Facts about pine:
- Forest pine trees can grow to a height of 30 metres
- Forest pine can be up to 250-300 years old
- Forest pine is usually cut when it’s about 80 years old
- 8,000-year old pine trunks have been found in Denmark!
- Amber, which is primarily used to make jewellery, originates from hardened resin from pine trees that grew many thousands of years ago.
Pine trees in central Europe
It might sound like a paradox, but pine trees in most of central Europe actually grow too well to be used for the production of wooden windows and doors. Pine has to grow slowly in order to obtain as much heartwood content as possible, thus making the tree stronger. In central Europe and most parts of the British Isles, conditions are too good – i.e. we have long, warm summers – which means that pine trees grow too fast and thus form broad growth rings.
Broad growth rings result in higher amounts of air trapped inside the wood and make it too soft. If, on the other hand, slow growing pine trees are used from forests in Northern Sweden and Finland, which have the right climate, the wood will be harder and stronger as it contains a high amount of heartwood.
By producing wooden windows and doors in slow-growing pine with high heartwood content, tough and weather resistant products are ensured that are adapted to harsh climates. This results in windows and doors with a long life span.