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For many years, homes used white pine planks for flooring and today, many homeowners are choosing to reproduce this look with antique pine flooring. Before the longleaf forests were nearly depleted of choice trees, heart pine was often the choice for flooring. Now, you can get the same look and feel of this excellent wood if you want with antique pine flooring. In making this choice, you can decide if you want the unique look of some small knots or flooring that is almost completely clear of knots, both beautiful choices.
Companies around the country offer antique pine flooring from a variety of sources such as remilled beams and decking, as well as from mills, warehouses, and other old buildings. Weathered antique pine has become popular because of the lighter look, though it retains the feel of being naturally changed by nature. The browns and ambers of this wood cannot be duplicated through artificial means. As one supplier emphasizes, antique pine flooring is a unique material left to us as a legacy by earlier generations. Modern techniques for taking down older buildings and advances in milling have allowed companies to offer quality flooring that literally has no equal. One of the added benefits to using antique pine flooring is that each time a new or remodeled home uses this special wood, there is less stress on the growing trees. Okay, so what do you need to know if you are considering antique pine flooring for your home? It might be a good idea to shop around a bit and find a supplier with whom you are comfortable. This will make the choosing of wood much easier, because there are several companies who specialize in supplying antique woods harvested from old buildings. It will also help to ask about the different uses of antique pine flooring, including any special treatment or finish that might be required. Many companies will also work with your architect, designer, or builder to make sure that this special wood is handled and installed properly, because antique pine flooring is unique in look and feel. Some companies even recommend putting the flooring in as one of the last phases of a construction project, generally, after the walls have received their first coating of whatever material you decide to use. It is always a good idea to compare costs of different types of flooring and antique pine flooring is no different. As just one example, top quality heart pine can run between $6 and $9 per square foot, though many companies ask that you contact them for a quote on wood that is currently available. If you want the look and feel of old wood, installed in a quality manner, antique pine flooring might just be for you. |