Southern Pine is not a species
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.
