Antique Heart Pine can be defined as Heart Pine harvested from “old growth” or “original growth” pine forests, primarily Longleaf Heart Pine, in the Southeastern part of the country.   Typically, these trees were used in the construction of factories, warehouses and other buildings throughout the United States during the 1700’s and 1800’s.   Today, these buildings are now being dismantled and the structural beams are being reclaimed for a variety of uses, including antique wood flooring.   What is also important to know is that much of this original “old growth” pine was hundreds of years old when it was harvested and it typically grew slower, straighter and taller than the trees harvested now.

Today, almost all Longleaf and Southern Yellow Pine is harvested from managed forests.   In these managed forests, modern growing techniques are designed to grow and harvest products quickly for maximum productivity without consideration for strength and quality.   While this helps increase the yield of the forest it also causes the wood to be slightly less dense or hard than “old growth” and naturally grown trees such as those found in reclaimed buildings and other sources.

While “old growth” lumber is preferred over wood grown in today’s managed forests, because of its superior characteristics, what remains of these forests are now protected because of over harvesting over the years.   As a matter of fact, Long Leaf Heart Pine forests cover only about 2% of their original area.   This means that  “Old Growth” Longleaf Pine now covers only approximately 10,000 acres of land and is protected.   Therefore, harvesting a Pine product, from the forest, with the quality and durability of “Old Growth” is nearly impossible unless you are using reclaimed beams or tress recovered from storm damaged areas or rivers.

Antique Wood Products’ Antique Heart Pine flooring is a true reclaimed Heart Pine Flooring Product.   The Heart Pine found in all Antique Wood Products’ Antique Heart Pine flooring is “old growth” or “original growth”  Heart Pine that comes from these historic structures.   These structures have been carefully deconstructed and as much usable wood as possible is salvaged and milled into flooring.   The reclaimed character in the flooring can be marked by frequent and larger knots, nail holes, bleed from nails and bolts and perhaps even stains from machine oil or other products used or warehoused in the buildings from which the pine came.

Using these old timbers not only gives you a truly unique flooring product with character that you just can’t find in new growth lumber, it is extremely ecologically sound.   By recycling the Heart Pine into flooring and other building products we are not only keeping them out of landfills where they will be wasted, we are helping preserve what is left of the remaining “original growth” forests for future generations.   By recycling them we are also preserving their beauty and durability for future generations.   In addition, by manufacturing them into an engineered flooring product we are also extending the amount of flooring we can produce from each timber by as much as five times.

Remember, as you review the product information throughout this website, when you buy an Antique Wood Products’ Antique Heart Pine floor you are not just purchasing a flooring product that is both durable and beautiful, you are purchasing a piece of history.   A piece of history that will make your home warm and inviting for years to come, one that makes a statement about preserving both our history and our environment.