Pine can be a fully-fledged alternative to spruce in a range of construction applications. Nevertheless, its use in the Czech construction industry remains rather limited, and its wider adoption is often held back by a lack of experience and reliable information. The specialist platform ‘Don’t Be Afraid of Pine’ aims to change this.

The website was developed by a team from Herrmann & Vogel in collaboration with the Timber Research and Development Institute. The Timber Research and Development Institute also acts as the project’s expert guarantor. The Faculty of Forestry and Wood Sciences at the Czech University of Life Sciences in Prague is also involved in creating the content.

Director Jitka Beránková explains: “Climate change will affect the species composition of forests, and we will have to learn to work more with other types of timber as well.”

Our ancestors have always used local materials for building. This was also true of timber. In areas with pine forests, pine was commonly used as timber for construction. Given the properties of pine timber and its suitability for construction or interior use, it is in no way inferior to spruce.

Anna Součková, Head of the Analysis and Assessment Centre at the Timber Research Institute, adds: “The timing of pine harvesting, correct cutting, the method of drying and also grading for appropriate use are all important.”

The grading of sawn timber is governed by standard requirements, and staff must be properly trained. This service is provided by technicians from the Timber Research Institute.

You can also find an explanation of the reasons for using pine in the construction industry in this article.