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Questions and Answers

Home - Questions and Answers

Knotty Southern Yellow Pine floors MI lake
27 Jun

Glue down Southern Pine

Finish and Install, Knotty Pine, Unique and or Cheap

In reality, you can glue down Southern Pine in standard 3/4 thickness. No problem, you want to glue down Southern Pine you use Bostiks Best. It has a built in moisture barrier and is urethane based so that is allows movement like a nail. But today, in this blog glue down Southern Pine is 1/2 inch, with the long lengths up to 14′ an option. SYP Direct does not sell anything but real wood and this 1/2 glue southern pine is perfect for new construction or a remodel. See more on Pinterest or Houzz.

Glue down Southern Pine don’t buy engineered and pay more for a veneer.

Installing a Southern Pine Floor unfinished waiting to finish with durable stain
wide plank 1/2 inch
Glue down Southern Pine
Glue down

We have 1/2 inch glue down Southern Pine

So if you want to glue down Southern Pine, the 3/4 thick type; it is not a problem, just use the proper adhesive which is Bostiks Best. Bostiks is polymer based and allows microscopic movement, just like a nail. Plus it has a built in moisture barrier, the stuff is marine grade and truly an amazing product. For more information on our products and Bostiks, including customers that have done it already, some 10 years ago.

More about buying Southern Pine from us

Southern Yellow Pine Direct is the homeowners’ resource for the best pine flooring on the market. However, we are so much more than just flooring.  In fact, SYP Direct works with your contractor if you are purchasing your own materials. Do not get stuck with ‘bundled’ services, finish and installation does not have to include the floors. Why should you be held captive? To find out more about SYP Direct- contact us now.

Pine Flooring Experts– is another reason to buy from SYP Direct.  Southern Pine represents about 5% of the flooring market, and unfinished pine is a small piece market. It is heavy, long and unprofitable compared to engineered and LVT floors. Very few flooring installation professionals understand Southern Pine or Heart pine. We do, and with over 3 million square feet delivered to homeowners our experience is unmatched when talking about pine floors. 

Southern Yellow Pine Direct Flooring

SYP Direct offers 1000 square feet of 3/4 x 3 1/8 clear pine (no knots) finished as seen with Aluminum Oxide top coat.

Glue down 3/4 prefinished Clear Pine with Blue “Fungus”
Blue magic prefinished pine
Blue Magic
Prefinished Southern Yellow Pine
3/4 x 3 1/8 all 10′ tongue and groove with ends matched
IN A HURRY- TEXT much faster 601 826 1296
Text us now 601 826 1296
Southern Yellow Pine Direct offer homeowners the reliability of an A+ rated BBB company; the best quality, pricing and service bar none. We operate under an “old school” philosophy that the customer is always right. We make sure you are just that by educating and dispelling myths about Southern Pine and Heart Pine flooring.
Remember we are a mill to order manufacturer of unfinished and prefinished Southern Pine, including our speciality Heart Pine. Our lead times are normally about two weeks, with Hardwoods and Imports the lead times vary and that is an understatement. 2 days -2 months has bee the answer since COVID. But things are imporving, as White Oak prices continue to fall. (Jason Howard 9/9/2022)
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How to identify Heart Pine
12 Jun

How to identify Heart Pine

Heart Pine, Wood Floor Shopping

Welcome to our blog post on how to identify heart pine. To be clear, we are talking about how to identify New Heart Pine. In this informative guide, we will provide you with valuable insights on recognizing heartwood, and in a broader context, ‘heart content’. Both of these are essential for those homeowners (installation professionals) looking for quality New Heart Pine. Quality is easy to define, with the end result being an installation and a gorgeous finish. This starts with our dual kiln and precision mill work using mature Southern Pine. All grades contain stable knots and the gorgeous color variation we call character.

Identifying Heart Pine with grades

Grades and terminology should make it easier for a layperson to make a decision between those choices. Clear ‘naming’ and pricing based on those grades give you all the information you need. The problem? Some companies add terminology or, in some instances just make it up. Without spending too much time on the subject because it raised my blood pressure, let me give you one example. ”

If you want to identify heartwood color is crucial.

The way that you identify Heart Pine is color, over simplistic, duly noted but the answer is still color. Let me get some business out of the way before moving forward; not all Heart pine is new, and NOT all new pine is created equal. Glad that is out of the way, lets take a look at the colors we use to identify Heart Pine.

Creating Color- The transition from sapwood to heartwood plays a significant role. Sapwood is the living part of the tree responsible for transporting nutrients, while heartwood is the dead portion. The drying process in the kiln promotes the transformation of selected sapwood layers into heartwood. As the sapwood dies off, the cell walls change color, becoming drier and stronger to form distinct heartwood layers. In essence, the color of Heart Pine is a result of this transformation.

#2 Knotty Pine Prices depend upon heart content Heart Pine shown here.
Heart Pine SYP Direct
How to identify Heart Pine
7″ Prime Caribbean

When you Identify heart pine sapwood is the start

Sapwood is lifeblood of the pine tree. Sapwood carriers the nutrients throughout the tree, it is alive while heartwood is dead! What does that mean? Heartwood has less moisture than sapwood, until the Kiln. However, over time the tree “promotes” layers of sapwood to heartwood status. As the sapwood  stops flowing through selected layers of the tree (dying) it becomes as hard as heart pine. The tree pores fill up with organic matter and the cell walls change color, ultimately becoming dryer and stronger to form Heartwood layers. Enough about stability, want to see more pictures. Visit Pinterest but come back.

How to identify Heart Pine
How to identify Heart Pine
How to identify Heart Pine
TEXT ME NOW- Jason 601 826 1296
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Antique Reclaimed Heart Pine with saw marks
02 Jun

Baseball, Apple Pie and Southern Pine

Customer Bill of Rights, Misconceptions, Misdirections and Misinformation
LSU with American Flag blend

It has to be real wood.

Southern Pine, real wood, is the most Eco-friendly choice for your floor, period. The exceptions, of course, are endangered or illegal timber, but that is not relevant to our discussion. Our New Heart Pine is not farmed and take from private landowners. While our Yellow Pine is sourced from North Louisiana, farmed timber. That is great information but the reason the real wood is green? IT LAST FOREVER. In fact, it will be reclaimed or salvaged one day and turned into an accent wall or kitchen table, for example.

Southern Pine Farms

Southern Pine farms are far more productive than natural stands. Although
farms represent only about 14 percent of the southern forests, they provide more than half of the wood harvested each year.

Real wood is ‘Green’, like earth friendly green. Managed timber such as Southern Pine regenerate quickly and pose zero threat to global warming. However, plastic does and LVT certainly does. Real wood last forever, everything else ends up in a landfill.

Southern Pine has a rich history in America’s construction industry. It’s important to note that Southern Yellow Pine isn’t a single species, but a group of species that grow in the south. So, when we talk about Southern Yellow Pine, we’re talking about a range of strong and durable wood options. This type of wood, known as Southern Yellow Pine, encompasses several hard species that are known for their durability. It is the word Yellow that tells us these are the “hard” pines versus Whites for example which are too soft for floors.

For centuries, Southern Pine floors have proven to be extremely durable, serviceable, and attractive options for homes and all sorts of other structures including schools, churches, sports venues, and commercial buildings. With its distinctive grain pattern, the golden beauty of a Southern Pine floor is a feature well known to – and often preferred by – designers, builders, and homeowners.

Southern Pine stairs from SYP Direct

Southern Pine Durability

Southern Pine has been a staple in the construction industry of the United States for many years. Its versatility and strength make it a popular choice for various applications. And while we specialize in Heart Pine floors, our source for building materials is an option for larger orders. See more.

Minwax Provincial finish on southern pine from syp direct
Provincial from Min-wax

Southern Pine Durability is legendary.

You have probably seen the evidence of Southern Pine durability, such as Antique Reclaimed Heart Pine. Ever seen a 100-year-old house with pine floors? What about the price and beauty of Antique Reclaimed Heart Pine. Think about it, Antique Oak looks a lot like new oak in that, unlike pine, it does not get better looking with age. Southern Pine purchased today will outlive the house, only to be reclaimed one day and sold for triple today’s price.

Pine Wood, Water and the Kiln

Wood is hydroscopic – it will absorb moisture and expand when exposed to humidity. Conversely, wood also expels moisture and shrinks in low humidity environments, changing and balancing with its general surroundings. A door that periodically “sticks” is a good example of this expansion and contraction behavior. Good news! Southern Pine completes these task more efficiently than almost any species.

Moisture equilibrium is the goal

The fact that Southern Yellow Pine is used for dock, decks and exterior siding gives us great example but one many do not consider when thinking about pine wood floors. Moisture equilibrium is the goal, better yet it is a tenant of our goal, a great installation. We Kiln dry your boards at the same time, they are not waiting around to be matched up on day.. this matters but more on that later.

Southern Pine should be sold like wine

IF Pine were sold like wine it would be easy to find the best pine flooring prices.  What a concept that Heart Pine and Pine flooring should be priced based on age, species and region.  Remember, Southern Yellow Pine doesn’t refer to any one species. In fact, SYP consist of a dozen species, ranging from Texas to Virginia. Unlike the wine market, the pine flooring industry does not value the diversity of species. If SYP was like wine, Alabama Southern yellow pine would be the measuring stick for all other species.

Southern Pine made in the USA, “engineered by God”.

Southern Yellow Pine Direct minimizes the amount of time between the kiln and the jobsite. What does this mean for the pine wood floor installation? Kiln drying is a standard practice in wood production mills and serves to efficiently bring green lumber moisture levels down to “workable” range–moisture content levels that will not end in the myriad of problems that can be caused by excess moisture levels in wood.

(more…)
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14 Apr

Dog Friendly

Finish and Install, Misconceptions, Misdirections and Misinformation

2024 Dog Friendly Floors Update

Dog friendly floors are all about the finish. Of course, you will here that real wood is not good for big dogs or even dogs in general. This is simply not true, at all. However, before we talk about the finish, we should address the question of Southern Pine and if it is a dog friendly floor.  There is so much confusion regarding pine because there are so many variations of this versatile and durable species. First and foremost, not all pine is created equal. Dimensional lumber (2×4) and New Heart Pine are not from the same species, or age of pine but unfortunately this is not common knowledge.

dog friendly floors from syp direct owner and dog

Dog Friendly floors need dog friendly people; while the content below is about dog friendly floors, the aim is to introduce CARA and two special dogs. Our company, and the writer believe passionately about the work the employees and volunteers do at CARA as well as other No Kill Shelters. If you can help you local shelter, we urge you to do so. Every little bit helps, from blankets to kitty litter. Beware of visits, you might find one hard to leave, we sure did.

Community Animal Rescue and Adoption

Community Animal Rescue and Adoption of Jackson Mississippi, or CARA is one of 4000 No Kill Shelters in the United States. A community shelter is considered no-kill when every brick-and-mortar shelter serving and/or located in that community has reached a ‘save rate’ of 90% or higher. Estimates put the total number of entities deemed animal rescue groups with or without brick and mortar over 14,000. Those numbers were eye opening when you put them into the context of the total number of animals involved. For more information search your local animal shelter or visit CARA of Jackson and adopt a new best friend.  

Our reasons to support CARA

Tank- What is he is usually the first question when inquiring about Tank. Our answer or guess, Tank is a Plott Hound or at least part one. The AKC tells us that the breed is “noted for stamina, endurance, agility, determination and aggressiveness when hunting” which Tank does very little of today unless he losses a dog treat. Tank was adopted and then returned to CARA by the owners which is heart breaking. He was love at first sight, we brought him home in 2013 where he remained an only child until 2016 and the Moo arrived.

One the best dog friendly floors and finsh

Thank you CARA

Ellie
Ellie "Moo"

Ellie Moo – After being saved from the city animal shelter by a dedicated employee Ellie spent almost two years in CARA. When she arrived her hair patchy and her neck marked from the chain, there was not much hope of adoption. If you did not realize, Ellie is a pit bull and in some places illegal to own. Our assertion has always been that the problem lies with the breeders and owners not the dogs, Ellie Moo was just confirmation. Today her life is much different,  she has custom dog bed a big yard, daily walks and her buddy Tank. In case you wonder Ellie Mae became Ellie Moo, now really just the Moo for her close friends.

 

The finish is 10x more important than the type of floor, all woods scratches and scuffs with kids and dogs. For the DIY, ease of repair is my first choice followed by ease of application which includes time.

Dog Friendly floors

In the days when everything was toxic, the term dog friendly meant sap and knots, character for lack of better word because this allows scratches to be easily hidden. Today dog friendly can be about the allergens or aluminum dust, but good or bad the that terminology is everywhere. So, to be clear we are talking about the best finishes hiding and or fixing damages and we have a 100% zero VOC option, too.

A dog will be a dog- so dog friendly includes being easy to fix

Any UV coated finish can protect against normal (not large) dog wear and tear. The problem occurs when fixing an issue is necessary. As far as we know, only Monocoat by Rubio allows to “topically repair only the affected area” and better yet there is no sanding or ripping out entire rooms because of an entryway. It is no secret that Monocoat is our favorite DIY finish product for a number of reasons, including a true zero VOC product that requires ‘one coat’.

Homemade Scratch Repair- Olive oil and vinegar

Mix equal parts water and Vinegar which creates a natural wood filler perfect for tiny scratches. Mix the solution together & apply to with a clean rag, done.

Lemon juice and oil. Mix 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. The natural oils 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. 

 

IN A HURRY- TEXT much faster 601 826 1296
Text us now 601 826 1296
Southern Yellow Pine Direct offer homeowners the reliability of an A+ rated BBB company; the best quality, pricing and service bar none. We operate under an "old school" philosophy that the customer is always right. We make sure you are just that by educating and dispelling myths about Southern Pine and Heart Pine flooring.
Remember we are a mill to order manufacturer of unfinished and prefinished Southern Pine, including our speciality Heart Pine. Our lead times are normally about two weeks, with Hardwoods and Imports the lead times vary and that is an understatement. 2 days -2 months has bee the answer since COVID. But things are imporving, as White Oak prices continue to fall. (Jason Howard 9/9/2022)
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How long does it take to acclimate pine, how long does acclimation take depends upon moisture content.
04 Dec

Acclimation in six steps

Finish and Install, Wood Floor Shopping

If the flooring material being installed does not have specific acclimation and conditioning instructions, here are the steps to follow:

Step 1: Make sure that the heating and air conditioning units are in operation at least five days before delivery of the flooring, during installation and after the flooring is installed. If it is not possible for permanent HVAC to be operating before, during and after installation, a temporary system that mimics normal living conditions may enable installation to proceed.

Step 2: Once the facility has been confirmed to be at the expected living condition, proceed with delivery of flooring material. Check the moisture content of the wood flooring as soon as it is received at the job site. Southern Pine and Heart Pine should be at 10%- with a consistent sub floor differential. 

Acclimation about moisture differential

Step 3: Check the moisture content of the sub-floor. The moisture content of the sub-floor should coincide with the temperature and relative humidity of the job-site, based on the temperature, relative humidity and average moisture content chart shown below. This moisture content reading will give you a good idea of where the conditions in the facility are being maintained and allow you to compare to the expected “in-use” conditions.

Step 4: Ensure the flooring material is exposed to the “normal” conditions of the environment in which it is being installed. To accomplish this, break the flooring units into small lots and/or open the flooring packages. Cross-stack the material with spacers between each layer to allow air circulation on all sides of all boards. Start stacking elevated from the subfloor. 

Acclimation is not about time

Acclimate to equilibrium moisture content for as long as it takes. Some species will take much longer to reach equilibrium moisture content than others. It is never a good idea to base acclimation on time alone, but rather on actual moisture content. 

Step 5: If the flooring material cannot be delivered to an adequate jobsite, pre-acclimation, an off-site location can work. The site must be set to mimic the expected conditions of the jobsite. Then deliver the acclimated materials to the jobsite; this is common custom floors. Again, refer to the temperature, relative humidity and moisture content chart to determine ideal conditions.

Step 6: Finally, make sure the flooring and wood subfloor moisture content is within the acceptable range for the jobsite. The subfloor should be within 4 percent for strip and 2 percent for plank wood flooring.

Equilibrium floor and sub floor.

Wood is only acclimated or conditioned once it reaches its equilibrium moisture content for the space in which it is expected to perform. Equilibrium moisture content is based on an “unchanging” environment. After a wood floor has been installed, changing conditions within the environment will change the equilibrium moisture content of the wood floor, ultimately resulting in dimensional change.

https://www.pinterest.com/sypdirect/

SYP Direct offers amazing prices with an A+ BBB rating; one in which we have held for 8 years in an industry where very few companies are even members of their local chapter. Call us today for custom prices based on your project, the location and scope. Truckload pricing available on #2 Knotty and Clear Pine, only. New Heart Pine and Caribbean Heart Pine prices will not change (as much) based strictly on volume.

Girl laying on pallet while pine acclimating prior to being glued down and face nailed

Acclimation – what we hope you take away from this post; Acclimation, sometimes called conditioning, is the process of allowing wood to reach its equilibrium moisture content (EMC) within “normal living conditions.” Not properly acclimating or conditioning wood flooring may cause excessive expansion, shrinkage, dimensional distortion, or even structural damage.

IN A HURRY- TEXT much faster 601 826 1296
Text us now 601 826 1296
Southern Yellow Pine Direct offer homeowners the reliability of an A+ rated BBB company; the best quality, pricing and service bar none. We operate under an “old school” philosophy that the customer is always right. We make sure you are just that by educating and dispelling myths about Southern Pine and Heart Pine flooring.
Remember we are a mill to order manufacturer of unfinished and prefinished Southern Pine, including our speciality Heart Pine. Our lead times are normally about two weeks, with Hardwoods and Imports the lead times vary and that is an understatement. 2 days -2 months has bee the answer since COVID. But things are imporving, as White Oak prices continue to fall. (Jason Howard 9/9/2022)
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Girl laying on pallet while pine acclimating prior to being glued down and face nailed
11 Oct

How long does acclimation take?

Finish and Install, Misconceptions, Misdirections and Misinformation

How long does acclimation take?

Asking how long does acclimation take has no honest answer only experience and product knowledge. Acclimation, sometimes called conditioning, is the process of allowing wood to reach its equilibrium moisture content (EMC) within “normal living conditions.” It is also one of the most important steps of hardwood floor installation.

How long does acclimation take? My installer said 2 weeks!

How long does acclimation take?  Acclimation is not about time but moisture content. For example, Southern Pine boards should acclimate to 10% and White Oak to 6%. The first thing we must understand about acclimating a wood floor. Basically, it will absorb (expand) moisture when exposed to high humidity and will expel (shrink) it in low humidity environments. So, acclimation is about getting the boards exposed to your home and stabilizing moisture content.

Acclimation matters

Girl laying on pallet while pine acclimating prior to being glued down and face nailed

Acclimation matters

How long does it take to acclimate pine, how long does acclimation take depends upon moisture content.

Why is acclimation important?

Acclimation is defined as when any organism makes ‘adjustments’ designed to improve performance or survival in response to environmental change. Same with your unfinished solid wood floors; acclimation improves performance, i.e. no warping or cupping.

How long does acclimation take & time is money

Time is money and acclimation is a process not time. Wood is only acclimated or conditioned once it reaches its equilibrium moisture content for the space in which it is expected to perform. Equilibrium moisture content is based on an “unchanging” environment. After a wood floor has been installed, changing conditions within the environment will change the equilibrium moisture content of the wood floor, ultimately resulting in dimensional change. In short, it can take some time and professional installers like stuff that takes less time and that they can tear up in 7 years, you know anything not real.

IN A HURRY- TEXT much faster 601 826 1296
Text us now 601 826 1296
Southern Yellow Pine Direct offer homeowners the reliability of an A+ rated BBB company; the best quality, pricing and service bar none. We operate under an "old school" philosophy that the customer is always right. We make sure you are just that by educating and dispelling myths about Southern Pine and Heart Pine flooring.
Remember we are a mill to order manufacturer of unfinished and prefinished Southern Pine, including our speciality Heart Pine. Our lead times are normally about two weeks, with Hardwoods and Imports the lead times vary and that is an understatement. 2 days -2 months has bee the answer since COVID. But things are imporving, as White Oak prices continue to fall. (Jason Howard 9/9/2022)
Read More
What is Knotty Pine?
17 May

What is Knotty Pine?

Knotty Pine

What is #2 Knotty Pine

What is “Knotty pine”? Simple, it is a generic term for pine with knots, not a big surprise. What may surprise you, Knotty Pine is not a grade. #2 SYP is not a true grade and differs from mill to mill, i.e. floors or lumber. Lumber mills sort based on defects, knots included. But when a mill produces flooring, Heart Pine flooring, it is sorted based on the amount of visible heartwood, not defects. Age creates not only gorgeous colors and character, it creates stability. When comparing your local #2 SYP with our floors, get samples and ask for local customers. Comparisons reveal the facts, one is plain and void of character, while the other defines character.

What is Knotty Pine and what it is not!

Knotty pine should be used with the #2, as in #2 Southern Yellow “knotty” pine. #2 is not a defect grade, it fact at SYP Direct is simply means the board does not contain more than 50% heartwood. Heartwood is better known as character, defined by colors including brown and red.  Heart content is measured in sap and heartwood, color (variance in colors); many times in wide planks you see the heartwood running right down the middle.

What is knotty Pine- it is not full holes.

Knots are not holes at SYP Direct. However, at the publicly traded liquidation store, the descriptions tell you that select southern pine has holes, as all knotty pine will have holes. I tell you one thing, be careful of floors that are shorter than 30″ with holes that is the garbage from the garbage. (see examples on our Pinterest Page)

Questions such as What is Knotty Pine are fine when you are researching, but when are shopping it opens you up to misinformation.

Get samples, get references and most importantly, get the grade specifications in writing. Some of our “competitors” offer a #2 Knotty Pine, with the word Select added in front. Now in the real world that means ‘hand selected’, not machine selected but by hand. What they use if for is to up the price for no reason. How do we know? Read the fine print, the “sort out almost all the cracks and defects”? If you are paying for Select Knotty Pine, or any grade (in any species) it should be a perfect representation of that grade.…at the very least.

What is Knotty Pine? – It is 1 of our most frequently asked questions.

Personal Service and Customer Service are a common theme in our online review and those kept private, i.e. emails to office. When you do business with Southern Yellow Pine Direct, you are doing business with one of our founders/owners. Customer service during the sales process is great, but the support during, shipping, delivery and installation always get the most praise.

Heart Pine

About Southern Yellow Pine Direct

With an A+ rating from the BBB, it is no surprise that we never misrepresent our floors in any way shape or form. #2 Knotty Pine, the perfect example of telling the 100% truth about the grade. We have no surprise cost, nor do we ever want a customer disappointed in quality.  It is today, and our business  will continue to be dependent on word of mouth and repeat business. Without quality, we have nothing.  Email the real owner

What is “Knotty pine”? Simple, it is a generic term for pine with knots, not a big surprise. What may surprise you, Knotty Pine is not a grade. #2 SYP is not a true grade and differs from mill to mill, i.e. floors or lumber. Lumber mills sort based on defects, knots included. But when a mill produces flooring, Heart Pine flooring, it is sorted based on the amount of visible heartwood, not defects. Age creates not only gorgeous colors and character, it creates stability. When comparing your local #2 SYP with our floors, get samples and ask for local customers. Comparisons reveal the facts, one is plain and void of character, while the other defines character.

What is Knotty Pine and what it is not!

Get samples, get references and most importantly, get the grade specifications in writing. Some of our “competitors” offer a #2 Knotty Pine, with the word Select added in front. Now in the real world that means ‘hand selected’, not machine selected but by hand. What they use if for is to up the price for no reason. How do we know? Read the fine print, the “sort out almost all the cracks and defects”?

What is Knotty Pine Select?

If you are paying for Select Knotty Pine, or any grade (in any species) it should be a perfect representation of that grade.…at the very least. At SYP Direct, our #2 Knotty Pine grade is our best seller, and we stand at 3 mm square feet and counting, with an A+ BBB rating. And finally, ask for references and real reviews, as in people you can talk to you, local to you would be nice.

IN A HURRY- TEXT much faster 601 826 1296
Text us now 601 826 1296
Southern Yellow Pine Direct offer homeowners the reliability of an A+ rated BBB company; the best quality, pricing and service bar none. We operate under an "old school" philosophy that the customer is always right. We make sure you are just that by educating and dispelling myths about Southern Pine and Heart Pine flooring.
Remember we are a mill to order manufacturer of unfinished and prefinished Southern Pine, including our speciality Heart Pine. Our lead times are normally about two weeks, with Hardwoods and Imports the lead times vary and that is an understatement. 2 days -2 months has bee the answer since COVID. But things are imporving, as White Oak prices continue to fall. (Jason Howard 9/9/2022)
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  • Monocoat by rubio oil finish
  • Creating colors and tint
  • CHP-and-ARHP
  • SYP Direct customer S Fletcher
  • 5 inch clear southern pine
28 Apr

What is Caribbean Heart Pine

Heart Pine

April 29 2024 update and answer to What is Caribbean Heart Pine? For a sample and or to hear more about (what) is Caribbean Heart Pine- call us now 888 286 2057 or hit the contact form and start the process to getting your dream floor.

Rustic Grade CHP

Rustic wide plank New Heart Pine
Rustic wide plank Caribbean Heart Pine

What is Caribbean Heart Pine? In a few words, the type of floor that creates envy, intended or otherwise. Every single person that comes into your home will complement the floor while having no idea what type of pine they are admiring. This leaves room for our customers to engage in some exaggeration intended to “impress” that one person in the family who always brags, you know the one. “We tell customers to say that it came from 200 year Whiskey Barn, and then finish it as such.” 

Caribbean Heart Pine is…

Caribbean Heart Pine is one “luxury” purchase (investment) that will pay off in the future. Perhaps one of the most desirable traits of Caribbean Heart Pine is that its natural beauty becomes more evident with time. What about Caribbean Heart Pine makes aging it, so easy? To find out more contact us now. 

What is Caribbean Heart Pine- % of heartwood

​Caribbean Heart Pine contains the highest percentage of heartwood found in any new heart pine except for actual old growth, which is extremely hard to find and awfully expensive. So, with that in mind can you choose which of these boards is new and which are reclaimed? Tell them it came from a two-hundred-year-old Kentucky Horse barn; they will never know if you finish it right! Caribbean Heart Pine is a 25-million-dollar home right now- but the neighbors have no clue. We tell customers to call the floor whatever they want, antique for example. Fool your friends or make them jealous, that is up to you. SYP Direct takes care of our customers by telling 100% truth about the grade, you are free to tell your own story.

Prime Grade

Prime grade Caribbean Heart Pine

What is Caribbean Heart Pine- The grades

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’.

Rustic Grade Caribbean Heart Pine Floors

Rustic grade of Caribbean Heart Pine has more of its heartwood derived from sap. Of course, the sap gives the color variations and those gorgeous knots. Prime grade is uniform in color, very few, if any knots. Colors in a range from golden brown to red brown heartwood.  While both rustic and prime grades contain a minimum of 85% heartwood, rustic has knots. Some might call it character. Prime grade is virtually clear except occasional small pin knots. Color is more consistent and harmonious, with a high degree of red heartwood and limited sapwood.

What are the grades of Caribbean?

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’.

Rustic grade of Caribbean Heart Pine has more of its heartwood derived from sap. Of course, the sap gives the color variations and those gorgeous knots. Prime grade is uniform in color, very few, if any knots. Colors in a range from golden brown to red brown heartwood.  While both rustic and prime grades contain a minimum of 85% heartwood, rustic has knots. Some might call it character. Prime grade is virtually clear except occasional small pin knots. Color is more consistent and harmonious, with a high degree of red heartwood and limited sapwood.

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Southern Yellow Pine Direct offer homeowners the reliability of an A+ rated BBB company; the best quality, pricing and service bar none. We operate under an "old school" philosophy that the customer is always right. We make sure you are just that by educating and dispelling myths about Southern Pine and Heart Pine flooring.
Remember we are a mill to order manufacturer of unfinished and prefinished Southern Pine, including our speciality Heart Pine. Our lead times are normally about two weeks, with Hardwoods and Imports the lead times vary and that is an understatement. 2 days -2 months has bee the answer since COVID. But things are imporving, as White Oak prices continue to fall. (Jason Howard 9/9/2022)
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26 Apr

Does pine make good flooring?

Wood Floor Shopping

Does pine make good flooring? The answer, Southern Pine does and mature Southern Pine makes Heart Pine. Southern Pine has been making good flooring for a very long time. And while we are not going to talk about it right now, pine makes good walls and ceilings too.

Does pine make good floors, yes says the owner of SYP Direct Floors.

Why do I use the phrase of course? In the above paragraph when we say ” for a very long time”, we mean centuries-now that is a lifetime transferable warranty! Some argue pine is too soft, so there pine cannot make good flooring. Wrong, our new Heart Pine has the same Janka rating as Red Oak but that is not the point. Does pine make good flooring, check out these pictures.

Does Pine make good flooring because of the character?

What does character mean? Most of the time when you hear something has character it means old, vintage or rustic. Well, our Southern Pine is old but not reclaimed which is where the name New Heart Pine is derived, to distinguish from antique. Does pine make good flooring because of character- check out these DIY clients.

Pine, Southern Pine is as green as it gets, you know Eco-friendly green.

Southern Pine forests are some of the most productive and sustainable timberland in the world, capturing large amounts of carbon from the air and storing it in lumber used every day. Southern Pine is grown and manufactured in the U.S. South, further improving local economies, reducing transportation costs and minimizing impacts on the environment. Furthermore, pine floors will outlive your house, unlike floor substitutes such as LVT or laminate. 

Does pine make good flooring?
Rustic #2 Heart Pine
Does pine make good flooring?
Homeowners 1st
Flooring and allergies starts with zero voc finish such as monocoat
7″ Rustic Caribbean Heart Pine.
Southern Pine is not a species, but does pine good flooring?

Southern Pine is not a species but rather a geographic description of where these pine species thrive. Adding yellow, as in Southern Yellow Pine indicates we are talking about the “hard pines”, i.e not White or Red pine. The four main species within the Southern Pine definition are long leaf, lob lolly, short leaf and slash.

Density of Southern Pine
Does pine make good flooring? Look at this picture and answer.

Southern Pine has the highest specific gravity of all common structural lumber species, providing superior fastener-holding power and load-bearing capacity. According to SPIB Grading Rules, dense lumber must meet a minimum number of annual growth rings per inch, as well as a minimum portion of each growth ring must be made up of the “late wood” or “summer wood”, the darker part of the growth ring.

Pine built our country and a pine floor will outlive your home

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White washed circle sawn white oak
11 Apr

The eco-friendly floor

Misconceptions, Misdirections and Misinformation

Green, eco-friendly floors are about longevity

Our company offers homeowners the power to choose an investment versus a product. The difference? An investment increases in value when a product is designed to wear out and then replaced. One outlives the house, the others on average, about 7 years. So I ask, which is the green floor? But wait don’t you cut down trees to get real wood? Yes, once and it does not involved any plastic or formyldehyde.

 

Marketing is not accurate information not anymore

Today, most of us will choose the product best for the environment provided the price is reasonably close to the other choices. In fact, some of us will choose the green product even with a much higher price. So why is the opposite true when green floor shopping? Simple, most of us are not given the information necessary to make that decision accurately. Want a good example, look no further than recycling.

LVT can be recycled just like carpet- FALSE!

Carpet cannot be recycled despite the propoganda, try it some time. Laminte is just chemical “goo” with zero value after ruining your home. And now LVT is the fastest growing component of our landfills.  It absolutely cannot on any scale be made into anything useful! So, instead of the nice recycling thoughts you knew it was going to spend the next 100 years contaminating your groundwater, would that play a role in your decision?

Because most carpets are made from plastics sourced from the petrochemical industry, they can take centuries to breakdown. As these carpet fibers break downbreakdown in landfill, they release methane, one of the most potent greenhouse gasses, into our atmosphere. Meanwhile, toxic chemicals from the carpet can leach into the surrounding environment, especially in landfills that aren’t properly managed. 

Plus: Have you ever taken up an old carpet? How about when pets were living on it? It is disgusting, no matter how clean you think you keep it. 

Salvaged heart pine

salvaged heart pine turned into bathroom countertop

Carpet is NOT King

For decades, carpet was king. Home remodeling took off with the advent of those little synthetic fibers. A small percentage of carpet wore out, but most was replaced when it became outdated, or the house changed hands. Today 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).  

5 Things to help you buy an eco-friendly (Green) Floor

Engineered floors are not eco-friendly

Real wood is the only green choice

Solid wood is the only green choice

Engineered “hardwood” floors are created using a veneer measured in Millimeters. In case you are curious, 1 MM = .039 inches. So, a 2 MM wear layer is .117 inches thick. The veneer is glued to backing that may be ⅜ to ⅝ thick and created from a huge variety of materials, which is why you see dramatic differences in prices. It is like advertising just the word Car, with various prices and no other information. Makes a comparison almost impossible, which is precisely by design, trust us we know people in the business. (Humor attempt). – Green floors are real floors. 

Quality engineered flooring has a minimum 4MM Wear Layer

Engineered Flooring cannot be refinished without a minimum of 4 MM ‘wear layer’ (veneer).The average lifespanlife span for a quality engineered floor is 7-10 years, then it heads to a landfill including the chemicals used in manufacture. So, where it is made and with what materials are information key to this decision, but so elusive. Terms such as hard scraped and brushed are used interchangeably and the only time you hear the species that comprises the backing is when it is good, not the other way around.

Want a green finish? Moncoat by Rubio

War-anties what are they good for?

We bought it because of the warranty. Please NEVER Buy for the warranty. For the record, all of our prefinished floors come with a warranty on the finish but that addresses manufacturing defects, not every day wear and tear and certainly not all the claims made concerning durability. 

Tough standards

Read the warranty, the actual document and these “hard to meet” criteria jump out quickly.  When claiming water damage for example, if exposed to standing water for more than 20 minutes your claim is in-valid. Question: How is the amount of time verified or proven? Of all your relatives that havehas multiple jobs a year, are anyany of them a certified independent flooring claims specialist?

The truth about real wood

Resistance to moisture real versus faux

LIE: Compared to solid hardwood, engineered wood floors have superior resistance to slightly lower and higher moisture levels, which makes them more ideal for use in damp basements or regions with higher or lower than standard humidity levels.

Truth: Buyers are told how a compressedhow compressed particle board with an unknown adhesive handles water better than real wood? The fact is that Southern Pine handles moisture better than any engineered floor. We build decks out of the stuff because it handles moisture on a microscopic level based on the relative porous nature of the wood.

In fact: Moisture is absorbed and released (expansion and contraction) without the breakdown of the board’s integrity. Ask your pro this question. What if you put poly on the bottomon bottom of real wood during the installation? Simple logic and a solution very few professionals even know and much less share.

Eco-friendly “Green” Info

Monocoat Finish

Real = Green

Urethane and Oils

IN A HURRY- TEXT much faster 601 826 1296
Text us now 601 826 1296
Southern Yellow Pine Direct offer homeowners the reliability of an A+ rated BBB company; the best quality, pricing and service bar none. We operate under an "old school" philosophy that the customer is always right. We make sure you are just that by educating and dispelling myths about Southern Pine and Heart Pine flooring.
Remember we are a mill to order manufacturer of unfinished and prefinished Southern Pine, including our speciality Heart Pine. Our lead times are normally about two weeks, with Hardwoods and Imports the lead times vary and that is an understatement. 2 days -2 months has bee the answer since COVID. But things are imporving, as White Oak prices continue to fall. (Jason Howard 9/9/2022)
Read More
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