Southern Yellow Pine
Pinus taeda
Hardness
On the soft side; easy to work, but marks with hard use.
Overview
The strongest common construction softwood, dense, resinous, and stiff. Great structural strength for the price, though the hard latewood bands can fight your tools.
Commonly built
- Framing lumber
- Pressure-treated lumber
- Flooring
- Workbenches
Appearance
Pale yellow sapwood with reddish-brown heartwood and bold, high-contrast growth rings. Strong, busy grain.
Recommended uses
Uses to avoid
Similar species
Comparable on hardness, type, and workability, useful when this species isn't available.
Working notes
Strong and stiff but resinous, pitch can gum up blades, and the alternating soft/hard rings cause uneven cutting and tearout. Holds fasteners well. Takes preservative treatment readily (the basis of pressure-treated lumber).
Wood movement
A 24-inch-wide flatsawn southern yellow pine panel moves roughly 0.40 inch across a typical seasonal humidity swing (about 6% to 12% moisture content). Use the wood movement calculator to run your own board size and moisture range.
How much does Southern Yellow Pine move? → See flatsawn vs. quartersawn figures and a worked example.
Common questions
How hard is Southern Yellow Pine?
Southern Yellow Pine has a Janka hardness of 690 lbf, a measure of how well it resists denting and wear.
Is Southern Yellow Pine suitable for outdoor use?
Southern Yellow Pine is best used indoors; it is not naturally suited to sustained outdoor or wet conditions.
How easy is Southern Yellow Pine to work with?
Southern Yellow Pine has Good workability for cutting, shaping, and joinery.
How much does Southern Yellow Pine move seasonally?
A 24-inch-wide flatsawn southern yellow pine panel moves roughly 0.40 inch across a typical seasonal humidity swing (about 6% to 12% moisture content).
Finishing notes
Very strong early/late wood contrast makes even staining difficult, use a conditioner or gel stain, or clear-finish to show the bold grain. Resinous, so seal knots and resin streaks with shellac before finishing to prevent bleed-through. Takes paint and clear finishes well otherwise.
Community photos
Real photos from woodworkers who've used southern yellow pine, reviewed before they appear here.
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Wood data varies by source and sample. How we source and review our data.