What Type of Pine for Flooring?
The pines have a long history of being a valuable source of timber. The original North American settlers relied upon pine trees for wood to build their homes, churches and schools. Two categories of pines exist. One consists of a group of trees called soft pines. The other group, the hard pines, are those which supply the lumber for flooring. Does this Spark an idea?
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Soft vs. Hard
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The pines are evergreen trees with needles that grow in bundles. The number of needles per bundle differentiates hard pines from soft pines. Hard pines have two or three needles per bundle and are called yellow pines. In contrast, soft pines produce five needles per bundle and are referred to as white pines. The wood provided by the hard species is heavier and more durable than that of the soft species. When soft pine is used for flooring, it cannot withstand the numerous assaults that accompany being underfoot, so scratches and dings in the wood are common.
Southern Yellow Pine
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Southern yellow pine is not a particular species of pine tree, but rather a group of yellow pine varieties. Loblolly pine, slash pine, shortleaf pine and long leaf pine are all varieties of Southern yellow pine. Though they appear similar in color, ranging from light yellow-orange to reddish-brown, their hardness and durability vary depending on the species. The shortleaf and loblolly pines are a bit softer than the long leaf variety, but are still considered to be of adequate hardness for use as flooring.
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Long Leaf Pine
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Long leaf heart pine flooring consists of the heartwood of the long leaf yellow pine. Long leaf pines have hard central cores, known as heartwood, that provide support for the tree. Unlike heartwood, sapwood is softer and is the part of the tree that transports nutrients and water from the roots to the leaves. Long leaf pines are unique because, despite their magnificent size, they have very little sapwood. The flooring possesses a dense grain and is red, gold or amber in tone.
Red Pine
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The red pine, also known as the Norway pine, is native to northeastern North America. The wood from red pines is a bit softer than that from long leaf heart pines. The red pine's naturally tall and straight form make it an ideal specimen from which to craft planks for flooring. Red pine wood flooring is deep cherry to amber in color, a trait that distinguishes it from the Southern yellow pines. As the floor ages, its color deepens. The grain pattern is highly figured and the knots are relatively small.
Caribbean Pine
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As its name implies, the Caribbean pine is native to several Caribbean islands including the Bahamas and the Turks and Caicos Islands. It is also native to Cuba and Central America. The grain pattern of the Caribbean pine is finer than that of its North American counterparts. The original yellow to vibrant red-copper wood color deepens with age. Caribbean heart pine is quite hard and ranks just below red oak, a commonly used hardwood, in terms of hardness. Considered an exotic wood, Caribbean pine flooring is generally more expensive than floors crafted from native pines.
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References
Resources
- Photo Credit pine cone on a pine tree image by MAXFX from Fotolia.com
