oil makes you smell good.
Food For Humans
New groups of Pine needles shoot up from the tree in the spring, these buds contain less turpentine, are softer, and have a more pleasant taste than full-grown needles. You can actually eat those small buds like a snack straight from the tree.
The cambium layer of pine can also be eaten. This is probably the only edible part of the wood part of the tree. The cambium layer lays right underneath the bark of the tree. The tree uses this layer to transport nutrients to other parts of the tree and to its leaves and needles. And therefore the contains some nutrients that we humans can digest.
The cambium layer of trees does not taste too good, I must admit.
You can make also make flour from the cambium layer. This flour can be used in any kind of baking like you otherwise would use flour. Like in bread for example.
Resin Candle
The resin from pine can be used as a candle in several different ways. Many people that are into bushcraft and survival strategies use the natural ability of pine sap to stay alight for a long time.
Pine Resin candles also give off a pleasant smell and can be used as a scented candle.
Pallets
Pine is one of the species of wood pallets are commonly made of. Pine is shock-resistant and flexible enough to carry heavy loads. Pine is also cheap and widely available, this makes pine one of the most sensible woods to use for making pallets.
Want to learn more about what type of wood is used for pallets – Check out this article
MDF And HDF
Since pine is one of the cheapest trees to produce and can be produced or harvested in large quantities, it also makes sense to use it for making medium density fibreboard (MDF), and high-density fibreboard (HDF).
MDF and HDF are two types of processed woods where whole tree trunks are grounded up into small wooden fibers and then mixed with adhesives and pressed into a uniform board of wood.
MDF and HDF are then used as a replacement for solid wood in many applications. A common use of HDF and MDF is in kitchen cabinets and other furniture.
Paper
Most of the wood that is turned into paper comes from coniferous softwoods. Pine is a coniferous softwood. Pine has a big part in the process of making paper.
To create paper, harvested trees are grounded into wood chips, wood chips get cooked into a paste, chemicals are added to enhance paper quality, the paste is flattened and water gets pressed out, then the flattened paste dries out and you got paper.
Check Out The Uses Of Other Tree Species
Uses Of The Maple Tree: Click To See Article
Uses Of The Pine Tree: Click To See Article
Uses Of Spruce: Click To See Article
Uses Of The Birch Tree: Click To See Article
Uses Of The Beech Tree: Click To See Article
Uses Of The Hickory Tree: Click To See Article
Uses Of The Poplar Tree: Click To See Article
