Pine Floorboards as flooring - Good/Bad idea?

[MrDavidRoberts]

I'm looking to install new flooring upstairs, not a fan of laminate and my budget doesn't quite stretches to oak parquet.
My local timber yard has some very nice redwood 20mm floorboards for sale at £8/m2 , I had bought a bit of them in past to use them for other purpose and I really liked how they came up after giving a good coat of oil.
They look nice and have tongue&groove all around, however I'm slightly worried about the durability I can expect from them since they are pine boards.

What do you say about this idea? Am I potentially asking for a trouble since I have dogs/ a lot of people in house who likes to drag chairs and come inside the house with dirty shoes which all could just stratch it all up due to it being a soft fresh pine?
Anyone got experience doing what I want to do?

 

[Bodgers]

I bought similar stuff to make a work surface top from in my workshop. It is ok stuff. It isn't going to be resistant to dents as hardwood flooring, but it will be ok. I have solid oak in my hallway, and even that has some dents.

The Scandinavians seem to use it a lot (I actually like it with the Soap finish) and they seem to get on just fine with it,



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[Paul200]

Go for it. I laid 1/2" internal pine cladding upside down on my hall floor about 20 odd years ago when I had no money and didn't know any better - it looked the part and it's still going strong!

 

[MrTeroo]

We have pine floorboards throughout the upstairs in our house, no dents or scratches.

 

[No skills]

Not wishing to sound obtuse but we have been using pine floors for hundreds of years without too much trouble.

 

[meccarroll]

There are quite a few pubs around with pine floors, it depends upon what appearance you can accept after a few years of use.

You could experiment with bleaches and different finishes, stains on some test pieces to find a look you like. If you use the right combination you could end up with a really nice finish but that will also look good after years of heavy use.

Mark

 

[mbartlett99]

My house has 3/4" pine boards - it was built in 1866, so you shouldn't have to replace it.

 

[thetyreman]

douglas fir and larch are good choices, and you could varnish it

 

[Myfordman]

Or you could make it warm, quiet and comfortable by fitting a carpet. Has worked well for many decades!

 

[Phil Pascoe]

In which case you'd better chipboard it and have draught proof, cheaper to buy and easier to lay.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

Knowing how easily and quickly my hardwood floors marked and scratched, I cannot see the reason for wanting a softwood one. :?

 

[MrDavidRoberts]

My house has 3/4" pine boards - it was built in 1866, so you shouldn't have to replace it.

yeah but I think those pine boards with age has become rustic looking /hardened up and all nice so you can't really damage them, however new fresh pine can be easily damaged?

I have some oak floors in other part of the house,however the keyword was £8/m2 for rather nice floor I can get very locally.
If I wanted to use more expensive flooring I would just buy some engineered oak not hunt for some larch/douglas fir probably,

Carpet is a no-no for me, if you have pets at house it just gets nasty + all the dust/dirt gets deposited there and it's just a mess.
I'm looking at only the fresh pine boards as an option right now.

 

[Bodgers]

Not wishing to sound obtuse but we have been using pine floors for hundreds of years without too much trouble.

Yes, but I think general this has been with large rugs/carpets on top - that is to say, floor boards as a substrate rather than 'flooring' as a nice finish flooring, which I think is what the OP is intending.

 

[Bodgers]

Knowing how easily and quickly my hardwood floors marked and scratched, I cannot see the reason for wanting a softwood one. :?

I am with you with this one, my hallway is bad for this, the worst offender are small pieces of grit that attach to the bottom of shoes and then compress into the oak. Followed by scuffs from stuff trapped under doors.

I think in the initial entrance way of hallway you are better of with tiles I think.

 

[Jacob]

Not wishing to sound obtuse but we have been using pine floors for hundreds of years without too much trouble.

Well yes. It's about the most popular floor board of all. Swedish 4 or 5th. Cheap (ish), widely available, consistent quality (from a good yard), durable, easy to lay, attractive etc. Not suitable self finished for heavy traffic - needs Osmo oil, or carpets etc.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

Not wishing to sound obtuse but we have been using pine floors for hundreds of years without too much trouble.

Yes ... but for the majority of those years no one gave toss what a floor looked like.

 

[Jacob]

Not wishing to sound obtuse but we have been using pine floors for hundreds of years without too much trouble.

Yes ... but for the majority of those years no one gave toss what a floor looked like.

I've got 142 year old redwood boards in our chapel conversion. Cleaned up (scrubbed with sugar soap), lightly sanded, Osmo oiled, look very nice and good for another 142.
Interestingly - I had to replace some (new layout, damage etc, not the boards fault) and used new 6x1" Swedish 5ths, which seems to be exactly the same stuff. Sawn - had to plane it myself - basically passing through the thicknesser top and bottom and using the best face.
On the other hand you could use "engineered" oak etc but it won't last more than 20 years - it's a bit like kitchens - changed every few years or for every new owner.

 

[Jacob]

PS. New boards on another floor: We laid the boards without nails (except for odd ones to avoid trap ends etc), then covered with Protec film (brilliant stuff) whilst the rest of the building work went on, then cramped up and nailed, having had a few months in which to dry a bit more

 

[Armagh]

There are red deal floor boards all through my father's house since 2000 that still look well. He laid ash in any high traffic areas downstairs and the redwood upstairs. Admittedly one section of the redwood flooring didn't hold up well where there was a desk, it was damaged by pulling the chair in and out.