[Anonymous]

So we’re trying to fix up our house, which was built in 1966. I’ve taken a lot of pine 1 x 12’s out of closets, cabinets, etc., and several people have said,” You can’t get this stuff anymore. This is heart pine!”

The problem is that these same people, though I love them, sometimes talk about things that they aren’t very knowledgeable about. Can someone please let me know if this is any different from what I would buy at Home Depot right now, what “heart pine” is, and what kind things this is commonly used for?

Thanks,

Scott A.

Topic

[Anonymous]

#2026899

I also sometimes talk a lot about things that I don’t know much about too…

So here goes…

Heart pine often refers to pine with tight straight grain from the inner “heart” of the tree. Old pine boards can frequently be found with tighter grain and in wider board widths than you will typically find on the shelves at your local home improvement store.

 

[Anonymous]

#2026905

Ahh Ha

Ok. That makes sense, and it is pretty tight. Thank you.

[Mike in TN]

#2027694

Have you heard the term “they just don’t make the like they used to anymore”? Most lumber found in the big box stores comes from tree farms where the trees have been selected and managed to grow fast .  A lot of the construction lumber is now  douglas fir and spruce and pine has long been held as superior for a lot of uses. Fast growth in soft woods means the wood is weaker and less durable when exposed to weather and wear. In Oak however, the fast growing  wood is actually stronger but does have different grain patterns from slower grown timber.. Because of the qualities of old growth pine it is often used in flooring and in use in furniture, particularly furniture reproduction.

Since he house was built in 1966 this may not actually be “old growth” pine, but is probably still a better quality that is normally available today.

Have fun

[Kotobuki]

#2027910

Sorry to resurrect an old thread, but my late great uncle had his whole living room, dining room and den paneled in 12 inch wide by and actual 1 inch thick knotty pine. When my grandfather was doing the finish work on my uncle’s house, he ordered the panels from a local lumber yard, and made the delivery kid show him each panel before he accepted it. He wound up sending a good quarter of the boards back to the lumber yard for either having loose knots or not enough knots. My grandfather insisted that each panel have at least two and preferably three knots in it. I am told that in the installation of those panels, my grandfather used no power tools. Do not know if that is a fact, but it sounds like him.

The house still stands today, and it current owner, a grand son of my uncle’s, has had many offers to buy that paneling to make his house look more “modern”.  He knows better… :-)

[Author]

Replies