Characteristics and Advantages

Natural & Sustainable

New Zealand pine is plantation grown, renewable and sustainable, providing the ideal alternative to threatened tropical timbers. The expanding pine resource in New Zealand ensures sustainable harvest levels for years to come. The result is a natural wood product from a renewable resource.

Clear Wood

In many New Zealand pine plantations trees are pruned at a young age, allowing trees to produce defect free clear wood. Pruning regimes will vary, however trees are generally pruned to a height of 5-6 metres before the trees reaches 10 years of age. From the time of the last pruning until clear fell, trees will continue to grow clear wood as new growth rings are laid down each year. The final result, long length clear lumber.

Versatile

New Zealand pine is an extremely versatile softwood and well suited for a range of structural and appearance applications. The light consistent colour of radiata pine readily accepts stains and its general properties make it ideal for painting.

The small variation between early wood and late wood within the growth rings gives an even texture. This even texture along with its moderate density (450-500 kg/m3 at 12% moisture content) gives radiata pine excellent machining (planning, cross-cutting, moulding, turning & sanding) properties.

New Zealand radiata pine has exceptional gluing properties and good dimensional stability. From green to dry (12% moisture content) it will shrink approximately 3.5-4.5% tangentially, 1.5-2.5% radially and 0-0.5% longitudinally.

Permeability

All though radiata pine is not naturally durable, the highly permeable sapwood makes it easy to treat with a range of chemical preservatives. Total treatment of the sapwood can be easily achieved, and the heart wood can also be effectively treated to levels required for in-ground applications.