What is spruce wood?
The Wood Guide · The wood register
Softwood · from our workshopSpruce
Blond, light and straight-grained — the most widely used structural timber in Europe, and the wood our picnic tables are made of. Provided it is impregnated, because that is no detail.
- Picea abies · Norway spruce
- ±450 kg/m³ — light
- Outdoors: impregnated only
Norway sprucePicea abies
Spruce at a glance
Spruce grows quickly, is light in weight and works easily under saw and plane. It is available everywhere and therefore affordable — the reason you find it in everything from rafters to children's toys.
Spruce is the wood of the Norway spruce. In the timber trade it is often called "whitewood", in everyday language simply "spruce" — it is exactly the same wood. The tree grows in cool, damp regions: Norway, Finland, Sweden, Germany, Austria and Poland. The long, cold winters make it grow slowly, which produces a dense growth-ring structure with an even density. Exactly what carpenters value.
Light enough for two people to move a picnic table, strong enough for daily use, and impregnated it holds up for years. Our KING picnic tables are built from it, with 40 mm boards.
- Botanical
- Picea abies (Norway spruce)
- Colour
- creamy white to pale yellow, even
- Density
- 400–700 kg/m³, usually around 450
- Hardness
- 490–520 lbf (Janka) — soft
- Outdoors
- ±10–15 years, impregnated
- Maintenance
- cleaning; stain or oil every 1–2 years
- Price range
- entry level
To be fair: untreated, spruce only lasts a few years outdoors — impregnation is not an extra but a requirement.
From the cold north
Spruce is the wood of the Norway spruce (Picea abies); in the trade it is often called “whitewood” — exactly the same wood. The tree grows in cool, damp regions — Norway, Finland, Sweden, Germany, Austria, Poland — and grows slowly, which gives a dense, even growth-ring structure.
Click a chapter or use the arrows · impregnation and trees schematic.
How to recognise spruce
Four things you notice straight away when you pick up a board.
Pale and even
Creamy white to pale yellow, with no big colour difference between heartwood and sapwood. It yellows slightly in sunlight.
Straight, fine grain
The growth rings run tight and regular — the result of slow growth in a cold climate.
Small, tight knots
Spruce has knots, but smaller and tighter than pine. They rarely fall out.
Light in weight
Lift a board and you feel the difference with oak or teak straight away: spruce weighs about half as much.
Technical properties
Spruce scores high on workability and low on natural weather resistance. That is not a contradiction but the essence of the material.
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Botanical name | Picea abies |
| Colour (fresh) | Creamy white to pale yellow, even texture, straight grain |
| Density | 400–700 kg/m³, depending on origin and growth rate |
| Hardness (Janka) | 490–520 lbf |
| Workability | Excellent: saws, planes, chisels and glues easily — by machine and by hand |
| Weather resistance, untreated | Durability class 4 — not naturally resistant to moisture and fungi |
| Weather resistance, impregnated | Class 3–4 — suitable for outdoors, provided it is correctly treated |
| Acoustic | Excellent sound conduction — the classic choice for soundboards |
The durability classes come from the European standard EN 350 and run from 1 (very durable) to 5 (not durable). They classify how well a species resists rot by itself — not a quality mark and not a certificate.
What spruce is used for
Light, easy to work and widely available — that combination makes spruce the workhorse of many sectors.
Building and construction
The most widely used structural timber in Europe: rafters, floor joists, timber framing, cladding and scaffolding. Pressure-treated spruce is the standard for everything that touches the ground or long-term moisture.
Garden furniture
Picnic tables, beer tables, planters and play equipment. Browse the spruce range, the garden benches, garden chairs and flower and plant boxes.
Indoor furniture
Cupboards, beds, shelving and children's toys. Untreated spruce is light, neutral in colour and readily takes paint or stain.
Musical instruments
The straight grain and low density give excellent sound transmission: for centuries the favourite for the soundboards of violins, guitars and pianos.
Fine woodwork
Its soft, even structure makes spruce ideal for carving, mouldings and routing — right up to a sturdy storage chest.
Spruce for the little ones
In school gardens, nurseries and back gardens the spruce children's picnic table is a fixture: light enough to move, sturdy enough to last for years.
Spruce outdoors: impregnate and maintain
Untreated spruce is in durability class 4: slightly durable. Impregnation makes it suitable for use classes 3 to 4 — and that difference is the whole story.
Protection deep into the fibre
A preservative is forced deep into the wood cells under pressure. That makes spruce suitable for:
- Garden furniture and structures above ground level (use class 3)
- Cladding and decking (use class 3)
- Structures in contact with the ground or fresh water (use class 4)
Keep it clean and touch it up
Impregnation protects against rot and insects, not against UV. The colour is up to you:
- Clean once a year with lukewarm water and soft soap — no pressure washer.
- Every one to two years a stain or oil with UV protection.
- Every spring check for splinters, cracks and places where water gets in.
- A cover in winter considerably extends its lifespan.
Dust with a dry or slightly damp cloth, protect the surface with oil, wax or varnish against drying out and small scratches, and keep it out of full sun — spruce yellows faster there.
By the light green or brownish tinge of the preservative. It fades with sun and rain; after that the wood takes on a silver-grey patina if you don't treat it again.
Spruce next to other wood species
Spruce is soft, light and widely available — but not the right choice for every situation.
| Wood species | Hardness | Outdoors, untreated | Typical use |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spruce (Picea abies) | Soft | Class 4 — not suitable | Construction, garden furniture (impregnated), indoor furniture |
| Pine (Pinus sylvestris) | Soft–moderate | Class 3–4 (heartwood) | Outdoor structures, cladding, decking |
| Teak (Tectona grandis) | Hard | Class 1 — excellent | High-end garden furniture, shipbuilding |
| Robinia (Robinia pseudoacacia) | Very hard | Class 1–2 — excellent | Garden furniture, decking, posts |
| Meranti (Shorea spp.) | Moderate–hard | Class 2–3 | Outdoor furniture, joinery, window frames |
If you are looking for garden furniture that lasts for decades without much maintenance, you end up with a hardwood — teak or hardwood. If you want to know exactly how spruce compares with its closest relative, read pine or spruce.
Frequently asked questions about spruce
Is whitewood the same as spruce?
Yes. Both terms refer to the wood of the Norway spruce (Picea abies). "Whitewood" is the usual trade term; "spruce" is the everyday name. You can read more about the tree itself in the spruce tree species.
Can I use untreated spruce outdoors?
Better not. Untreated spruce is in durability class 4 and is quickly attacked outdoors by moisture, fungi and insects. For outdoors you need impregnated spruce, which pressure treatment makes suitable for use classes 3 to 4.
How do I recognise impregnated spruce?
By the light green or brownish tint the preservative leaves behind. That colour fades with sun and rain; if you then leave the wood untreated, it takes on a greyish to silvery-white patina.
How often should I treat spruce garden furniture?
As a rule of thumb every one to two years, with a stain or oil for outdoor wood. The more intensive the use and the more sun and rain, the more often. A cover in winter considerably reduces how often you need to do it. In our maintenance guide you will find the water test with which you can check it yourself.
What is the difference between spruce and pine?
They look very much alike, but are botanically different. Pine (Pinus sylvestris) has more resin, is slightly harder and its heartwood is naturally more durable. The full story is in pine or spruce.
Is spruce a sustainable choice?
Spruce is a renewable raw material that grows quickly and is widely available in Europe. Wood that lasts a long time is by definition the most sustainable choice — so for outdoor use always choose impregnated products, which last considerably longer.
Still not decided?
Spruce is one of the twelve species in our register. Feel free to compare further — or go straight to the tables we build from it.
Have a question about your project? Just ask — we're happy to help.
Picea abies — Elke Wetzig (elya), CC BY-SA 3.0 · Picea abies — ILoveAllTrees, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Photo via Wikimedia Commons: Picea abies — Wolfgang Moroder, CC BY-SA 3.0