Old Growth Eastern White Pine Floors
Wood floors
Update3/26
The floors in this home are made from old growth eastern white pine with trees that were harvested right at the turn of the 17th century. These trees typically had lives of 400 – 500 years old meaning the trees that make up these floors first started growth in the early 1300’s – two hundred years before Columbus first discovered this land.
Our floors had originally been painted over 200 years ago. So, the first step was to remove this 200-year-old paint that had been laid down in many layers.
We began the process by hiring a local floor expert to remove the paint and to apply a good floor finish. This did not work out after they had finished sanding – they went down to about 100 grit and applied the water base Bona floor system. After this first 2 rooms were done, they were ugly – red and blotchy. We discussed it and we were told this was about as good as this old wood would give. So, we decided to go this alone.
Using A1 we quickly learned this old growth eastern white pine is very prone to this (red and blotchy) and at least requires a conditioner. Further study told us the soft woods would take stain better when sanded more.
As we were learning we had to decide to use water base, such as Bona or an oil base material so we made the decision to do the library in an oil base and the bedrooms in Bona.
Library
The contractor did remove all the finish from the floors they had covered, leaving us with around 100 grit. First step was to bring this finish finer and flatter. With a 17” buffer / sander we went back to 60 grit screen and sanded to make it flat at 60 grit then went 100 / 150 & 180 grit screens “we liked screens better than sandpaper”. Once at 180 grit we then put a 17” maroon pad on it then tacked the finish. With the floor smooth and flat we then applied an oil base conditioner to help with even distribution of the stain. After the conditioner dried we used the maroon pad and tacked the finish. Next, we selectively applied the oil base stain “oak Mantle” and we selectively applied the stain to overcome the blotchy condition. When the stain dried, we again went in with the maroon pad and then tacked the finish, we then applied an oil base Tung oil – first couple coats a tung sealer followed by two coats of the top dressing tacking between each coat. Beautiful, but an extremely toxic environment. Yes, I used a respirator, but don’t take it off!
Bedroom
Next was a much less hazardous application. After the same sanding process used with the oil base, we used the Bona product line starting with a water base conditioner. I cannot say enough about the importance of using the conditioners. If my contractor had used these conditioners and sanded further, they would have completed the job.
Our application after conditioning was; one coat of Bona amber seal for color – 24 hr. dry time then light go over with the maroon pad, tacked the finish followed by one coat of Bona seal – another 24 hr. and maroon pad and tacking then the first coat of Bona Traffic HD in satin finish. By this time the floor was getting very flat so we did not use the maroon pad. 24 Hrs. tacked the finish and applied the final coat of Traffic.
Note; There is a 48-hour window you can apply Bona products over each other without the need to sand/abrade.
Even though we used a conditioner this white pine had a big grain rise after the conditioner. Knowing this now we should have done the water pop process after sanding and before conditioning. After finish sanding spray a light coat of water on the floor. Let it dry and let the grain rise then to follow with 180 grit screen and maroon pad. It might prevent the need for sanding between coats.
To compare Bona versus tung oil; The tung oil is more beautiful and dangerously slippery with the Bona having a different look and feel. Very close to the same beautiful finish with Bona to tung oil, but not slippery. We finished the house in Bona with the exception of the kitchen. The kitchen was the only floor in the house with hardwood – red oak – we are now in the process of learning hardwoods.
About old growth eastern white pine
1. Uneven Grain Structure
- Eastern White Pine has a pronounced contrast between earlywood (soft, porous spring growth) and latewood (dense summer growth). Earlywood absorbs stain quickly, while latewood resists it, causing blotchy or streaked finishes known as grain reversal.
2. Resin Content and Pitch Pockets
- Old-growth pine often contains resin pockets in the heartwood. These areas repel stains, creating light spots even after multiple coats. Resin also interferes with penetration, making oil-based stains especially tricky.
3. Density and Tight Grain
- Old-growth wood tends to have tight growth rings and higher density compared to fast-grown pine. While this makes it strong and stable, it also means stain does not penetrate deeply, leading to uneven coloration unless properly prepped.
4. Natural Color Shift
- Eastern White Pine naturally darkens over time to a warm yellow-orange tone. Staining can fight this natural aging process, but the underlying color shift may still show through, complicating color matching for long-term projects.
5. Knots and Absorbent Pockets
- Even high-grade old-growth pine has tight knots that can bleed through finishes. These knots and random absorbent pockets soak up stain unevenly, creating dark spots unless sealed first.
- Under the paint areas can experience oxidation over time and these areas can absorb much more stain than others causing blotchy areas.
How to Overcome These Challenges
- Pre-Stain Conditioner or Shellac Wash Coat: Apply before staining to reduce blotching.
- Gel Stains: These sit on the surface rather than penetrating, giving more uniform color.
Note: Throughout our restoration we often use AI “Copilot” for reference and found this to be a wonderful tool!
