| Heart pines have a slightly different character from just any pine flooring. For starters, it’s a 1225 on the Janka scale of wood hardness (red oak is 1290). The very characteristics that make it the strength of the tree contribute to making it a great looking floor. There’s extra character and depth of the wood grain not found in all pine flooring. It has a closed, mostly straight, grain with an uneven texture, varying with the different pine species. |
Why choose this kind of flooring?
Wood flooring makes a great addition to any home. There is just nothing else quite like the warmth and natural beauty of wood. Installing Heart pine flooring is one of the many different types of wood flooring that you can choose from and it has a character and beauty that is unmatched in other flooring choices. If you have been looking for a way to update your home without having to completely remodel, then you may want to consider changing your flooring to this kind of flooring or another type of wood flooring.
Advantages
What is it about heart pines that appeals to us? There are many qualities that wood flooring choices have that draw consumers to it. One is the natural veining and grain that can be seen in a natural wood. It helps to give the flooring movement and visual interest, which is hard to find in man-made types of flooring. It is a kind of flooring has a beautiful grain pattern that draws the eye to the beauty of the wood floors. It makes a room feel more inviting and welcoming and it can be stained any number of different colors or it can be simply sealed if you prefer the natural color.
Extremely Durable
Is it durable? Most people know that pine is considered a softwood rather than a hardwood, so they think that installing heart pine flooring will not be durable enough for use in their home. If you consider older homes, however, you will find that many of them feature pine flooring and they have lasted for centuries. Yes, pine is a softwood, but the wear and tear only helps to make the flooring even more beautiful and visually appealing. It is not so fragile that it will break due to normal wear, but it can get dings and dents from moving furniture or dropping heavy things on it. Many people consider these dents and dings as adding character to the flooring, rather than detracting from its beauty.
New or Reclaimed
What are the different varieties available? You can be either selecting heart pine flooring or you can choose reclaimed flooring. Both of them have the beautiful orange-gold color in them, but the reclaimed flooring is flooring that has been taken out of a building or home that was being torn down and it has the added character that is associated with being used and walked on. If you are looking for a floor with a great deal of character, then the reclaimed flooring may be just the thing for your home.
Ideal Choice for Casual Styled Homes
Heart pine is wood that comes from the center (heart) of the pine tree. Heart pine is a little harder than the sapwood, which makes it ideal for flooring. It is still considered a softwood, however, and that is why it is important that you understand that it may get dents and dings in it due to normal wear and tear. If your home is more formally styled, then you may not like the look of theheart pines, because it tends to be more casual styled.
Sanding
Sanding is an important process while installing heart pine flooring. Even though it is a bit challenging than the process of sanding oak floors, because the wood is soft here. With a help of experienced sander, the job can be done quickly, as he may know exactly on how to handle the machines and equipment’s for sanding in a professional manner, so that no marks or grooves are left in the wood. If the process is not done carefully, the boards can be highly gouged and damaged.
Tips for Pine floor refinishing
Pine wood is a soft material and hence need to be handled with care. The following tips provided below for successfully installing heart pine flooring from professional flooring experts.
- Have the tools handy
- Remove all nails and screws
- Start sanding from the end
- Change the sanding belt after each routine of sanding
- In the last routine make sure to use a #220 grit sandpaper for sanding
- Test the wood stain color in another sample piece of flooring to be sure about the color
- Provide sufficient time for drying of the sealant
Summary
If you have been searching for a way to make your home warmer and more inviting, then selecting heart pine flooring may be a wonderful choice for you. It can be just the thing that will make your home into that welcoming place that you want it to be. If it’s good enough for George Washington’s home, it’s good enough for yours.