Find out if pecan wood furniture is a good choice including what it looks like, its wood grain, hardness, uses, cost, and benefits of using pecan wood for woodworking projects.
Many homeowners enjoy having furniture made out of pecan wood as it normally comes in a variety of colors, including bright, dark, and red. This color and grain pattern are determined by their source location.
Since it has an appealing appearance and can be utilized to construct stunning furniture pieces and even flooring, pecan wood would be an excellent choice for home builders and furniture makers. Despite being native to North America, pecan trees thrive in other climatic conditions as well.
Pecans are praised for their toughness and rigidity. It is utilized not only in the manufacturing of furniture but also in tool handles and floors. Pecan wood is usually formed in long, broad panels due to its size and density, and furniture made from it is structurally sound.
However, it can be more challenging to cut and shape, and the narrow grain does not absorb the stain as uniformly as some porous types of hardwood.
What Is Pecan Wood?
Pecan wood comes from a deciduous type of tree that is used to make hardwood flooring, household furniture, and cabinets. The hue of raw pecan wood varies and changes color over time. Pecans account for around 50% of the tree’s fruit development, implying that this versatile species of wood has a wide range of applications.
The growth rings of pecan wood vary from pale brown with deep streaks to dark reddish-brown with tan or black streaks. It is a form of hardwood, thus it is long-lasting enough to survive for many years without deterioration. Pecan wood is widely utilized in furniture applications requiring strength or impact resistance.
Pecan wood belongs to the Pecan-Hickory family, which is moderately more stable but lighter than True-Hickories. It is classified as a semi-ring-porous wood. The separation of the growth rings influences the strength qualities of pecan wood.
What Does Pecan Wood Furniture Look Like?
Pecan wood furniture has a light brown color with reddish undertones. It has a lower density and strength than most other hardwoods, yet it resists pest attack far better compared to any other North American hardwood.
Pecan wood furniture’s heartwood is pale to medium brown with a reddish tint, whereas the sapwood is a softer yellowish-brown. Their grains are normally straight but can be wavy at times. The texture is medium, and the natural shine is modest.
Pecan is appropriate for both contemporary and traditional furniture because of its color, grain, and various marks. A dining table made of full-length slabs of polished pecan can be the focal point of a minimalist dining area.
Whenever sunlight gets into contact with an untreated piece of pecan wood furniture, it develops an amber or reddish-brown hue, which is slightly similar to cherry wood. When utilized for pecan cabinets and other types of furniture, however, the wood is frequently dyed in a warm, rich shade.
Pecan wood’s color diversity is frequently mixed, culminating in a dramatic and unique color that gives the bare pecan wood an even more rustic character.
Furthermore, although the grain is normally straight and crisp, pecan wood furniture details might include a few knots and minor protrusions bordered by darker wood patterns, giving pecan an even more elaborate and unique aspect.
Is Pecan A Hardwood?
Yes, pecan is a hardwood. However, pecan is one of the very few hardwoods that are not that widely used due to its relatively minimal density and average resilience to stress loading.
Furthermore, the fibers in pecan tree wood are significantly more fragile than those in most hardwoods. But still, pecan wood is far superior to many other species of wood such as oak or maple in terms of workability.
How Hard Is Pecan Wood?
Pecan has a Janka hardness rating of 1820 out of 4000, which is extraordinary given that wood with a rating of 4000 would be far too hard for certain applications like flooring. However, because pecan is a relatively durable wood, we recommend hiring an expert to install the floor to prevent mistreating pecan wooden boards.
Pecan wood is two times as strong as walnut on the Janka hardness scale. Because of its open grain, pecan is indeed a wood that absorbs stains effectively and can survive traffic and abuse such as in frequently used pieces of household furniture.
In addition, pecan wood furniture manufacturers note that pecan wood is extremely difficult to cut and advise using a recently sharpened blade. Sawmills have also reported that sending pecan wood through a planer is challenging.
Ultra-sharp and durable blades are normally recommended for cutting any wood. It is particularly true with pecan wood, though. Even sanding pecan wood can sometimes be time-consuming and laborious.
Nonetheless, after being cut, planed, and properly sanded, pecan wood has a lovely and warm pattern and color, thus the increased labor is worthwhile.
Pecan Wood For Furniture Benefits
● Pecan wood is beautiful – Pecan is suitable for both modern and antique furniture. It has a beautiful aesthetic as well as durability and longevity. All of these characteristics are required to create luxurious furniture.
It is useful for the construction of tables, bed frames, doors, and seats. Indeed, well-designed pieces of furniture that are manufactured of high-quality pecan wood can last for more than a century.
● Resistant to denting and scratching – Pecan does have a considerable bending and crushing ability as well as dimensional stability. It also has a high shock resistance, hence dents and scratches are negligible.
These characteristics make it an appealing wood for furniture construction. Pecan wood dining furnishings as well as office furniture will look pretty rustic and gorgeous.
● Uniform wood grain patterns – Pecan wood features a largely straight wood grain, a gritty texture that requires a lot of sanding, and occasionally a wavy grain. Nevertheless, its warm tones lend a significant amount of personality to the furniture produced with it, rendering the extra labor completely worth it.
● Great for use in furniture construction – Due to its strength even when exposed to moisture, pecan wood is arguably ideal for making outdoor furniture. Pecan wood is workable and may be fashioned into panels as well as other types of architectural design products such as cabinets or frames.
● Can be used for intricate work – Pecan wood is an impressive selection for small-scale furniture because it has consistent grain, does not break easily when carved, and can make precise edges.
● Can be used for kitchen cabinets – Pecan veneers are also available for use in the construction of cabinets and countertop surfaces. Using pecan wood veneers, you can remodel a kitchen without rebuilding the cabinets.
Panels of wood veneer with multicolored genuine heartwood and sapwood as well as bird-peck features may look better unfinished and preserved by a transparent finish or gloss.
Pecan Wood Uses
Other than making furniture, pecan wood can also provide a lot of uses:
● Floors. Pecan wood flooring is well-known in the United States for its versatility. Pecan comes in a wide range of colors and is offered in a variety of light and dark shades. The floor has a lovely and distinct design.
For hardwood flooring surfaces, dents and scratches pose a significant issue. This issue is most prevalent in low-density and softwood species. Fortunately, pecan wood is extremely dense and durable. Therefore, scratches and dents are practically non-existent in pecan flooring.
● Firewood. Pecan wood makes excellent firewood. Generally speaking, nut as well as fruit trees make decent firewood. Pecan wood is simple to break and cut, produces great heat, and burns gradually for an extended period. These characteristics are essential for high-quality firewood.
● Chopping Boards. Pecan would be a good alternative to the finest chopping board materials, which include cherry, walnut, and maple.
Despite its lower density compared to these various hardwoods, a pecan chopping board also offers an excellent addition to your kitchen if treated with a decent chopping board oil as well as a butcher block conditioning treatment.
● Medicine. Experts claim that the bark of certain varieties of Pecan trees has medicinal benefits, making them more desirable than other types of hardwood such as mahogany or oak.
Aside from these, pecan wood can also be used to create doors, tool handles, ladder rungs, and many more.
Solid Pecan Wood Furniture
Modern and vintage furniture looks fantastic when made of solid pecan. It looks fantastic and is strong and stable. To create excellent furniture, each of these features is crucial. It is recognized as ideal for creating surfaces for tables and even countertops.
Solid pecan wood furniture should be durable and moisture-resistant when it pertains to kitchen cabinets and dining tables, and you can do that by sealing them.
Solid pecan wood is an unpopular option in terms of making furniture. But once you use it, you will notice that it is quite durable, dent-, and scratch-resistant. Solid pecan wood furniture offers strong bending and crushing properties as well as significant stiffness. Additionally, it has excellent shock resistance.
Is Pecan Wood Expensive?
Pecan wood is inexpensive to moderately priced. However, in the United States, it is typically affordable. There may be a discrepancy in the pricing of certain suppliers due to a variety of factors.
A grade-A pecan wood with minimal knots and blemishes will cost around $5 to $7 per board foot. Lower-grade pecan wood with plenty of knots and defects, on the other hand, will cost around $2 to $3 per board foot.
Furthermore, pecan is usually less expensive because of its increased availability and supply, making it a more affordable option to other hardwoods. As a result, pecan furniture is less costly than other types of hardwood furniture.
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