Introduction
Pecan (Carya illinoinensis) is one of the famous species of hickory. There are 18 deciduous species of hickory trees. Pecan is native to the South-central United States and Mexico. It produces edible nuts.
Owners love to use Pecan for furniture. Because it has many color options such as light, dark and red. This color and grain pattern depends on their environment of origin.
Pecans are known for their hardness and stiffness. It is mainly used for making tool handles and flooring. Pecan is not considered suitable for outdoor applications. Because it has no decay resistance properties.
| Properties | Pecan |
| Scientific Name: | Carya illinoinensis |
| Tree Size | 20–40 m (66–131 ft) in height |
| Trunk Diameter | 2 m (6 ft 7 in) diameter |
| Average weight | 46 lbs/ft3 (735 kg/m3) |
| Janka Hardness | 1,820 lbf (8,100 N) |
| Strength: | 7,850 lbf/in2 (54.1 MPa) |
| Wood Color: | reddish hue to yellowish-brown |
| Workability: | Difficult to work |
| Wood Type | Hardwood |
| Uses: | Tool handles, ladder rungs, wheel spokes, and flooring |
Pecan Wood Uses
Flooring
Pecan flooring is famous in the United States for its multi-uses. Pecan is present in many color variants. So that the owner gets many options. Pecan wood is available in a mixer with light and dark colors. The floor has a fine and unique pattern.
Scratches and dents are a big problem for wooden floors. This problem mainly occurs in the low density and softwood species. Pecan wood has great density and hardness. So the scratches and dents problem is rare to pecan flooring.
How to prevent floor scratches?
- Floor experts recommend always using furniture leg pads and carpets to avoid dents. This is the best solution.
- Never drag the furniture from one place to another, it would be better to lift it and shift it.
- Cut the nails of your domestic animals regularly. Dog and cat’s nails are the biggest reason for floor scratches.
Furniture
Pecan is great for modern and rustic furniture. It has a great appearance, durability, and stability. All these properties are necessary to make rich furniture. It is considered suitable for making tables, beds, doors, and chairs.
Pecan wood kitchen cabinets
When it comes to wooden kitchen cabinets and dining tables. The wood for such use must be moisture resistant and tough. And another thing is wood should be safe for health. If you are using it for the kitchen.
So pecan wood is safe?
Yes, Pecan wood is 100% safe. There is no evidence that it is causing any harm. It can be used as a cutting board, kitchen decks, and floor.
Pecan as Firewood
Pecan wood is great firewood. Generally, nut and fruit-bearing trees will make good firewood. Pecan wood is easy to split and cut, produce high heat and burn slowly for a long time. For good firewood, it is important to have these qualities.
If we talk about the BTU value of pecan, which is the unit of measurement of heat. So the BTU value of Pecan is 28 million / cord. A typical hardwood dries well within about 6-months to 1-year. Well-dried wood is easier to burn and produces less smoke. The coaling properties are also better.
Pecan wood for smoking
Pecan chips are famous for smoking. It has a sweet, nutty, and rich flavor. The flavor of pecan wood is stronger than that of other fruitwoods. It is very important to cut the wood into small pieces and chips to keep it burning continuously. In the United States and other countries, it is widely used for smoking.
Foods to Smoke With Pecan Wood
- Turkey
- Chicken
- bbq brisket
- Smoke Spare ribs
- Ham
- nuts
- Smoked Pork Butt
What does pecan wood color look like?
Color: Pecan heartwood is light to medium brown, with a reddish hue and sapwood is a paler yellowish-brown. A natural mix of sapwood(light color) and heartwood(dark color) is found throughout almost all planks. Its color is slightly lighter than Walnut.
Grain Pattern: Generally pecan has a straight and fine grain with a medium texture. The wood may have a few knots and slight indentations surrounded by darker. Which gives pecan an interesting character.
Pecan wood stain: Due to high density and close grain, Normally pecan does not stain easily compared to other hardwood.
To stain a pecan, simply put pecan wood blocks in hot water to open close grain. After this let the wood dry well, Now it will take the stain beautifully and deeply. This method works very well.
Pecan Workability
Not all hardwood woods have good workability. Especially those woods that have high density and hardness. The workability of any wood depends on the grain pattern, density, and hardness of the wood.
Is pecan wood good for woodworking?
No, pecan is not known for good workability. Difficult to work with hand tools and machine operations. Mainly, difficulties have to be faced while cutting it. A sharp blade is often needed while machine operation. Overall It’s glues, stains, and finishes well. Responds well to steam bending.
Pecan Identifications
Pecan Tree
The Pecan trees are monoecious. This means that Pecan trees produce both male and female flowers on the same tree. But male and female flowers develop at different times. Male and female flowers can be easily identified. They differ in size from each other.
Pecan love sand or sandy-loam soil and most important that the soil should have good water holding capacity. Its roots are very deep. The length of a pecan tree can be 20–40 m.
Pecan Leaves
The leaves are alternate, 30–45 cm (12–18 in) long, and pinnate with 9–17 leaflets, each leaflet 5–13 cm long and 3–7.5 cm broad. Leaves are thin-linear leaflets (7-11), pointed slightly curved. Leaves’ color is yellowish-green but mature leaves turn green. The tree loses its leaves in the winter.
Pecan Fruit
The fruit of pecan is similar to other species of hickory. which can be easily identified. The fruit is 6–7 centimeters (2 1/4–3 inches) long. Which is surrounded by a strong shell and triangle shape with bulges. Pecans are a good source of calcium, magnesium, and potassium. It is in bunches of three or four.
Is pecan wood expensive?
Pecan is a low to medium-priced wood. At least in the United States, you get it at affordable prices. There may be a difference in the rates of some dealers as it depends on many reasons. Such as A grade pecan in which knots and defects are less present. Their rate is always high. Generally, the 4/4 pecan price is $4.00 to $5.00 /board foot. While the price of low-grade can vary from $2.00 to $3.00 /board foot.