Pecan Wood Furniture (Designs, Uses & Benefits)

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, this material 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.

These trees are praised for their toughness and rigidity. It is utilized not only in the manufacturing of furnishing but also in tool handles and floors. This material 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 comes from a deciduous type of tree that is used to make hardwood flooring, household furnishing, and cabinets. The hue of raw of this material 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 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. It 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 this lumber.

What Does Pecan Wood Furniture Look Like?

These furniture pieces have a light brown color with reddish undertones. They a lower density and strength than most other hardwoods, yet they resist pest attack far better compared to any other North American hardwood.

Its 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.

This material is appropriate for both contemporary and traditional furnishing 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 this furnishing, 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.

The lumber’s color diversity is frequently mixed, culminating in a dramatic and unique color that gives the bare material an even more rustic character.

Furthermore, although the grain is normally straight and crisp, the furnishing details might include a few knots and minor protrusions bordered by darker wood patterns, giving the furnishing an even more elaborate and unique aspect.

Is Pecan A Hardwood?

Yes, pecan is a hardwood. However, it 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 of this lumber are significantly more fragile than those in most hardwoods. But still, it is far superior to many other species 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 it is a relatively durable material, we recommend hiring an expert to install the floor to prevent mistreating wooden boards made from this material.

This material is two times as strong as walnut on the Janka hardness scale. Because of its open grain, it is indeed a type that absorbs stains effectively and can survive traffic and abuse such as in frequently used pieces of household furniture.

In addition, furniture manufacturers note that it is extremely difficult to cut and advise using a recently sharpened blade. Sawmills have also reported that sending it through a planer is challenging.

Ultra-sharp and durable blades are normally recommended for cutting any wood. It is particularly true with this material, though. Even sanding it can sometimes be time-consuming and laborious.

Nonetheless, after being cut, planed, and properly sanded, this lumber has a lovely and warm pattern and color, thus the increased labor is worthwhile.

Pecan Wood For Furniture Benefits

●    Pecan wood is beautiful – It 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 furnishing.

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 lumber can last for more than a century.

●   Resistant to denting and scratching –  It 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 option for furniture construction. Dining furnishings, as well as office furniture made from this material,will look pretty rustic and gorgeous.

●    Uniform grain patterns – It 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 furnishing 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, this material is arguably ideal for making outdoor furniture. Pecan 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 – It is an impressive selection for small-scale furnishing 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, this material can also provide a lot of uses:

●    Floors. Pecan wood flooring is well-known in the United States for its versatility. It 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, this lumber is extremely dense and durable. Therefore, scratches and dents are practically non-existent in flooring made from this material

●    Firewood. It makes excellent firewood. Generally speaking, nut as well as fruit trees make decent firewood. This material 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. This material 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 chopping board made from this lumber 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, it 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.

These furniture pieces should be durable and moisture-resistant when it pertains to kitchen cabinets and dining tables, and you can do that by sealing them.

A solid type is an unpopular option in terms of making furnishing. But once you use it, you will notice that it is quite durable, dent-and scratch-resistant. These solid furniture pieces offer strong bending and crushing properties as well as significant stiffness. Additionally, it has excellent shock resistance.

Is Pecan Wood Expensive?

This material 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 types with plenty of knots and defects, on the other hand, will cost around $2 to $3 per board foot.

Furthermore, it is usually less expensive because of its increased availability and supply, making it a more affordable option to other hardwoods. As a result, this type of furniture is less costly than other types of hardwood furniture.

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