Unfinished pine furniture can be made from a variety of softwoods. The correct term for the wood in a lot of “pine” products is Deal. This is a group of softwoods including pine, larch, fir, hemlock and spruce.
The color and technical properties of these woods vary enormously hence why you can get such a variety of colors in a range of pine furniture. These woods are popular for making furniture as they are cheap and easy to work with.
You need to be careful what type of finish you intend to use on pine furniture. These woods don’t respond well to permanent oil based stains. If you have purchased unfinished pine kitchen furniture, either have it waxed regularly or seal it with water resistant varnish otherwise it can warp.
Be careful when buying this type of furniture that you are in fact buying wood and not a manmade substance. Some furniture pieces are made from chipboard which as the name suggests is made from wood chippings bound together by a resin agent. These pieces should be a lot cheaper than a piece made from solid wood.
Examine the pieces you wish to purchase very carefully. If wood is not dried correctly, some faults can appear such as knots, splits and uneven grains. Knots can not only look ugly but the wood surrounding them can be more irregular and thus can affect the finish you get when painting or varnishing. You should also check the pieces for any signs of insect attack or a fungal growth. Obviously a piece that has been attacked by woodworm is better off left behind in the showroom.
A clear finish will enrich and slightly darken unfinished pine furniture. So when trying out a stain, always test it out on an inconspicuous place on the piece so you can see the end product.