Description

Pine Parquet

Pine flooring has been around for centuries. As the most common species available to the early settlers of the new colonies Pine served as the main building material. Not only was there an incredible volume of Pine timber but it was also the most workable of species. Extremely straight and tall with fewer large limbs than hardwood species, it was easy for the colonists to hew a timber quickly into a structural beam or saw it into siding and flooring.

From the southern colonies that relied on Longleaf Yellow Pine to the northern ones that used the dominant Eastern White Pine timber, Pine is what built the new world. Even today the original pine floors can be found in historic homes up and down the Eastern Seaboard. Where once it was a practical choice to use Pine, today it is a matter of preference —so understanding what options are available in Pine flooring and why you would make certain choices is important to your design process.

Types of Pine Flooring

Eastern White Pine

One of the most common species of pine flooring is Eastern White Pine. Found in forests from Newfoundland to Minnesota and as far south as northern Georgia, Eastern White Pine was one of the single greatest resources encountered by settlers. Used for everything from shipbuilding to home building, Eastern White Pine quickly became ubiquitous in the interiors of New England homes.

Typically installed in very wide boards, up to 36” wide, and usually seen in random widths (meaning each board might be a different dimension), the simple grain and exquisite dimension of Eastern White Pine flooring was the hallmark of early American architecture and design.

Eastern White Pine Grades

There are often different grades of Eastern White Pine. Everyone seems to have their own term, but to keep it simple you can usually get Eastern White Pine with knots (at Carlisle we call it our Original Grade) or without knots, Heirloom Grade.  All old Pine floors were made by simply cutting the tree up and putting it on the floor and included a varying size and quantity of knots in each plank. They did not make “design” decisions around appearance. Building was first and foremost a practical pursuit in 18th century America and the design theme that resulted was accidental to that process.