blueman wrote:
Swingman writes:
On 1/31/2010 12:06 AM, blueman wrote:
Please help me identify the types of wood flooring in my house.
The main part of the house was built in about the 1860's in
Massachusetts while the guest room and kitchen areas were built in the
late 1700's.
The floors are unstained and all were sanded and coated with semi-gloss
oil-based polyurethane about 5 years ago (except for the guest room).
1. 1st floor and 2nd floor hall (1860's)
(I believe both are the same wood, though correct me if I am wrong)
http://96.252.37.8:8080/public/Wood-1st_floor.jpg
http://96.252.37.8:8080/public/Wood-2nd_floor.jpg
2. 2nd floor bedroom and 3rd floor hall (1860's)
(I believe both are the same wood, though correct me if I am wrong)
http://96.252.37.8:8080/public/Wood-...or_bedroom.jpg
http://96.252.37.8:8080/public/Wood-3rd_floor.jpg
3. 1st floor stairs (1860's)
http://96.252.37.8:8080/public/Wood-1st_floor_steps.jpg
4. 2nd floor stairs (1860's or may have be redone)
http://96.252.37.8:8080/public/Wood-2nd_floor_steps.jpg
5. Guest room (late 1700's)
http://96.252.37.8:8080/public/Wood-2nd_floor_guest.jpg
6. Kitchen (flooring is new)
http://96.252.37.8:8080/public/Wood-Kitchen.jpg
Looks very much like old growth heart pine ... some of it matched
vertical grain (quarter sawn).
Based on color and grain, I had thought that the 3rd floor hall and 2nd
floor bedroom along with probably the 2nd floor guest room (and maybe
even the stairs) were pine.
But I am surprised that the 1st and 2nd floor hall flooring is also
pine. The grain is so much tighter and straighter and the color so much
more orange (vs. the yellow of the other pine) that I was sure it must
be a different wood. Could the difference all be explained by being
quarter sawn?
The fact that the first and 2nd floor halls (which are the same as the
dining room, living room, parlor) is a "better" wood and/or cut makes
sense since the old-time Yankees were known to be "cheap" - putting the
best wood in the most public spaces.
Similarly, the (new) kitchen floor looks very different - based on color,
grain pattern, and presence of streaks of sapwood. I had thought maybe
it was fir but that was just a guess. In any case, it looks very
different from all the other woods.
Unfortunately, all the floors are quite soft and susceptible to
scratching and denting... which would be consistent with woods like
pine.
And inconsistent w/ SYP which is significantly harder than the white pines.
I couldn't see all the pictures (w/ dialup the resolution was such as
didn't want to wait) but I'd take Swing's take seriously based on what I
did look at.
OK, I did look at the new kitchen just now -- same comment as before
wish could see w/o the glare and the finish. It's outside possible fir;
if so it should be significantly harder than the pine. But, the finish
is such I'd not rule out pine--it's random cut; you can see some are
pretty narrow quarter-sawn while other is face grain. The marked
contrast there is a hint towards the fir I'll grant. Again, there's
quite a lot of glare and the yellow cast is mostly finish/lighting I wager??
--