Pine is a softwood which is commonly used in the manufacture of furniture including interior doors. Softwoods come from cone-producing, evergreen trees and other common examples include fir, cedar and spruce. Pine is a popular softwood for interior doors as it grows relatively quickly compared to other trees and it is easy to work with, reducing the cost of the final product. This low cost also makes it popular with customers who need interior doors that will fit a low budget. Pine is a pale coloured wood that can be manufactured into a range of different styles and sizes or interior door. However, as it is usually featured as a low cost option the range of pine interior doors available tends to be restricted to the more traditional designs such as two, four and six panel interior doors although companies are also starting to produce more contemporary versions to meet the demand for interior doors which are cheap but still stylish.
Although good quality pine interior doors can look quite attractive, interior doors using a lower grade timber are more common and this results in most pine interior doors featuring unsightly knots and burs and an uneven colour tone. This is why pine interior doors are the most popular choice for interior doors that are going to be painted; they are cheap to buy and if the grain is simply going to be covered with a layer of paint then the customer does not have to worry about purchasing the highest grade of pine interior door. However, pine interior doors do not only tend to be inferior in terms of their aesthetics but also in their quality. Pine creates a less durable interior door than others that can be found on the market and so buying a pine interior door purely on the basis of price may turn out to be a false economy as they may need replacing more regularly. There is also the fact that the majority of interior doors made of pine are mass produced in China with little regard for the look and quality of the finished product which can cause quite obvious inconsistencies in the look of the doors which may be particularly apparent if hung in doorways which are positioned close to one another.
It should also be taken into account that there are different types of pine that are used for interior doors. The most common of these are clear pine, knotty pine and pitch pine. There is little visible difference between these although as you would expect knotty pine contains the most knots and is considered the least attractive of the three. It is therefore also the cheapest. In comparison, interior doors made using clear pine have a more consistent grain and so are aesthetically more pleasing. Pitch pine is very similar in appearance to clear pine although it has a tighter grain which reflects its higher density – this density makes it a stronger timber and so interior doors made of pitch pine are the most expensive type of pine interior doors.
Overall pine interior doors are good for customers with a tight budget or if the grain of the door is not important, for instance if it is going to be painted over. The inferior quality of pine interior doors should be considered although the possibility of compromising by purchasing an interior door made of pitch pine is also a factor to think about.
