Pine tar is the natural way to protect wood. But where does it come from?

Pine tar is a completely natural product, made from resin-rich wood. For the most part pine is used. The resin becomes tar through lengthy destillation in an oven. The resulting pine tar is viscous and free from any additives. Pine tar is traditionally used to protect and preserve wood, which makes it unsurpassed as a base for paint. Pine tar paint from Auson is nature’s own paint.

Pine tar is made from resin-rich wood. For the most part pine is used.

Pine tar is extracted from pine, though for example spruce is an option, too. The amount of resin in spruce is so small, however, that the extraction becomes very resource-intensive.

Resin becomes tar

A pine tree contains a number of resin acids. These are very liquid and go under the umbrella name resin. It’s this resin that becomes pine tar, through a lengthy, controlled incineration – low-temperature distillation.

A lengthy, natural process

The largest accumulation of resin occurs when a pine tree is chopped down. This increases the production of resin in the remaining stump as well as in the roots. After a number of years, it’s time to extract resin from this wood.

How pine tar is made

The resin becomes tar through distillation in an oven. The method used is known as low-temperature distillation, meaning that the wood is incinerated under limited access to air. The resin reacts to the heat and becomes more viscous.

The unsurpassed wood protection

Pine tar is nature’s own way to protect wood. In the middle ages, pine tar was the only known method to protect wood. It’s still the best one, to this day. According to many, it’s also the most beautiful method.

The scent of pine tar

Painting your house with nature’s own pine tar paint is an experience. The characteristic scent gives you the feeling of working with nature itself. The colours are ideal for all outdoor wooden constructions, thereamong facades and fences. If your house is already painted with distemper, you can use pine tar paint directly on that surface.

The result

The viscous liquid resulting from the distillation is pine tar. The making of tar has long traditions, and the resulting pine tar is a pure, natural product, free from additives.

By-products

In addition to pine tar, charcoal is a secondary outcome of the process. Gum turpentine, too, is extracted from pine.