WOOD SPECIES · Softwood
Scots pine: density, weight and properties
Pinus sylvestris
Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris) averages 550 kg/m³ at 12% moisture content, according to CIRAD’s Tropix database. The figures below are averages for clear, mature wood; individual boards vary with origin, growth and moisture.
Key figures
- Density at 12% moisture
- 550 kg/m³Average for mature wood; varies with origin and growth
- Monnin hardness at 12%
- 2.6French surface-hardness index; not convertible to Janka
- Bending strength (modulus of rupture)
- 97 MPa
- Stiffness (modulus of elasticity)
- 12,900 MPa
- Compression parallel to grain
- 50 MPa
- Tangential shrinkage, green to oven-dry
- 8.3%
- Radial shrinkage, green to oven-dry
- 5.2%
- Fibre saturation point
- 30%
Weight at 12% moisture content
Volume × 550 kg/m³, the same calculation as the weight calculator. Green or wet wood weighs considerably more.
| Piece | Size | Weight |
|---|---|---|
| 1 cubic metre | 1,000 × 1,000 × 1,000 mm | 550 kg |
| 1 board foot | 12 × 12 × 1 in | 1.3 kg |
| 1×4 board, 8 ft | 3/4 × 3 1/2 in actual × 8 ft | 2.27 kg |
| 1×6 board, 8 ft | 3/4 × 5 1/2 in actual × 8 ft | 3.57 kg |
| 2×4 board, 8 ft | 1 1/2 × 3 1/2 in actual × 8 ft | 4.54 kg |
| 2×6 board, 10 ft | 1 1/2 × 5 1/2 in actual × 10 ft | 8.92 kg |
Movement across the width
How much a board 11 1/4 in (286 mm) wide changes when its moisture content moves by a few percentage points. The estimate uses the total shrinkage above and a linear relation below the fibre saturation point of 30% (Wood Handbook Eq. 4-9). Flat-sawn boards move with tangential shrinkage, quartersawn boards with radial shrinkage.
| Moisture change | Flat-sawn | Quartersawn |
|---|---|---|
| 3 percentage points | 2.4 mm (0.093 in) | 1.5 mm (0.059 in) |
| 6 percentage points | 4.7 mm (0.187 in) | 3 mm (0.117 in) |
Wood movement across the grain · Moisture content and acclimatising wood
Natural durability
Durability of the heartwood against wood-decay fungi: class 3–4 on the EN 350 scale from 1 (very durable) to 5 (not durable), as reported by Tropix. The rating applies to heartwood only.
Working and finishing
Easy to saw and machine with ordinary tools, and it holds nails and screws well. Tropix notes that resin can affect gluing; the heartwood is moderately to slightly durable and suits outdoor use only in well-drained designs.
Typical uses
- Framing and structural timber
- Furniture
- Flooring
- Panelling
- Exterior joinery (windows and doors)
- Interior joinery and millwork
- Cladding and siding
Calculate with this material
Species with similar density
- Black cherry 560 kg/m³
- Paraná pine 540 kg/m³
- Douglas-fir 537.6 kg/m³
Sources & references
Uses and working notes summarise the cited source. Check the moisture content, grade and origin of the wood you actually buy.