You may recall our blog a few months ago about reclaimed wood floors and where they come from. We are very excited that we purchased some beautiful reclaimed old heart pine from Tennessee. With the growth that the state is seeing, a lot of dilapidated homes, old barns, and buildings are being torn down but not before the buildings are gutted for salvage. We’re very grateful for this practice, especially with this old heart pine.
What is Old Heart Pine?
Every pine tree has two parts, the heartwood and sapwood. The heartwood is the dormant part of the tree. Because it’s not part of the living tree, it’s stronger, hence, more durable and better for flooring. It’s also one of the reasons that old heart pine is great salvage wood.
Old heart pine or antique heart pine doesn’t necessarily mean the wood was cut from a tree a long time ago, it means it was made from an old tree. Generally speaking for wood to be classified as “old heart pine” the tree was likely close to 200 years old when it was cut down to make the flooring. So, more often than not, it was cut down a long time ago since there is very little old growth forest that can be harvested.
Quality
We’ve been asked about the quality of reclaimed wood. Many homeowners are concerned about splintering, old nail holes or even rust from old nails showing on the boards. Because a salvage company has already treated the lumber, it is safe and of higher quality than many types of wood you can buy new today. The salvage company removes the nails, kiln-dries it and then re-planes the wood. Seer Flooring only works with reputable salvage companies who have the knowledge and equipment to properly salvage and treat the wood. You can be assured that any reclaimed wood flooring, including the old heart pine we’ve recently acquired is of the highest quality and safe for your home.
If you’re looking for some truly special wood for your home and old heart pine is something you’ve considered, please let us know. We’d be happy to share with you the details of the lot we’ve acquired and help you decide if it’s right for your home. Contact us today at 727-785-1930.