Heart Pine

Appearance
Color: Heartwood is yellow after cutting and turns deep pinkish tan to warm reddish brown within weeks due to high resin content. Sapwood remains yellow, with occasional blue-black sap stain.
Grain: Dense, with high figuring. Plainsawn is swirled; rift- or quartersawn is primarily pinstriped. Curly or burl grain is rare.
Variations within species and grades: Moderate color variation.
Properties
Hardness/Janka: 1225; 5% softer than Northern red oak.
Dimensional Stability: Above average (change coefficient .00263; 29% more stable than red oak).
Durability: Natural resistance to insect infestation in heartwood; dense.
Workability
Sawing/Machining: Good machining and handtooling qualities.
Sanding: Tendency to clog paper due to high resin content; begin with coarse grade.
Nailing: Good holding ability.
Finishing: Accepts both surface and penetrating finishes. Some stains may blotch; raising grain first may help. To reduce the wood’s tendency to repel finish coats, surface resins may be removed with a solvent that is compatible with the finish to be used.

<< back to species page

"Wood Species Used in Wood Flooring, publication A200, ©1994" provided with permission and courtesy of the National Wood Flooring Association.