The best way to buy real wood floors.
The best way to buy real wood floors, mill direct. In fact, it is the only way to buy real wood; when the boards are still long. Once you see 1-7’ lengths, the middleman has his hands on the floors. Mass marketing them by choosing your color options 2 years in advance.
Why buy real wood floors from SYP Direct?
The relationship we build with homeowners and builders is the key to our success, as 75% of business are referrals. This relationship was built one job at time and we make sure we take care of each customer no matter what the order size. Southern Yellow Pine Direct was founded in 2012 specializing in Knotty Pine. Today we manufacture our own flooring in both unfinished and prefinished forms. Customer service with 100% customer satisfaction. We are the online retailer of unfinished and prefinished real wood flooring with a A + BBB rating, and over 50 reviews direct from homeowners. We do not sell composit floors, real wood is the only floor we would put a family members house, and you are no different.
Buy from a source you can trust.
The truth behind our A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau, and our 60 plus positive reviews is simple, we sell our flooring way too cheap. When that is combined with our amazing customer service, we rarely lose a fair fight. We are polite and operate with a transparency that shocks most first-time callers, “we seem to good to be true” has been said on many occasions.
One house, One Floor.
We approach with a ‘one house one floor’ attitude where repeat business happens when customers add on or move. We are the homeowners advocate for solid wood floors, including hardwoods. Many times callers ask about White Oak prices, and then “does pine make good floors”? We tell the truth, get you the most your money can buy and in marketplace dominated by single use floor covers, we sell floors. Real wood takes time and since time is money, most floor covering companies choose to sell floor coverings because every seven years they get repeat business. We do not think that way, One House-One Floor. We have a network of professionals all over the United States with specialties ranging from installation to off site custom work, and all in between.
Owner, Jason Howard and a sample board of our Caribbean Heart Pine
Real wood is an investment, laminate, engineered, you know floor covers, all just a lease. The formula (s) are infinite, how much do Americans lease a floor cover contains variables upon variables. However, we make it simple while comparing the astonishing economic impact on homeowners.
Real wood is the Green choice
Antique Reclaimed Heart Pine might cost a fortune unless you buy it NEW! Give us a call and find out about the best substitute for this gorgeous floor.
The problem with Carpet
Most carpet fibers are a form of plastic produced by the petrochemical industry. As these carpet fibers break down in landfills they release methane, one of the most potent greenhouse gasses along with a variety of chemicals unsafe for ground water. What are petrochemicals? In short, they are chemical compounds derived from petroleum and natural gas. Without getting off track, laminate and LVT are a bi-product turned profitable by companies like Dupont and Exxon.
How much carpet is being put into our landfills?
Decomposing carpet holds an impressive and increasing percentage of total landfill tonnage. The E.P.A. estimates that every year, about 5 billion pounds of carpeting go into landfills. That’s 1 to 2 percent of the total U.S. landfill contribution, or 17 pounds of carpeting per person. (Don’t Sweep Carpet’s Eco-Impact Under the Rug - The New York Times (nytimes.com). However, in 2028 laminate will over take carpet and that is not an improvement, unless you are a shareholder.
Real wood is green
LVT = PVC
Plastic by any other name is still PVC
PVC stands for polyvinyl chloride, a versatile and widely used synthetic thermoplastic polymer known for its durability, resistance to chemicals and corrosion, and ability to be made in both rigid and flexible forms.
Ask search is LVT and PVC are same thing?
“PVC (Polyvinyl Chloride) is the base material used to make vinyl flooring, including LVT (Luxury Vinyl Tile), but LVT is a specific type of vinyl flooring.” (June 2025). Well, that is some marketing double talk nonsense. Read it again if necessary but the point is LVT is PVC with pretty colors.
The real problem is not straws
In 2018, in response to a viral video of a plastic straw being removed from a sea turtle’s nose, plastic straws were banned in communities throughout the world. Experts estimate that 500 million single-use plastic straws are used every day, making up a sizable portion of the plastic products thrown away daily. By comparison, in 2024, 5.8 billion square feet of plastic flooring were sold. A little simple math reveals that equates to 15.9 million square feet per day. And since most plastic flooring has a warranty of only 5-10 years, and most cannot be recycled, that translates to a lot of plastic straws. A lot. In fact, just 1,000 square feet of luxury vinyl tile equates to about 570,000 plastic straws. At 15.9 million square feet daily, that equates to more than 9 billion plastic straws each and every day.
Antique or Antiqued?
Antique reclaimed Heart Pine is very different than Antiqued Heart Pine.
‘Antiqued’ – The age a floor should reach before being called an antique has always been my first question, but this point is about the fact that Antiqued Heart Pine is not old at all, even by the marketing terms they use; if you know how to speak flooring. Antiqued is a finish style not an age description.So that little d really matters!
What is the difference between salvaged and reclaimed?
Reclaimed – Once more unless you do some research or have an honest flooring company, you might not understand the original definition. Repurposed, reclaimed means repurposed such as a beam being repurposed into flooring. It does not mean flooring turned into flooring, big difference scarcity, quality, and (should be) price.
Salvaged Flooring- Is simply old flooring taken up and sold in a variety of thickness and state of salvage. For example, along with the holes check for the nails too. Many times, the board looks 5’ but with the ends butchered much of the board will not sustain any new finish or install. 30% waste is safe in this market. Know your source, see the materials, and understand the provenance.
Antiqued floors- edges and face nailing
Caribbean Heart Pine easy to age
Caribbean Heart Pine is the great substitute, “tell them it came out of Benjamin Franklin’s boyhood home, and they will never know it”. The question: create the age or pay for it, i.e., Antiqued New or Antique Reclaimed Heart Pine. The d added to antique means a process not a declaration of age. In fact, Antiquing is the act of creating age, which becomes much easier with the right materials. Caribbean Heart Pine meets all the criteria in either grade, prime or rustic.
““I was extremely pleased with the product and service. We ordered 3,000 SQ of Caribbean heart pine, it looks gorgeous. Furthermore, the floor has held up very well to scratches from several large dogs. Jason and Heather were both extremely informative, friendly, and helpful and were amazingly effective communicators throughout the entire process — and followed up after shipment to make sure we were satisfied. I highly recommend this company and its product and have referred them to others. “(John S. 2017)
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What is Knotty Pine
Sometimes you feel like a knot, sometimes you don’t!
What is Knotty Pine
Rustic Southern Pine (Knotty) floors are not created equal, not even close. We produce Heart Pine flooring from Longleaf Pine timber, not building materials from farmed Loblolly pine. Our #2 Knotty Southern Pine floors can be compared to Character grade Heart Pine, with up to 50% heart content. What this means is our #2 knotty pine simply lacks the heart content to be deemed Bayou Rustic Heart Pine which requires a minimum of 50% visible heartwood. So, distance from the middle of the tree (heart) determines if our #2 becomes Heart Pine. This is quite different from mills producing building materials from younger timber. Our Knotty pine grade has always been our #1 seller by volume and remains the most versatile board we offer. In conclusion, #2 Rustic Southern Pine has knots as opposed to Clear grade but not enough heartwood to be called Heart Pine.
The color equals character.
What is New Heart Pine?
New Heart Pine is not new at all, not compared to dimensional lumber or farmed pine. While it is true the longleaf pines of old were allowed to grow hundreds of years and develop dense hearts, trees grown today do still develop some heartwood. The term Heart Pine refers to the non-living “heart” of a pine tree, as opposed to the outer living layers, known as sapwood. A pine tree’s heartwood is highly valued and preferred by many woodworkers and builders, because it is strong, hard, and has a beautiful reddish-gold color. Heartpine is a grade given to flooring with more than 50% visible heart content on the face over every board.
Matching Heart Pine Treads
What about select grade?
Homeowners buying floors online see a grade or term, such as “Select” Knotty Pine and assume it means ‘the best’. No, not all. Select, by definition, indicates ‘hand selected’ during the sorting process. Only problem, it is all ‘hand sorted’ unless you are keeping defects in the grade. Machines do not sort boards for things such as Heart Content, holes, cracks all of which matter, to say the least. Best advice when buying floors online, read the specifications online and ask questions.
Southern Pine is not a species
Our Alabama pine floors come from 100 year old mature trees, never clear cut. The soil & climate in the northern Alabama hills, along with harvestable stands of slow-growing mature timber produce consistent gorgeous floors. It absolutely matters where your pine is grown. Our mill has been in production for generations. We produce flooring specifically for your needs. We do not have inventory - we mill your square footage. Your ¾” floor is cut from the same batch of trees & cut with the same knife so it fits together perfectly & installs easily.
Southern Yellow Pine is not a species, but rather a description. Within this region grow ‘hard' pines (yellow) and soft pines (white); color is an attempt to distinguish the Yellow or “hard pines” from the Eastern White Pine or Red Pine. Inside of the Southern Yellow Pine geographic range are four major species: Shortleaf, Longleaf, Loblolly, and Slash, with another 8-9 sub species bringing the total to a baker’s dozen. And no, not all pine is created equal, not when you are talking about walking on it!
New Heart Pine before and after stain
Southern Pine uses
Southern Yellow Pine is a cornerstone in residential construction because of its strength, affordability, and adaptability. SYP is one of the strongest softwoods in North America, with a high strength-to-weight ratio, excellent bending and compression strength, and superior load-bearing performance. SYP’s natural beauty and durability make it ideal for rustic and traditional hardwood flooring. It’s also commonly used in subfloor systems due to its stiffness.
Sustainable and Eco-friendly
Fast growing, abundant and coniferous; anyone remember that term from science class? It means they do not have to be planted, the cones produce seeds when they fall. For this reason alone Southern Yellow Pine is among the most sustainable softwoods grown in the U.S.
What is New Heart Pine
What is New Heart Pine?
New Heart Pine is not new at all, not compared to dimensional lumber or farmed pine. While it is true the longleaf pines of old were allowed to grow hundreds of years and develop dense hearts, trees grown today do still develop some heartwood. The term Heart Pine refers to the non-living “heart” of a pine tree, as opposed to the outer living layers, known as sapwood. A pine tree’s heartwood is highly valued and preferred by many woodworkers and builders, because it is strong, hard, and has a beautiful reddish-gold color. Heartpine is a grade given to flooring with more than 50% visible heart content on the face over every board.
What is the best dog floor?
For a truly dog-friendly floor, look for materials with inherent character that can disguise everyday wear and tear. Our Southern Pine is an excellent example, with its "rustic character" evident in its natural color variations and knots. Over time, these floors develop a beautiful, rich patina that only age can create.
Minor marks and accidents are easily remedied. The natural character of Southern Pine allows for simple touch-ups with a colored pencil or even a sharpie. Many customers opt for a darker stain, which not only enhances the floor's beauty but also makes minor imperfections less noticeable and easier to repair. If you're looking for solutions to existing issues, the following tips may be helpful;
The best floor for a dog
Amazing Southern Pine great fit for hiding the inevitable.
Choosing the right or best floor for your dog is more about the finish than the species. A floor with a UV cured aluminum oxide offers good protection but can be difficult to touch up. In fact, repairing scratches on UV flooring could require buffing to fix scratches. More extensive damages might even require a tear out to repair.
Prefinished floors are cured using an ultraviolet or UV curing process that uses aluminum oxide as the topcoat. These UV topcoats are protection for the wood itself, but the surface will scratch. Not a big deal if you have finished flooring, but UV can be tougher to repair. If you sand one spot the UV vanishes, and color matching becomes an issue. Customers end up having to replace much larger sections than just the damaged area.
On the other hand, a finished floor using an oil-based polyurethane may scratch more easily but it is much easier to hide or repair. Before we put “our two cents in,” readers should know that we (Bayou Rustic Flooring) sell unfinished and prefinished flooring. We have no agreement with any manufacturer or finished product. However, if you are discussing the best floor for pets, Monocoat by Rubio starts at the top for Bayou Rustic. For more information, visit our Monocoat series.
Dog friendly means easy to repair
Monocoat by Rubio
The beauty Monocoats system allows you to deal with only the area affected, not the whole floor as would be the case with a urethane topcoat system. Scratches are another “pet” issue. These, often, are unavoidable with any wood floor finish system. They are topically repairable with this oil system though. The whole floor need not be addressed, just the areas affected. Love and enjoy your pets but learn to put up with an occasional imposition. At least, with Monocat the “fixes” are easier to come by with less affect to the look of the floor.
Homemade scratch repair
Olive oil and vinegar. Mixing equal parts olive oil and vinegar creates a natural wood filler perfect for tiny scratches. Mix the solution together & apply it with a clean rag, done.
Lemon juice and oil. Mixing together equal parts fresh lemon juice and oil—canola oil, vegetable oil, or olive oil would all work. Apply to the scratch with a microfiber cloth, being sure to wipe in the direction of the wood grain, done.
Walnuts or Brazil Nuts. Simply rub the nut over the scratch and let the natural oils fill in the dent. Because of their texture, walnuts and Brazil nuts work the best. We have no 1st hand knowledge; however, trusted sources swear by this one.
What is the difference between prime and rustic grade Caribbean Heart Pine?
The main difference between rustic and prime grade Caribbean Heart Pine flooring is the presence and size of knots and sapwood, which affects the color variation and overall character of the wood.
The main difference between rustic and prime grade Caribbean Heart Pine flooring is the presence and size of knots and sapwood, which affects the color variation and overall character of the wood.
Prime Grade: This grade is more uniform in color, with a range from golden to reddish-brown. It has very few, tiny pin knots and limited sapwood, giving it a more classic and elegant look.
Rustic Grade: This grade features more and larger knots, along with more sapwood. This results in greater color variation and a more distinct "character" or "rustic" appearance, though it's not considered lower quality.
Ford Dealership South Florida
A great substitute for Antique Heart Pine
Caribbean Heart Pine is considered a good substitute for Antique Heart Pine because it has the right characteristics and materials to be "antiqued," meaning a process can be applied to it to create the aged look and feel of reclaimed antique heart pine.
Caribbean Heart Pine floors and ceiling
Unlike our New Heart Pine, the grades are not sorted based on heart content but rather knot frequency and the rustic grade will more color variation and character. The rustic grade will have more frequent knots and the sapwood will generally be within this grade. The select or prime grade will have in frequent knots, a darker color, and a more consistent color range. Tongue and Groove and End Matched One-to-twelve-foot lengths with average 6-8’.