flooring Archives - Page 2 of 3

Warm & Welcoming: Beautiful Wide-Plank Eastern White Pine Flooring

Posted on August 22, 2016 by S.A. Rogers

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Offering the widest planks of any species, Eastern White Pine flooring has a history extending back to the earliest Colonial structures in America’s Northeast, lending a warm and authentic feel that takes on lots of character and personality over time. Depending on the grade and finish you choose, Eastern White Pine can take on a wide variety of looks, from a pale, smooth modern appearance to the dark and knotty varieties reminiscent of original New England homes.

One of the coolest things about Eastern White Pine, aside from its versatility, affordability and sustainability, is the fact that the wood gets stronger and harder over the years. The fibers compress upon themselves as you walk on them, creating a timeless durability that can still be seen in centuries-old historic floors. Check out this selection of different Eastern White Pine flooring types from Valenti, Hull Forest and Carlisle for some examples.

Artisan’s Boutique Eastern White Pine Flooring by Carlisle

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Colonial Pine Kitchen Floors by Hull Forest

East Hampton Wide Plank by Valenti Flooring valenti 3

Wide Plank Pine with Circular Saw Marks by Hull Forest

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Wide Plank Eastern White Pine Floors by Hull Forest

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Top nailed with antique wrought iron nails, stained with a 50/50 mix of Cabot’s Australian timber oil in Jarrah Brown and Old Masters wiping stain in Provincial, then finished with Varanthane Diamond water-based clear satin finish.

East Hampton Wide Plank by Valenti Flooring
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Hand-Scraped Eastern White Pine Kitchen by Carlisle

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Wide-Plank Eastern White Pine Flooring by Carlisle

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Wide-Plank Eastern White Pine Flooring by Carlisle

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Top image: East Hampton Wide Plank by Valenti Flooring

Warm & Welcoming: Beautiful Wide-Plank Eastern White Pine Flooring

Posted on August 22, 2016 by Jeff Easterling

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Artisan’s Boutique Eastern White Pine Flooring by Carlisle

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Colonial Pine Kitchen Floors by Hull Forest

East Hampton Wide Plank by Valenti Flooring valenti 3

Wide Plank Pine with Circular Saw Marks by Hull Forest

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Wide Plank Eastern White Pine Floors by Hull Forest

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East Hampton Wide Plank by Valenti Flooring
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Hand-Scraped Eastern White Pine Kitchen by Carlisle

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Wide-Plank Eastern White Pine Flooring by Carlisle

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Wide-Plank Eastern White Pine Flooring by Carlisle

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Top image: East Hampton Wide Plank by Valenti Flooring

Marbelous Wood: Pine Flooring Gets Fresh with Artistic Dye Process

Posted on January 4, 2016 by Jeff Easterling

Think you know all there is to know about staining wood? You might want to reconsider that notion after taking a look at this incredible marbling process perfected by artist Pernille Snedker Hansen in a series she calls ‘Marbelous Wood.’ Repurposing an old marbling technique, the artist gives natural wood a unique ornamentation that’s different on each and every plank, so the possibilities for the final design are virtually endless.

The designs are created slowly, drop by drop, following the growth rings on the wood, putting the focus on the natural patterns created by nature as the trees grow. According to the artist’s website, “Pernille Sneaker Hansen has combined the traditions of marbling from the bookbinding profession with the traditional Scandinavian pinewood floor, creating a wooden floor that forms a never-ending array of details and color combinations at one’s feet.”

It’s fun to imagine putting these custom-painted boards together like puzzle pieces, whether attempting to match them up or deliberately flip the motifs for a visually dynamic result. Snedker is currently taking commissions to install these artistic flooring surfaces, and can do them on wall paneling, too.

Walking on Sunshine: 8 More Beautiful Eastern White Pine Floors

Posted on May 11, 2015 by Jeff Easterling

The earliest wood floors to ever be installed in America were made of Eastern White Pine, and all these centuries later, it remains one of the most popular choices for its character, durability, affordability and sustainability. Step into any flooring distributor in the country and you’ll find an array of choices in this pale pine, from its natural creamy shade to deep, dramatic stains. Here’s a gallery of eight (more!) ways in which Eastern White Pine can be adapted for a variety of interior design styles, whether your home or business has the rustic feel of a farmhouse or the edge of a modern loft.

Wide-Plank and Warm

Sources: Houzz + Hull Forest

Stained Dark

Source: Sharp Edge Floors

Pickled Greek Finish

Source: Houzz

Circular Sawn

Source: Houzz

Perfectly Pale

Source: Houzz

Knotty Hearts

Source: Stonewood Products

Hand-Scraped Edges

Source: Superior Woodcraft

Pumpkin Pine: Rare and Treasured Wood Gives Off a Warm Glow

Posted on June 14, 2014 by Jeff Easterling

Try as you might with warm stains and shellacs, you can never quite replicate the beautiful aged glow that comes with very particular growing conditions along with centuries of foot traffic, steaming tea kettles, and winter fires roaring in the hearth. True ‘pumpkin pine’ is elusive, developing on its own as if from some alchemical combination of fine quality wood and the passage of time.

What’s known as ‘pumpkin pine’ is actually Eastern White Pine that has been carefully prepared and stored, turning a striking shade of orange on its own over a period of decades. Slow-growing pine trees in old-growth forests are thought to accumulate colored products in the heartwood.

These warm tones are brought out by tucking sawn boards between layers of straw for aging, and wiping them down and turning them every two years. The process isn’t complete until the workers who initially prepared the wood are long gone – a whopping seventy years.

Homes with original pumpkin pine flooring can still be found throughout New England, and antiques – like the blanket chest pictured above – occasionally become available at auction. The true pumpkin pine that can be found for sale in lumber form is typically reclaimed from demolished historic structures. It’s never stained – just protected with a clear coat of wax or oil.

Staining Eastern White Pine to mimic this nuanced look might not produce exactly the same effect, but it does result in a welcoming antique feel. See Hull Forest’s pumpkin-stained wood floors, above, for an example.

Modern Eastern White Pine Flooring: Beauty, Charm and Versatility

Posted on October 9, 2013 by Jeff Easterling

Because of its rustic aesthetic in its natural state, Eastern White Pine is often preferred for historic, country or casual applications in residential and commercial projects. But this versatile softwood works beautifully in modern architecture as well, including luxury settings, where its soft grain and smooth finish enables it to be fully transformed to fit the designer’s vision for a space. Ebony and Co. is just one company offering Eastern White Pine flooring for high-end applications where sustainability is a top priority.

Pictured here with a distressed finish in ebony and white in an attic space, Eastern White Pine is a flooring option that can easily conform to any number of aesthetics depending on how you choose to finish it. It’s available in a variety of grades, from the smoothest and clearest to ‘hit or miss’ (seen here), a rougher grade produced by mimicking the milling techniques of watermills along riverways that once sawed pine logs into boards, occasionally skipping along the surface of the wood.

In fact, as many as 23 different wood characteristics and machining imperfections determine the grade of an Eastern White Pine board. These might include knots, knife marks, splits and raised grain. The overall look of a project has a lot to do with which grade is chosen.

Find a retailer of Eastern White Pine products through Nelma.org.