Specifications
Caribbean pine is a softwood widely used for construction, flooring, playground furniture and cladding.
Caribbean pine is a softwood widely used for construction, flooring, playground furniture and cladding. Other applications include the production of plywood, wood wool and paper products. The timber is also widely used for engineering purposes, such as power poles and piles. It is the second most widely planted species in Queensland, and is also planted in northern New South Wales, and is readily available in those states; it is also imported from Fiji.
The heartwood of Caribbean pine is yellow to golden brown, and its sapwood is usually noticeably paler. Its texture is rather coarse and uneven, with latewood and earlywood forming uneven bands, and the grain is usually straight. Knots are present in construction grades. There is a marked difference in colour between earlywood and latewood, which results in a pronounced figure when back sawn. It has a strong resin content and odour, and the resin can lead to problems when the timber is glued and sawn.
Caribbean pine has a low degree of durability above and below ground, and although the sapwood can be treated with preservatives, the heartwood will not readily take preservatives. The timber is termite resistant and the sapwood is not prone to lyctid attack.
Preferred Common Name: Pine, Caribbean
Other Names: Pinus Hodurensis, Yellow Pine, Caribaea Pine, Caribbean Longleaf, Pitch Pine, British Honduras Pine, Bahamas Pine, Nicaraguan Pitch Pine, Bastard Pine
Species Type: Softwood
APPEARANCE
The sapwood of Caribbean pine is pale and the heartwood is yellow to golden brown. The grain is usually straight, though knots are present in construction grades, and the texture is somewhat coarse and uneven. A pronounced difference in colour between earlywood and latewood results in a very distinctive figure when back sawn.
COMMON APPLICATIONS
Caribbean pine is widely used for engineering purposes, such as power poles and piles; construction purposes such as flooring, framing, laminated beams, cladding and decking, and playground equipment; and for decorative purposes including furniture, plywood, turnery and joinery. It is also used in the production of paper products and wood wool.
COMMON FORM
Sawn
WORKABILITY
Caribbean pine is rated 5 to 4 on a 6 class scale - soft to firm - for indentation and facility of working with hand tools. When the timber is being dressed sharp planer blades are required to avoid compression of the softer earlywood and the ridged surfaces that result. Resin can be problem when sawing. Nails may at times follow the growth rings from deflection by latewood bands; good results can be obtained with nail guns. The timber glues satisfactorily, but absorbs glue differently depending on whether it is early- or latewood, though this mostly doesn't cause problems. It can be painted, stained and polished easily, though care has to be taken to avoid timber with high resin content.
