 21/02/2018

 Sergei Glavny

Which furniture to prefer - pine or birch

Natural material is durable, and therefore always in fashion. Especially when it comes to the interior. Therefore, the variety in stores often leads the buyer to a dead end in front of the trivial question - what to choose? Indeed, what to prefer if from the available ecological materials on sale - furniture made of pine and birch?

Why do you need furniture?

Specifically, this is the furniture, in front of which you are now standing in the store and wondering whether to buy it or not. Let's say you are clear about its purpose and, choosing solid wood furniture, you are aware of the durability and environmental friendliness. natural material... But where will she stand? In the bedroom or in the kitchen? In an apartment or country house? By answering these questions, it will be easier for you to decide which furniture to prefer. So, the pros and cons of furniture from natural wood.

Pine or birch?

Briefly speaking about the exterior - pine furniture has a more pronounced texture of wood and its fibers than birch. Pine is more difficult to process, but it tolerates increased moisture more easily, unlike birch. Pine - if the style of your home is rustic, old Russian, country or simply country house... And if you have a bad idea appearance birch product - remember a regular sheet of plywood, birch furniture will have about the same texture.

Nevertheless, it is birch that is considered more environmentally friendly than pine, better suited for a noble interior, tinted well, has bactericidal and antifungal properties.

Which will last longer - pine or birch?

Now about strength - birch is stronger than pine. As a rule, pine products power elements made of birch, for example, legs of beds, tables. The chairs are also made from birch. The chair undergoes significant cyclic loads during the period of use and over time, these loads lead to loosening of the joints. Everyone remembers the swinging stools. Therefore, birch is a stronger type of wood, it allows you to extend the service life of products.

Pine products are more prone to scratches and dents. pine is softer than birch, so you should not buy pine furniture for use by children, it is better to stop at the birch version. Birch is considered the best option for children's rooms. Pine, on the other hand, is most suitable for kitchens because solid pine furniture is water-repellent. Another plus - nice smell that the pine will spread in your home.

What is more expensive?

Let's say you've decided - you want to choose birch furniture for a children's room. Say, both the wood is solid, and the bed is sturdy, and the wardrobe is resistant to daily openings and closings. And now we look into the wallet, because your next question will be - will there be enough money. Solid birch furniture is 30-60% more expensive than solid pine furniture.

Production costs

When choosing, pay attention to the manufacturer. Since both solid pine furniture and solid birch furniture, for all its useful properties and natural beauty, before entering your home, must pass correct finish... The board must be dry naturally, wood - competently processed, all necessary technologies, and these technologies, even in the production of semi-antique furniture, must be modern in order for the furniture to look beautiful and serve for a long time.

What wood furniture do you prefer? What parameters are fundamental for you? We are waiting for your comments!

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Tasks:

Educational area "Cognitive development"

• to form an idea of ​​trees
• find out the knowledge of children about the properties and qualities of trees,

their significance for the life of living organisms,

• support the individuality and initiative of children in search and research activities,
• develop cognitive interest and curiosity about trees

Educational area "Social and communicative development"

• to form the position of a helper and protector of trees on Earth,
• foster a sense of responsibility for their behavior in nature,
• foster love for nature, the desire to protect it, admire the beauty of trees
• to bring up in children a benevolent attitude towards each other, the ability to communicate calmly,
• teach children to comply with safety rules during observation

Educational area "Speech development"

• to form a desire to discuss the results of observation and the ability to prove their decision,
• develop evidence-based speech,
• activate and enrich the children's vocabulary on the topic: Birch, clarify the meaning of the phrase Russian beauty and new words - steady, pockets, sticky

Educational area "Artistic and aesthetic development"

• create an atmosphere of emotional aesthetic experiences based on listening to a piece of music.

Equipment and materials:

• illustrations, pictures of trees

Observing the birch and pine

Purpose: Acquaintance with the birch.

Tasks: To form the ability to recognize, distinguish and name trees, (Christmas tree, mountain ash, pine, birch on characteristic features) , notice changes in trees.

• To form the ability to compare pine and birch, find commonalities and differences
• Develop a cognitive interest and curiosity about trees.
• Enrich, activate, the child's dictionary on the topic: Birch, clarify the meaning of the phrase Russian beauty and new words - stable, pockets, sticky
• To foster love for nature, the desire to protect it, to admire the beauty of trees.

Methods and techniques: - refinement of knowledge about trees

• motivation to learn a new tree - under name - Russian gorgeous
• wordart pattern
• clarification of the meaning of some phrases and individual words
• questions for children - search and problematic nature
• sensory examination of observed objects
• teacher's story about birch
• general comparison and difference
• verbal instruction
• didactic game, guess the tree by description
• explanation of new words
• teacher speech sample
• using a schema to compare objects as a visual aid
• reading poetry by children
• children explain difficult words

Organizing time:

In the sports area where trees grow

Educator: Guys, what trees do you know? Children - tree, mountain ash, pine.

Listen carefully to the tree poem

There is a hint in the poem

Russian beauty
Stands in the clearing
In a green blouse,
In a white sundress.

You guessed which tree we wake up to talk about (Yes, it's a birch)

How did you guess that I was talking about this tree

In a green blouse - foliage, in a white sundress - this is a birch trunk

Educator: today we will talk about a new birch tree

Birch is what?

Children: Birch is a tree

Educator: Prove

Children: The tree has a thick trunk, branches, leaves grow on the branches.

The tree has roots that go into the ground.

Educator: That's right, thanks to the roots, the tree grows steadily.

Stability means standing upright, firmly, without falling

The Russian people call her a beauty and compare her with a girl

Hear what a poem about a birch the girls learned

A. Prokofiev Who wants to tell?

I love Russian birch
That light, then sad,
In a white sarafan,
With handkerchiefs in their pockets.

With beautiful clasps.
With green earrings.
I love her smart
Dear, beloved ...

There are many poems and songs about birch, people love birch.

This favorite tree in Russia where we live

A beautiful birch can be found in the forest and in the field.

She decorates city parks. This is the decoration of our country.

The teacher's story about a birch.

Birch is the only tree with white bark, so they say white-trunk beauty

Look at the tree and see that the color of the birch bark is really white. Walk up to a tree and touch the bark, how smooth it is. Below is the crust with deep cracks... Let's touch them, how bumpy they are, they say about these cracks - pockets. We heard about this in a poem about a birch:

In a white sarafan, with handkerchiefs in his pockets

Educator: Birch is home to many living organisms.
Who lives in a birch house?
Children: beetles, caterpillars, birds
Educator: next to a birch, what mushrooms grow?

Children: boletus

Educator: furniture is made from birch wood, wooden dishes... Baskets are woven from branches and brooms and brooms are made. A birch broom in a bathhouse drives all ailments out of a sick person.

Educator: Guys, let's pay attention to the neighbor of our birch. What is the name of this tree?

Children: this is a pine tree.

Educator: let's play a game, who will tell you more about the differences between pine and birch, and a hint diagram will help you. Let's call the differences

Children: Pine has a thick trunk, while birch has a thinner

Birch has white bark with black pockets, and pine has a brown trunk with black pockets

Birch branches are thin and hang down, and pine branches - thick ones stretch towards the sun

There are leaves on the branches of a birch, and needles on a pine

The birch has earrings, and the pine has cones

Pine and birch trees, there is a trunk, branches, leaves, roots, both trees are light-loving and winter-hardy. The people use medicinal properties in the trees

Didactic game goal: Clarification of ideas about trees

Game rule One, two, three run to the tree. Recognize the tree by the named features and run towards it.

Game action One, two, three run to the tree
A tree with white bark with green earrings One, two, three run to the tree
A tree with a thick trunk and cones One, two, three run to the tree, etc.
Educator - Guys, let's say goodbye to our trees - as affectionately as possible.

Conclusion

The teacher thanks the children

It is very interesting to discover the secrets of nature, they can be found at every step

Only an inquisitive person is interested in the world around him and tries to find answers to his questions. Today you answered the wonderful questions that the most ordinary Russian beauty - birch asked us

The main parameters by which commercial wood is selected for the production of furniture: strength, resistance to deformation, wear resistance. All these three qualities are combined into one indicator - the density of wood, that is, the ratio of the mass of a tree to its volume.

Types of wood depending on density:

A) Soft (up to 540 kg / m 3) - spruce, pine, aspen, linden, fir, poplar, chestnut, alder, cedar;

B) Solid (550-740kg / m 3) - larch, common birch, oak, elm, beech, plane tree, Walnut, maple, apple, ash;

C) Very hard (from 750 kg / m 3) - iron birch, mountain ash, white acacia, hornbeam, dogwood, boxwood, pistachio tree.

Consider the breeds most in demand in the furniture industry:

1. Pine

Wood color- brown, beige-yellow, white with light pink stains. The best material for making furniture is considered to be pine trees growing on hills with sandy soils or on dry hills. In such wood, the annual layers will be pronounced and narrow, close to each other. Pine grown in an area with high humidity will have a loose structure, and the blanks from it will have to be dried for a long time before being put into production. Pine wood is soft, easily scratched and damaged.

Pros:

• pliability in processing. Pine is easily planed along the grain, but with difficulty in the transverse direction. When sawing, the opposite is true - it is easy to cut across the log, but poorly along the length.
• easy to stick together;
• depending on the color and structure of the wood, pine is used both for the manufacture of furniture with subsequent varnishing, and for frames, and various designs with hardwood veneer veneer;
• like all conifers, it has a pleasant odor, releases phytocysts, which are considered medicinal.

2. Spruce

Spruce wood is softer than pine. In addition, the barrel has a large number of knots that impede the processing of wood for manufacturing furniture boards... Compared to pine, spruce absorbs moisture better and begins to rot faster. Due to its low-expressive texture and low strength, spruce is most often used for mosaic finish or in structures that are not tested significant loads during operation.
Pros:

• spruce wood is practically not subject to warping;
• perfectly sticks together.

Siberian fir is also used along with spruce - these two trees have similar characteristics.

3. Larch

The wood of this coniferous tree is prized for its unusual reddish-brown hue and high performance. From disadvantages of larch- a large amount of resins, which quickly destroys tools and causes difficulties in processing. If not properly dried, internal cracks form on larch wood.

Pros:

• high moisture resistance;
• excellent strength indicators (the best among conifers);
• slightly susceptible to warping;
• used for the manufacture of carved parts.

4. Cedar

The yellowish-white cedar wood is not distinguished by its high strength and density, therefore it does not withstand heavy loads.

Pros:

• resistance to decay and wormhole;
• suitable for carving;
• has a specific woody aroma.

5. Yew

Red-brown yew wood with light and dark veins has high strength, but also a large number of knots.
Pros:

• not exposed to a wormhole,
• easy to plan and grind,
• insensitive to atmospheric changes.

6. Oak

On the radial section of the oak trunk, large heart rays and light sapwood are clearly visible. Oak is the most widely used hardwood in solid wood furniture due to its excellent combination of strength and texture beauty. If the oak remains in water for a long time (several decades), its wood acquires a rare dark purple color with a green tint. Oak wood is difficult to polish, requires equipment with high hardening cutters.

Pros:

• despite the high viscosity of wood, it is processed quite well;
• bends easily;
• resistant to decay;
• lends itself well to methods of artificial aging.

7. Ash

Wood in many qualities similar to oak, but lighter and does not have pronounced core rays. Ash trees must undergo antiseptic treatment, since in conditions of moisture, wood is quickly damaged by a wormhole. Poorly polished.

Pros:

• bends well after steaming;
• little cracking during drying;
• when discolored, it acquires unusual shade gray hair.

8. Beech

Beech wood not inferior in strength to oak, but it is highly hygroscopic, therefore it is not recommended for the manufacture of furniture that will be used in conditions high humidity(bath, kitchen). Poorly polished.

Pros:

• high decorative qualities: beautiful texture both in radial and tangential section,
• quick to dry, does not crack;
• easy to handle: pricks, saws, cuts, bends;
• perfectly bleached and colored with the help of special solutions, - practically does not change the beautiful natural shade when varnishing.

9. Hornbeam

It has a solid, dense wood of a grayish-white color. It is often called a white beech, but the texture of the hornbeam is not so pronounced and often has an oblique structure, due to which the tree does not prick well.

Pros:

• after high-quality drying, the hornbeam becomes harder than oak;
• not subject to warpage;
• lends itself well to etching and finishing.

10. Common birch

Birch wood, despite high density, is unstable against rotting, therefore it is used mainly for the manufacture of plywood, rotary cut veneer, chipboard. It dries for a long time and poorly, prone to a wormhole, cracks heavily, warps.

Pros:

• homogeneous structure and beautiful colour wood;
• bends well;
• in the production of solid wood furniture is used as an imitation valuable breeds(stains well when etched).

Separately, Karelian birch is distinguished, which has higher performance indicators, is known for its unusual texture and pink wood. It is expensive, therefore it is mainly used for veneering of solid wood furniture.

11. Maple

Despite the fact that it is dense maple wood rarely cracks, he unstable against dampness... The most appreciated are the bird's-eye and sugar maple because of their characteristic beautiful structure.

Pros:

• easily pricks, well processed: cut, polished;
• has a homogeneous structure without pronounced fibers;
• when stained, it successfully imitates valuable breeds;
• maple wood does not have a pronounced core, therefore it is easily painted, varnished, stained.

12. Alder

Soft breed, no pronounced structure. Alder wood quickly darkens in air, therefore it is used mainly in a dyed form (like ebony or mahogany). Alder Feature: Wormhole prone in dry locations, but resistant to rotting in wet conditions.

Pros:

• dries quickly
• easy to carpentry,
• well polished,
• warps slightly.

13. White acacia

The hardest hardwood, therefore, has a high frictional resistance, is distinguished by elasticity. In dry form, it is difficult to process, therefore it is used mainly for cladding soft rocks.

Pros:

• perfectly polished;
• when exposed to air, the wood darkens, giving the texture a bright yellow-brown color and expressive texture.

14. Walnut

How older tree, the more valuable and darker its wood is. The most expensive variety is American Black Walnut.

Pros:

• a wide variety of shades;
• dense, but pliable wood;
• easily stained due to the high content of tannins (from tinting under ebony to even white).

15. Linden

It is used in production for the manufacture of shaped turned elements. It contains little tannins, therefore it practically does not stain, but it lends itself well to staining (with correct concentration solution, linden wood can be given the appearance of more valuable tree species). Needs to antiseptic impregnation, since it is highly susceptible to wormholes.

Pros:

• well withstands dampness,
• wood is durable and plastic,
• has a beautiful white and creamy shade.

As you can see, each wood has its own advantages and disadvantages, focusing on which you can choose a certain grade for the manufacture of solid wood furniture.

Plants are the peculiar "lungs of the planet". Coniferous plantations play a special role in purifying the atmosphere. Pines and spruces immediately come to mind here. Even at school, children learn about the properties of these trees, their types, forms, agricultural techniques of planting and cultivation. Comparison of spruce and pine deserves your attention. Plunge into the fascinating coniferous world. After all, not everyone can answer right away what is the difference between pine and spruce.

You know that essential oils conifers kill pathogenic microbes, treat infections, purify indoor air. You've probably noticed that along the roads and in ecologically unfavorable places they try to plant conifers. This reduces harmful effect dangerous pollution in the air.

All people from childhood admire the smell of fresh needles. It is this tart aroma that fills the house on the eve of a magical new year's eve... It is under New Year decorate a coniferous tree or spruce and pine branches.

Growing places

There are a lot of coniferous tree species, some of them are very similar to each other or completely different. So what is the difference between pine and spruce, do they have features that are inherent in only one species? Well, let's start our acquaintance with evergreen beauties. Comparison of spruce and pine should start with a description of their habitats. Pine is listed in the pine family and coniferous class. Large areas are occupied by pine plantations in the northern hemisphere. Pine trees love cold and humid climates. These evergreen fluffy trees are considered to be long-livers, their age can reach 350 years. Mature pines are quite tall - up to 75 m in height. In the southwestern United States, a 6,000-year-old pine tree is growing, and it is truly a long-liver. And what is the difference between pine and spruce in terms of habitat?

Spruce also belongs to the pine family, the class of conifers. This evergreen rather tall, has a fluffy pyramidal crown. Spruce plantations have filled Eastern Europe, Central and Northeast Asia, China, North America... A lot of woodlands consist of this particular species. Spruce trees have a slightly shorter lifespan than pine trees. But some species live up to 300 years and grow up to 50 m in height.

Soil requirements

Special requirements pine has no soil. Their growth zone can be swamps, dry sands, chalk slopes, granite rocks and ravines. Pine trees are not afraid of excessive moisture. At the same time, they can take root in sandy and stony soils, where the humus content is low. These plants are not afraid of frosts, droughts, winds, hurricanes. The main thing that pine trees require is enough direct sunlight. Plants absolutely do not tolerate shade and darkening. What is the difference between pine and spruce in terms of growth conditions?

Spruce plantings, unlike pine, easily tolerate shade. Fir trees often grow in mixed forests under the shelter of other trees. Fir trees also have no special requirements for soils. Even the poor are good for them. nutrients stony, podzolic and calcareous soils... With regard to moisture, spruce loves the middle, without extremes.

Root system

The pine has a powerful taproot system, one main root that goes deep into the ground. Many lateral roots extend from this central root. With the help of such a powerful root system, pines easily get water from the depths and penetrate into hard-to-reach areas of the land.

And what is the root system of a spruce in what way differs from a pine? Spruce roots are of the rod type. It is characterized by a weak main root, which dies off after 10 years of plant life. After that, the main emphasis on maintaining the balance of the plant in the soil and replenishing with water falls on the lateral roots. Sometimes they fail at this task, and strong wind able to turn out lonely spruce "by the root". Root system ate reminds ground part tree, most of the roots are located on the surface.

Spruce and pine branches, needles

Pine trees are characterized by whorled branches. What does it mean? They have several central branches that form a skeleton, from which other branches radiate in different directions in the form of a fan.

Pine and spruce can be distinguished even visually. In a spruce, the crown has a conical shape, with branches lowered down, covering the trunk. Also, the spruce has a whorled arrangement of branches. Every year a new whorl grows.

The pine needles are long and narrow, the needles are arranged in pairs. They fall in the same form in the fall, when the most abundant dropping of "needles" occurs. Pine needles on branches last 2-3 years and reach more than 4 cm in length.

Needle-shaped needles are attached to the spruce branches. Spruce needles have a four-sided shape and a dark green color. Spruce needles stay on branches for 5-10 years. The needles were small, sharp and thick. It consists of single needles (pine has two). Spruce does not have a pronounced deciduous period. There is a gradual fall and replacement of spruce needles.

Spruce and pine cones

The bumps of these two conifers also have their own differences. There are male and female pine cones. In spring, light yellow inflorescences grow on young twigs. These are the male bumps, they are very small, like a pea. The female cones are initially the same small, only they are located at the end of the branch one by one. At first, it is difficult to see them in the dense pine needles. An adult pine cone resembles a spinning top. The seeds ripen in the second year after pollination.

Eating cones are also male and female. They develop in different ways. The female cones are initially bright red in color and the size of a hazelnut. They are located at the top of the crown. Male bumps have a yellowish tint, pollen ripens in them. Adult buds hang down and look like cigars. The first seeds ripen in trees 20 years old and older.

The use of spruce and pine in construction

Builders prefer to use pine wood. Its trunk is straighter, without defects or knots. Pine wood is soft and easy to soak with antiseptics. It is also easy to machine.

Spruce has knotty wood, it is harder to soak it with antiseptics. It tends to strongly absorb water, therefore it is completely unsuitable for external works... Spruce wood is used for interior decoration.

Generalization

It is also worth remembering the bark of coniferous trees. Spruce has a smooth gray-brown bark. Young pine bark is gray-greenish in color, with age it takes on a reddish-brown hue. Summarizing all of the above, we can conclude that it is easy to visually distinguish spruce from pine. The shape of the spruce resembles a cone. Pine branches stretch upward and begin to grow from the middle of the trunk. That is why it is always light in a pine forest, and dark in a spruce forest. The spruce has small and strong needles, and the pine has long and rare paired needles. For new year holidays pine is more commonly used. She possesses strong smell and long-term durability.