Oak and pine are two popular and frequently used types of wood in the manufacture of furniture, cabinets, and flooring solutions.
Oak and pine are the two most common kinds of wood used in furniture and flooring. However, they have very little in common with each other. Both have their own sets of pros and cons to bring different benefits to your home.
However, they are quite different types of wood. Let’s explore the key differences between oak and pine: their properties, uses, and benefits.
Oak wood
Oak is the most prominent hardwood grown in the US, Canada, and Europe, with around 600 species, including the two most common ones, European Oak (Quercus robur) and American White Oak (Quercus alba).
Oak trees are both deciduous and evergreen trees. They grow slowly compared to other trees, including pine, and the wood produced is dense, making it a versatile choice for various construction applications, including furniture.
A popular choice due to its timeless and classy appearance, it has been used in the manufacture of furniture in Britain for centuries in the time of the Tudor monarchs. It is still a popular wood in more modern aesthetic and contemporary styles sought by consumers today.
Oak has a slightly coarse texture and comes in various colors and shades, from light to dark. These shades are produced by the two principal species of oak, white oak, and red oak.
White oak
White oak is lighter in color, with long, yellow rays and streaks seen in the grain. Due to its dense grain and tighter pores, white oak has a natural water-resistant quality that makes it tougher and more hardwearing than red oak. White oak is the wood of choice for ship applications, barrels, and other items exposed to water or the elements.
Red oak
Red oak ranges from a darker cream to a rich tan or medium-brown with reddish flecks and swirling patterns.
Pine wood
Pine trees grow abundantly all over the world, with around 126 coniferous species identified. A common European type is the Scots Pine (Pinus sylvestris).
It is considered a softwood that makes it more resistant to shock. It is also easier to work with, which makes it a good choice for furniture making.
Pine furniture, like oak, has an illustrious history and has been used for ages. It was often used to manufacture rustic, colonial pieces and is still wood of choice in contemporary furniture design.
Naturally light in color, shades can vary from white to a creamy color and even yellowish-white and can appear to darken reddish-brown with exposure.
The prominent wavy grain with darker knots gives it a recognizable finished look. The texture varies from fine to fairly rough, dependent on the species.
Advantages and disadvantages
Both oak and pine are versatile and abundant choices for the manufacture of furniture, cabinets, and flooring applications. However, these woods have distinct characteristics, and there is a range of criteria to consider when deciding which options are best suited.
Pros of oak wood
- Resilient: oak is a hardwood, making it hardwearing and withstands a lot of wear and tear. Therefore, oak is a great choice in applications that require a high tensile strength or experience a lot of traffic. It is also resistant to warping.
- Versatile: with its colors, grain, and texture, it is easy to produce furniture that coordinates well with almost any style choice, whether classic or contemporary
- Investment: There’s a good reason why oak wood pieces are passed from one generation to the next. With good care, oak furniture can endure for decades, bringing joy to families for years on end
- Distinct grain: the unique aesthetic appeal of oak lies in its rippled grain which can be highlighted using a light or clear coat
- Low maintenance: because of its natural durability, oak requires only regular cleaning and occasional polishing. It maintains its luster with minimum fuss
- Readily available: oak is easy to acquire due to high demand, and most reputable DIY hardware stores and building suppliers keep a good inventory. It is therefore quite easy to add items made from oak to your existing collection
Cons of oak wood
- Price: compared to other readily available wood types such as pine, oak is relatively expensive—the long growing time and resources required to maintain it until maturity negatively impacts the cost of oak.
- Weight: because oak is a dense wood, it is also heavy. If a furniture item requires constant movement or when the support structure such as the flooring is at risk of surface damage
Weighing up the pros and cons of oak wood, it becomes patently clear that oak is an excellent choice for furniture in terms of durability and longevity. It is also quite neutral and ageless in its style appeal. Price aside, oak remains a popular choice for creating furniture, cabinets, and other applications such as wooden flooring.
Pros of pine wood
- Price: because pine trees are fast growers and have a shorter time to market, they need fewer resources and care and are cheaper. If that is a primary concern, then pine is the wood of choice.
- Color: pine is light in color in its natural state, making it a neutral color when pairing with other furniture or paint color schemes or patterns. Pine is also absorbent and takes on wood stains, paint and varnish effortlessly. Changing its color or shade to fit in with your existing décor is relatively easy.
- Weight: pine is lighter in weight than oak. It is still fairly sturdy and strong yet light enough to make moving smaller pieces around less demanding.
- Distinct look: pine can be finished with a quality visual appeal with its light wood color and dark knots.
- Resistant to swelling and shrinking: pine is resistant to damage due to humidity or temperature fluctuations and, therefore, will retain its original shape with proper care.
- Lower environmental impact: due to the fast-growing time of pine trees, the shorter regrowth cycle is less impactful on the surrounding natural habitat than with plantations growing oak trees.
Cons of pine wood
- Less style choice: pine is a good choice for country or rustic farm styles rather than contemporary ones, hindering its demand where personal taste is concerned.
- Less durable: although pine wood is fairly stiff, it is less so than oak wood. Pine wood can dent or scratch more easily than oak, making regular maintenance mandatory in keeping the furniture’s original condition.
- Knots in wood: Inspect when selecting pine wood pieces. Excessive knots can weaken the finished piece, and a knot may even present itself as a hole in the furniture.
Wood for Furniture and Cabinets
Depending on your needs and budget, both oak and pine are considered good choices for furniture and cabinets. Pine is not as durable and long-lasting as oak but is adequately shock-resistant for some applications where strength and quality are not the primary concern, such as furniture in children’s rooms.
Kids tend to outgrow their décor fairly quickly and are also usually less inclined to take good care of their furniture, so perhaps a cheaper pine furnished room is a more feasible option in this case.
Oak does still require a certain level of care, though. Red oak is more prone to rot and show wear, so it’s probably best suited to indoor furniture applications. White oak outdoor furniture does still require a proper outdoor finish to preserve and protect the wood.
While this wood does not weaken over time, it will eventually darken in color, becoming a dark brown or even black color.
Both wood types are susceptible to eventual damaging effects caused by exposure to the weather, dirt, and UV rays. Consider the type of wood and protection when positioning the furniture in front of a window or near heat vents.
Pine is resistant to warping and bowing, which suggests it’s a good option for outdoor furniture, but excessive moisture can eventually damage any type of wood.
Wood for Flooring Solutions
As with furniture, the rules for deciding which wood to choose for wooden flooring are the same. A pine floor will be softer and acquire dents, dings, scratches, and scuff marks easier than oak wood or other harder wood flooring options.
Oak is the wood of choice due to its properties, but it can cost twice as much as pine.
White pine wood species are better suited to flooring applications, such as Long Leaf Heart Pine, and are worth considering for floors with high traffic.
If you prefer a flooring solution that develops character with age and can last the lifetime of your home and don’t mind putting in a little effort to maintain it, pine is an ideal option for you. For flooring that comes already finished, shows little wear and tear, and you’re not on a tight budget, look for hardwood flooring, such as solid oak.
Conclusion
Oak and pine are both great options for use in the manufacture of furniture, cabinets, and even flooring. There is no explicit winner.
Oak is preferred for high-traffic flooring and hardwearing furniture meant to last a lifetime or as a future investment.
Pine is strong and easy to work with and better suited for those with a limited budget, concerned about environmental issues, or want some flexibility with the color and finish.
References:
Duffield Timber: Oak and Pine Compared
Amish Outlet Store: Difference Between Oak and Pine Furniture
Real Simple: Different Types of Wood
Hunker: How to Tell Oak from Pine Wood
Lifestyle Furniture UK: Oak vs. Pine
Home Reference: The Pros and Cons of Pine Flooring
Grain and Frame: Pine Vs Oak at Home: Which Wood Is Better?
