Help with types of pine please

[cumbrian]

I'm in the process of fitting gallery floors in an old barn which is being converted to holiday lets. I used as much of the original floorboard as I could, spending many happy(?) hours denailing and cleaning. I have a couple more floors to do, and I'm having to buy in the boards.
I've thought about reclaimed, although it doesn't seem to be that easy to get hold of. While I was looking I saw some new pitch pine when I went to this place, which set me searching and I found maritime pine here on EBAY

They make great claims for the maritime pine - can anyone tell a newbie if the claims stack up? I know pitch pine is denser than "ordinary" pine, and picked up a sample board, but I know nothing of maritime pine. Any suggestions as to which to use? Both products come in cheaper than reclaimed, which I suspect may be of variable dimension (I'm not equipped to cut accurate T&G's in a couple of hundred metres!) and quality, although possibly more stable?

BTW The boards will be nailed to timber joists, not laid flat on an existing floor.

Many thanks

 

[Scrums]

Hi cumbrian -

I believe the dreaded Wickes do a Maritime pine floor board, which a customer of mine has laid (badly) and apart from the way he's done it it looks pretty good.

As for Pitch Pine - I'm a great fan, it's wonderful stuff - machines beautifully, straight grained and takes a good finish - I'm talking of reclaimed stuff. But made up into floor boards it attracts a big premium.

Shame you need so much, I could have made some up for you.

Chris.

 

[Gary M]

Hi Cumbrian
a friend of mine laid a pre finished maritime floor a few years back, what a nightmare!!!
after about six months it had opened up all over the place and looked terrible i assume because it wasn't great quality, it also marked very easily and soon it was covered in dents and scrapes.
pitch pine is a far better option IMHO
another friend laid an unfinished pitch pine floor that wasn't t&g just straight edge and it is out of this world, i think after laying it he finished it with a couple of coats of floor varnish. it hasn't moved or opened at all and can take a knock.
if you are going to use for holiday lets the pitch pine maybe a little more but will definitely take a lot more abuse therefore the maritime pine would be a false economy
just my opinion mate
good luck :wink:

 

[cumbrian]

Guys

Thanks for the tips, and Scrums thanks for the offer - maybe I'll reduce the size of the floor and take you up on it!

I'm still not sure if the claims for maritime pine are real, or quite what it is (seems to be used for making things like salt and pepper mills), but I don't think I'll be using it.

Just wondered if anyone had come across Steptoe's Yard, in Lancs who have reclaimed pine floorboards at £12 per sq yd. I understand these are original floorboards rather than boards cut from old beams, so they'd probably need quite a bit of cleaning up and would have to have been denailed (done that, not doing it again). I'm thinking of taking a trip to have a look, but would be interested if anyone has any experience of the place?

 

[Sgian Dubh]

Pitch pine pinus echinata being one type, and Maritime pine Pinus nigra variety maritima are similar in that both are resinous and have traditional uses in the supply of naval stores.

Pitch pine is one of several related north American tree whereas Maritime pine is native to Europe. Both would be suitable for floorboards, although neither is as durable as hardwood flooring options if the floors don't have any covering, e.g., carpet.

You would ideally purchase slow growth pine with small gaps between annual growth rings; this indicates a slow grown and denser wood.

Another serious consideration is the wood moisture content. This should ideally be about 7% to 8% MC. This is towards the lower end of MC range that timber will experience in British interiors that are heated and well insulated.

The low moisture content means that the boards will expand rather than contract immediately after installation which should lead to less problems with cracks between the boards in the future as they re-shrink during winter.

I notice that one of your sellers, I don't recall which, doesn't give any information about the wood's MC whereas the other does. You should check this information before you buy, and hold them to it. Not only that but the planks really ought to be deliwered to you shrink-wrapped which will help keep the wood MC down close to the claimed 7- 8% MC for a considerable time. Slainte.

 

[Inspector]

"BTW The boards will be nailed to timber joists, not laid flat on an existing floor."

Over here the common practice when laying solid wood floors is to nail them over a subfloor rather than directly to the floor joists, especially if they are of the thickness your contemplating. The only time I can recall nailing direct is reading about houses over 100 years old that used wide planks and they were usually much thicker. So I'm curious to know if your installation is the rule or the exception in GB? Does the floor bounce or are the joists closer than the 16" or 24" spacing we use?