We get asked all of the time about our wood floors. People that see them in person think they are original to the house. I have a post up about them already, but it’s included in with the entryway remodel. So, I thought I would write a post specifically regarding our inexpensive wood flooring using pine boards and give you tips and tricks. Because, after all, I think this idea is worthy of its own post. 😉
Yep! We used regular old #2 pine boards pictured above. They are the same pine boards that Mr. and Mrs Crafty Pants make shelves and craft items from. The #2 means they come with a few knot holes which is perfect if you want a rustic looking floor.
Click the picture for an easy tutorial with step by step instruction on how to create an antique looking mirror.
But first, what are my honest thoughts about using pine boards as an inexpensive flooring?
Some people are very hesitant to use pine boards as flooring because pine is a very soft wood. I wanted to clear it all up and answer the most common questions we get asked.
*Do you still like them after years of use?
YES. First off, I think they are gorgeous and we both love them. They truly do look like they are original to our house built in 1945. They add a rustic touch to a room and can be used in basically any type of decor style. We installed them in our previous home, which we lived in for several years, and still loved them when we sold.
*Do they scratch easily?
If I were to take a sharp tool and scratch the surface of our flooring, yes, it would scratch. If I were to slide a heavy piece of furniture across the floor without using sliders, yes, it would scratch. But what flooring wouldn’t? We have found that regular, every day use does not scratch this flooring if you use the correct finishing products.
*Will my dog’s nails scratch the floor?
We have a 60 pound dog and her nails don’t scratch the floor. BUT, we also, don’t allow her to tear around the house 100 mph, either. If she starts getting a wild hair, we let her outside to do that type of running. We also have area rugs and runners in every room which also protect them.
*Are pine boards difficult to install as flooring?
They are super, duper easy to install. We can add ceramic tile and several different types of laminate wood flooring to our resumes. We’ve done both of those projects, several times. This, BY FAR, is the easiest flooring we have done. Since the boards are 3/4″ thick, it hides a multitude of problems in sub-flooring, etc. Basically, you cut the boards down to the length you need and install it right over the sub-flooring.
*Can you use this on a house with a slab foundation?
This is a question that I cannot answer. I added it to this post because it is one we get asked quite frequently. You obviously wouldn’t be nailing the boards down, but I have no clue if there is any type of vapor barrier or glue that would work. I would talk to a contractor about that before attempting to install this on a slab foundation.
*How do you clean this type of flooring?
We use a little Murphy’s Oil Soap in our water and a damp mop. That does the trick.
*How much does it cost?
They look very expensive! That’s why I love them. But they are actually just the opposite. I believe we installed around 2500 square feet in this house and it cost us under $4,000. That is for all of the supplies, nails, and refinishing products.
Click the picture for a full reveal of the master bedroom.
Where to Purchase the #2 Pine Boards
You don’t just want to buy any old #2 pine board and throw them down. I LOVE Menards and Lowes for LOTS of different reasons, but their #2 pine boards is not one of them. 😐 They actually suck pretty bad. I give them two thumbs down in that department. It’s only because they receive big shipments of wood to their stores and basically store them in little bins which can cause them to warp, dry out, and crack. You don’t want that. Trust me!
If you are going to use pine boards as flooring, you will want to get them from your local lumber yard. They have the best #2 pine boards ever, that are really better than the big box stores “best” wood. I had our lumber yard order them special for us because we needed such a large quantity AND we wanted newer boards. Newer boards are a lot more pliable and you will soon learn and appreciate that fact. 😉 They gave us a fabulous deal because we ordered such a large quantity, too.
Click on the picture for a full reveal of the stairway landing.
Helpful Tips We Learned
This isn’t our first trip on the merry-go-round!!!
We’ve installed pine boards as flooring several times in different homes. We are, by no means, experts on it, but I would say we are “experienced”. We’ve learned different tricks from each project installing these pine boards as flooring and I thought I would share some of them with you. Basically, I’ve learned a lot over my 150 years of being alive!
- Purchase “newer” boards – I cannot express this tip enough and, I know, I have already covered it. (That means it’s really important.) You don’t want to use boards that are dried and warped. Your local lumber yard boy will know what exactly what you are talking about when you say you want new boards.
- Install the pine boards shortly after you purchase them – You are probably thinking to yourself, “Oh my gosh, old lady, how dumb do you think we are?” I’m only reminding you of this because we learned from experience. We had a large amount of wood delivered to us for the main floor of the house. We had a stack of wood leftover from that project to use upstairs. When we finally got started on the upstairs, they had probably sat for about a month in our house. They were already dried out and extremely hard to use. Therefore, don’t order tons of wood to be delivered tomorrow if you aren’t going to get to your project for a month.
- Remove all of your base boards before installation – I know, I know. Some of you are probably saying “DUH” again, and giving me the old eye roll. But, I’ve seen people install flooring with the base boards on. BUT, you need to keep these pine boards about 1/8″ to 1/4″ away from the walls to give them room to expand and contract. Therefore, your base board trim will hide that gap very nicely.
- Install them with adhesive AND nails – We used an adhesive on the underside of each board AND nailed them, both. Since the boards are new, we didn’t want them to warp when they dried out and pull up. Therefore, we ensured that they would stay attached with both glue and nails. Now, we used square nails for installation, because they appear like rustic old barn floors. Although, we have installed them using an air nailer which obviously takes about half of the time.
- Pre-drill holes if using square nails – TRUST ME ON THIS ONE. We learned that the hard way. We tried pounding those nails without pre-drilling holes, and were worn out ten minutes into the project. It takes less time to pre-drill the holes than it does pounding those gimundo nails in without.
- Beat them up and make them look old – Take all of your frustrations out on your pine boards after you have them installed and before you re-finish them. Seriously, beat the living shit out of them. We used chains, hammers, screw drivers, crow bars, etc. This part is very important. When you ding and dent them up before you re-finish them, you won’t notice imperfections from installation errors, etc.
- Apply three coats of polyurethane “specifically for floors” – After we chose and applied our stain color, we applied three coats of Super Fast Drying Polyurethane for floors in all of the high traffic areas, kitchen, and bathrooms. We only applied two coats in the bedrooms.
- Do not use a water-based polyurethane on your wood floors – We tried that once. Don’t do it. The instructions said that you can use it on floors, but it didn’t hold up well at all. Talk about scratches. 😠 DON’T DO IT.
- Use different widths of boards – This is something that you don’t have to do, but it makes things a lot easier. If you notice in the pictures, we used boards that are 12″, 10″, 8″, and 6″ wide. If you use all of the same size, I would recommend start installing them in the middle of the room and work your way out on both sides, keeping the last board on each side the same size. If you use different widths of pine boards, you can start at one end and work your way to the other. When you get close to your wall, you can kind of control what size goes where and won’t end up with a sliver.
- If using different widths, install them randomly – This helps also with the problem above. If you are using different widths of boards in a random pattern, when you get close to the wall, you can lay two of the same size boards in a row rather than having that sliver that I talked about above.
Click on picture to see a full family room reveal.
Tips for Picking a Stain Color
We took scrap pieces of our pine boards and tried several different colors of stain. The color we loved the most was Provincial, by Minwax. It has the perfect amount of warmth and is not too dark. The colors will all look different in your home due to different lighting, etc. Therefore, I suggest you do the same thing. Purchase the little sample sized cans of a few different colors and stain individual boards and see what they look like in your room. You don’t want to get this far and then despise the color you choose.
We also used three coats of polyurethane specifically for floors that I swear by. It dries really fast and holds up really well. We used a Satin sheen, because in my opinion, it’s the best for flooring.
Oh…. and this is the poly that we used on our wooden bathroom vanity top, too. We used three coats and have no issues, whatsoever, with water marks.
Click on picture to see the full bathroom reveal.
Woooooohoooooo. That was a long post!
BUT, I really hope it helps you out and I answered any questions that you may have if you are thinking about installing pine boards as flooring. Please reply in the comment section if you have any other questions that I didn’t cover. I would be happy to answer them for you. We learned all of this by trial and error.
Thanks so much for stopping by. I pledge my love to all of my readers.
Buh bye now, said in an old lady’s voice that is just tired from reminiscing about installing our floor.
Danelle
Teresa Voglewede says
Hey to funny that u just posted this … I was checking out your blog and was going to ask u about your floors ! Was reading your blog and Greg & I had a couple questions. 1) we were wondering with installing floors right away did u have any gaps from shrinking over time ? I know u stated that for the upstairs u waited about a month but then had difficulties. 2) U said that the flooring goes with all different decor but, I have the warm colors in my house and oak trim just curious your opinion if this flooring would look right ? I probably have the same colors that I had when u we’re here 100yrs ago ! lol It’s green, taupe brown, mustard and a terra cotta ! Thanks for reading all of this !
Danelle Harvey says
That very reason is why you want to use new boards. They are a little more pliable and it is way easier to push them tighter together so the gap won’t be huge when they dry. There is a small gap though. And as far as your trim, I would just get a stain that would coordinate.
Richie says
Interesting. I have always heard that you want to let the boards be inside for awhile to shrink first. I guess, from what you are saying tho, it’s a tighter fit b/c they haven’t warped and are more pliable. Where as if you let them dry and do their shrinking it’s harder to push them together and close the gaps from the drying and warping. Sound about right?
Danelle Harvey says
That is exactly correct. We ordered a huge load from the lumber yard. We installed the entire downstairs and had a bunch of boards leftover for the upstairs. We left them sit upstairs for 3 weeks. They were TERRIBLE to work with. We couldn’t get them to budge. We ended up cutting the warped parts out and using the straight smaller scraps for the closets, etc. Even when you get them as tight as you can, there will still be a small gap when they dry but that didn’t bother me at all. The look and the cost far outweighed the small gaps that appeared between. We did our entire house in pine boards (2700 sq ft) for $4,000 by doing it all ourselves. We’ve installed them in several homes including our old store front and love it so much, we are doing it again in our new house. If you want perfect, this isn’t for you, as pine boards are soft and will scratch easily. I will say that someone told me over on Instagram that they did this same thing 10 years ago and applied a “boat finish” in satin sheen, rather than poly, and it made them almost scratch resistant. We are going to look into that for the new house. She said it is expensive but well worth the money and she would install them again in a heartbeat.
Christi says
I loved reading this post, and I know we’ll be trying our hand at this! Thanks for all the wonderful tips!
Christi
Halfway to Heaven Homestead
Danelle Harvey says
Keep me posted…. with pictures, of course! 😃
Stephanie Randazzo says
Not too long ago, I stumbled upon your blog. I love how you express yourself. I adore how you create your home ….. it is magical, enchanting and beautiful. I am inspired by how you and your wife are two women creating this home.
I hope I internalize this and believe more strongly that I can create my longed for home even though I am a single woman. I also need to figure out how to transcend above an inner back and forth I experience in seeing the beauty you create and wonder how I may do so, possibly differently, to accommodate a son with autism. He is 16. He lives residentially with his school. He is not a young man with terribly destructive tendencies, yet I wonder the longevity of pine floors for when the time comes I can rip up my ugly carpet and have lovely floors in my new-to-me condo home.
Danelle Harvey says
Awww… thank you so much. It is all about creating what works for you. Our house wouldn’t work for lots of folks, but it would for lots of others. It’s all according to what you have going on in your life and your lifestyle. Remember though, you can do ANYTHING that you put your mind to, however you need to get there. Thanks so much for following along and I send will send positive vibes your way. 😘
Tammy says
I love these floors, but I wonder if they could be installed over a post tension cement slab. I’ll have to research, because really who doesn’t love this??😍😍😍
Danelle Harvey says
haha thank you. Please let me know what you find out about the concrete slab. I would love to hear.
Danelle Harvey says
Thank you! 😘 Keep me posted. I actually did a painting technique on the base and refinished the top. I should do a before and after post explaining it because it was so simple.
Casey Moran says
Just stumbled on your website in a pine flooring search and, after an hour of poking around, I’ve finally come up for air! I’m stealing so many of your designs it’s criminal. You have great personal style.
My husband and I are about to install roughly 2,500 sq ft of knotty pine across our whole house. Did you sand any areas or just install, stain, poly and enjoy? And about how long did it take you and your husband, from start to finish? Thank you for your advice, Danelle!
Danelle Harvey says
hahaha Thank you so much. You are so sweet. (And, fyi, I have a wife – 😉) We installed the boards and only sanded the areas (boards) that were a little higher. And, we sanded off the “stamp” that the lumber company uses. Other than that, no. I do have to say, that when they are installed, we tried to not walk a lot on them because dirt, oil, grease, make marks that won’t stain like the rest of the boards. Message me if you have any other questions. I would be glad to help.
Kellyann Goode says
I wish I saw this months ago before I spent a fortune on flooring that I am extremely disappointed in. You both are fantastically creative and I am that sponge taking everything in! The floors are organically beautiful and beatin with love! Thank you for consistently inspiring me.
Danelle Harvey says
Awww..thank you so much. 😘
Janice Adler says
Thanks for all the info. I’ve been wanting to ask you specifics for a while. Keep up the great work. 🙂
Danelle Harvey says
Thanks, Janice 😘
Rebecca Neustel says
There’s nothing more beautiful than those old heart pine floors you see down in the South with all their patina! I seriously thought your floors were original, too. The expense of supplies, was a lot of that those square nails?
Danelle Harvey says
Yes…the nails were probably the most expensive item. We’ve installed them with and without before but I definitely love them WITH. They look a little more rustic.
D’Linda says
LOVE your floors! I would love to install them at my house. I’m curious if you’ve heard from anyone that has installed them on concrete slab?
Danelle Harvey says
Thank you. And I have not. That is one question that I hope someone can answer for me sometime. 😕
Betsy says
Soooooo What are your thoughts on doing pine boards on a bathroom ceiling?? I’ve heard it’s bad because of moisture in the room. But I’m assuming it’s no different than a pine board floor. Any thoughts or suggestions??? We love the look but are so confused by everything we have read! LOVE YOUR HOUSE AND YOU!!
Danelle Harvey says
This is coming from Deb (the expert). 😂 As long as you seal it with a poly, it should be fine. She, also, say maybe seal both sides of the board… obviously before installing it. It would be no different than the trim work around your flooring and around your windows? And, do you have an exhaust ceiling fan? Because that should help too.
Angela Hall says
I would be interested in knowing the time it took to install. Can you provide the room dimensions and a timeframe?
Danelle Harvey says
I would have no clue because we were doing a million things at once. And there is too many factors that go into that answer. If you have all of the right tools, and you are working with someone that you work well with, it goes really fast. This way is easier than any snap together floating floor we’ve installed.
Susan says
Can you tell me what kind of #2 pine you used. From what I understand there’s #2 Sugar pine, western cedar??
Danelle Harvey says
I believe it was #2 white pine.
Mindy (@sillycrackho) says
We installed bamboo flooring when we bought our house. Big effing mistake. Well, it wasn’t a mistake really, but letting my husband do it himself was the part that continues to give me heart burn. 😂😂. That aside, I’m so in love with your style, your home, your quirkiness, and Deb’s constant lyric mistakes!
You said your floors cost around $4k when everything was said and done. How big of a space did that $4k cover? I ask because I’m looking at replacing our bamboo floors to something that won’t make me want to slit my wrists. 😆 I have about 1200 sq ft of pure awesomeness that needs to be done.
Tam DeMasi says
My husband will be cutting our Pine for our Pine flooring from tree’s at our camp, is this what you used or did you use Pine that is nailed together or did you purchase it from Lowe’s or Home Depot? I LOVE the stain you used, I will be using the same…..
Danelle Harvey says
We used it from a lumber yard but they ordered it in so it was fresh new wood. Thank you!
Steph says
Love this! My Fiance and I are about to embark on the pine flooring adventure together. Wondering what type poly you used the link/photo is not showing up for me! Thanks for the tips, I was planning to take my chances at home depot but now I may do a little more investigating and find a smaller lumber shop!
Danelle Harvey says
We used Minwax fast drying floor poly. We’ve used different brands before but found this one is the most durable.
Richard says
Did you use tongue and groove lumber?
Gonie says
We will be installing pine floors in our new house. I am really confused about the finish. I don’t want the floors to turn yellow as they age. Someone recommended just Tung oil. Another person said water-based polyurethane and you recommend oil based polyurethane. Why?
Danelle Harvey says
I love the oil based floor poly because it’s specifically for floors and it protects it better. If you are staying it any type of warmer color, it will just make add a little glow to it. It doesn’t turn them “yellow”….at least I don’t see ours as yellow. We used water based one time on a house and I didn’t like it. They scratch WAY easier than the floor poly.
Rose says
Loved the post! Was wondering what the name of the poly was you used on your bathroom vanity? The link for both the floor and vanity didn’t load right on your site so I don’t know what they are. In planning on doing a vanity sink in our bathrooms too.
Candace says
Hello – did you use a pre-stain conditioner before staining?
Danelle Harvey says
We did not.. we just stained right over the raw wood boards.
Candace says
Can you repeat the kind of Poly you recommend? The link isn’t working. I’m about to poly brand new unfinished pine and am worried about the water based. Thanks so much!
Danelle Harvey says
We have used water based before and it’s not the best. We love the Minwax Ply fast drying FOR FLOORS. It is the most durable.
Caroline Lindskog says
I’m so frustrated. I’ve fallen in love with your floors but all of the local lumber yards are trying to talk me out of using the no. 2 pine boards. They are suggesting I use the tongue and groove. They are telling me that over time the boards will start to warp and twist no matter how you put them down. Also that they will begin to squeak. Have you experienced the warping and squeeking? Your photos don’t show any warping. Did your lumber yard try to talk you out of this too?
Love your blog and all of your decor. Just stunning!!!! And love love love those floors!!! We have purchased a 1950 home and are remodeling and want this exact look!!!
Danelle Harvey says
Thank you. We went to an actual lumber yard… not Menards, etc. We glued the boards down and nailed them both. We haven’t had any bowing, etc, because we installed them when they were still green. If you pushed them as close as you can get them together, the gap is very small. The gaps don’t bother me because it looks old. AND, our house on Winchester Road in the country have had these same floors installed since the late 70s. That’s where we got this idea.
Michele says
When you installed and afterwards, how is the crack in between the boards? Did you use or need any filler?
Danelle Harvey says
We did not. Some of them are wider than others but it doesn’t bother me at all. It looks old that way.
Kate says
Hey Danelle-
The products you used for your floors are no longer showing up on this post. Would mind telling me what stain and polyurethane you used on the floors?
Thanks so much
Kate
Danelle Harvey says
Oh shoot… I will go back and check the links. We used Minwax Provincial stain and quick Drying Minwax polyeurethane for floors.
Megan says
Love the floors! We live in a home built in the early 1900’s we ripped up the carpet and are looking to put down new flooring. The original hard wood does not create any sound proofing for our bedroom in the basement!! Any suggestions on this? Have you ever put anything between the floor and the pine planks to help with sound. We have 3 kids and right now it sounds like we have a herd of elephants when they are walking around on the main floor.
Danelle Harvey says
hahahah I can imagine. And I have not every done anything under the planks. I would maybe talk to the people at a hardware store. They may have a solution.
Melanie says
Our house is 1200 squre feet, would a dark stain close it in more?
Danelle Harvey says
I probably wouldn’t go really dark. It shows tons of dust and every little dust bunny.
NowhereMan says
The floors look great!
We’ve got pine floors in a couple of bedrooms, and they are really nice. Those floors were there when we bought the house–they are nailed and glued like your install. I’d like to put similar pine wood floors in our great room/kitchen (about 600 ft^2), but glue would be impossible as there was once carpet with a glued down mat over some it it, and it’s well-nigh impossible to remove that to the point where the glue would have something to stick to. That means that at least half of it would have to be nails only. I’m wondering if we put more nails, whether you think that would be sufficient. I’m also considering using drier wood, as that would reduce the gapping, and was wondering what you think about that.
Danelle Harvey says
The only thing about dry wood, it is usually warped…. which we find the gaps are wider then. When we used new wood, it’s easily bendable to get the gaps closer. Therefore when they dry, the gap is smaller.
Oriel says
you may already have done your floor, but I bought an old house with similar carpet. Two layers, the second was over a glued down padding after we ripped it all out I had the not so fun job of scraping off the padding and glue that was still stuck to it. thankfully my sweaty legs (ewe) on the floor which started itching, gave me some insight. Where my legs had been, it only took a little wiping to remove the foam and the glue. So, after almost an hour and getting only a dozen square feet done, I grabbed a bucket of warm water and soap and slopped it on. and used a sparkle knife to scrape it up, An old mop to grab the last bits and two clean buckets of water and voila! my original pine floors are now perfectly visible with all the patina and wear that makes them so beautiful. Just wondered if maybe the carpet padding and glue wasn’t similar to mine. if so, maybe it’d help you have something more smooth for the glue and boards to attach to.
David Tysoe says
Hello there!
Really enjoy the look of these, my wife and I are considering them for our new construction.
My biggest concern is the nails over time with expansion and contraction. Does seasonal change pop your nails?
Danelle Harvey says
Not at all. We’ve never had that happen.
Mike says
You use liquid nails or just wood glue?
Danelle Harvey says
We used liquid nails.
Mike says
How much? A standard zigzag pattern on the back or a few spots?
Danelle Harvey says
We just did the standard zig zag.
Chris Permenter says
Just to clarify, if using different widths, I’m assuming you take that same width down the full length of the room, right? So the 6″ width would be used the full length of the room before switching to a different width. Is that correct?
Danelle Harvey says
Yes…. that is correct.
Lanny Toy says
Hello Danelle,
Can you please tell me the length of the square nails and also the color you choose? Thank you, love your post
Danelle Harvey says
I believe they were 2 1/4″ long and we bought black. PRE-DRILL is all I have to say. 🤣
Kathryn says
Where can you find bulk square head nails?
Danelle Harvey says
We found ours at an Amish store.
Lee says
Hello – Your floor is guuuuhhh – lovely! How did you install pine on your staircase?
Thank you
Danelle Harvey says
Thank you…. and we didn’t. When we removed the carpet, that’s what was under it.
liz says
Wow Danelle,
Your pics and projects are beautiful and inspiring.
I have an old colonial – sadly had to take down a huge Norfolk Pine.
Planning to get planks milled for flooring.
Please give me some pointers–
-how thick to plane
-lengths
-widths
-how long to season
-do I have to tongue and groove or not?
Thank you!
Liz
Stephanie says
Hi! Your floors are gorgeous! We have an 1800 New England colonial farm house with original wide pine floors. We are undertaking a project of opening up our kitchen into the dining room. Our biggest concern has been how to match the floors with out breaking the bank. I’m so happy I stumbled onto your post because I think this will work perfectly for us. My question is after you installed and “beat up” the floors, did you sand them at all before staining them? Also if we installed the floors using glue and a nail gun could we then go back and add square nails as more of an aesthetic effect?
Jessica says
Hello, wondering if you have to sand between the poly coats?
Danelle Harvey says
We went by the directions on the back of the poly can. If you wait so long, you are supposed to. We didn’t
Erin Roberts says
Hello Danelle,
Thank you SO SO SO much for taking the time to post this! We are building a new ‘modern farmhouse’ style house starting in May, and I’m telling you have looked all over for flooring and looks like I FINALLY found it after seeing your post! I’m so far from truly “modern” and just think all these various, random sizes will look so very awesome and give the new modern farmhouse some old style charm. I was actually looking for “cheap pine planks for ceiling” and stumbled upon your wonderful blog and WOW! What a talent you all possess! Hope I can talk an installer into doing this – if not, I’m sure I can pay a handyman to do it. I would try tackling it myself if not for a concrete subfloor – and I still might. Again, THANK YOU for the instructions AND the fabulous photos!
Erin Roberts says
*meant to say “I have looked for flooring”
Danelle Harvey says
Thanks so much and No problem. I have no clue what this would be like on a concrete slab. You may want to do some research.
Sariah Meagle says
Wow, I didn’t realize that people can use #2 pine boards for flooring. I think I’ll visit a lumber yard this week to get some of those since it’s an inexpensive flooring option. If it will add a rustic touch to a room as you said, I’ll make sure that mine will look nice as well.
Danelle Harvey says
Yes…we did it in our last home. Lumberyard boy may tell you that you can’t, but trust me… you can. LOL
Breanna says
These floors are gorgeous! We are in the process of remodeling our 1890 farmhouse. Did you tongue and groove or shiplap the board before you installed them?
Danelle Harvey says
Thank you. We did not. They are butted up really tight.
Shannon says
Hi! What lengths did you cut your boards, and how many inches did you leave between nails? I have read every 6” online, but I was wondering what you did – since your post is the inspiration for my new wood floor endeavor! 🙂 Thank you!
Danelle Harvey says
We did them about every 24″… but we also used liquid nails to glue the boards down, too.
Shannon Huxtable says
Thank you! So sorry to be a pest, but how long did you cut the boards to stagger them and how did you then lay them out? We will be starting our project this next weeekend. 🙂
Jason says
Hi Danelle,
Can’t believe I came across this page/site. Looking to do this in our 200 year old farm house. We are doing the master bedroom and want to match as best we can to the hall way, which is also pin planks. I have 2 questions: 1. I went to the lumber yard today and I only saw rough cut pin boards. Can you get these finished (at least on 1 side) or do you do them yourself? 2. Once boards are installed how long do you have to wait before you stain them and poly them? I’m assuming when they are “new” boards this could take some time before they can be stained? Great page and thank you in advance.
Danelle Harvey says
Thank you. We had to stain all of them ourselves after we installed. And, we stained them right away and have never had any issues. We’ve used this method of flooring for years.
Ronald Novello says
hi i am going to install tongue and grove 8 inch planks over 3/4 inch pine sub flooring. Used minwax stain and found that the color varied from can to can.Did you ever have that happen to you.
Danelle Harvey says
We did not notice that.
Patrick Profita says
Did you treat the pine with pre-stain wood conditioner before staining? I’m worried about blotching since I had this issue with one project in the house. Love the floors and will be doing this to my home. Do you have close up pictures of the floor? Can’t seem to find any.
Danelle Harvey says
We did not treat it with anything first. I don’t notice any splotching etc… And no.. you may be able to see close-ups on Instagram.
Shannon Huxtable says
Hi Danelle, did you cut your planks in half? Mine are 12’ long. Did you do like 8’, 6’, and 4’ planks alternating? Just trying to figure out what will look the best! We are doing our floors this weekend. I am super excited but also tentative!! Eek!
ron novello says
Hi Danelle, did you stain and poly your planks before or after you installed the floor
ron novello says
Hi Danelle i saw an earlier post answering my last question thanks .
Sandi Ziegler says
HI DANIELLE, No questions, just a BIG “THANK YOU” for the great step by step instructions for installing and finishing the #2 pine flooring!!! It made everything so easy to understand for all of us 1st timers out here. PS: I also used the #2 pine board on walls in my kitchen and master bedroom.
Soooo many compliments on both floors and walls!!! My home is new but it sure looks like a cozy little cottage. Thanks again Danielle!!!
Danelle Harvey says
Oh my gosh… I’m so happy you love it as much as we do. It’s so budget friendly too.
Ron Novello says
Hi DANIELLE, I have one last question . Did you sand your pine after the last coat of poly my boards feel rough to the touch. THANKS.
Danelle Harvey says
I follow all of the directions on the can of poly. The one I used said if I do a second coat before 8 hours I didn’t have to sand. So, I didn’t
Anonymous says
Hi DANIELLE, I have one last question . Did you sand your pine after the last coat of poly my boards feel rough to the touch. THANKS.
Louise says
I would have a difficult time moving my furniture out of my tiny house. Do you think I could prestain and poly finish boards prior to installation?
Danelle Harvey says
Oh gosh.. I have NO CLUE. I’ve never done it like that before.
Liz says
What lengths did you cut your boards?
Teeds says
I laughed reading your earlier post on these floors because I recently Dremmeled a chipped tooth on myself. It works!
Question, because everything I read about installing wood floors says you should let the wood acclimate for a long time in your room before installing: What is it exactly about older, dryer wood that makes it more difficult to work with? And if you use newer wood, does it warp or shrink over time?
I’m planning to use Rosin paper underneath instead of glue, so I’m concerned about the boards warping.
Thanks for the helpful posts!
Ben says
Hey! My wife and I are going to be following your post with a Gambrel style home we are purchasing and the floors need to get done!
How fresh is “fresh”? Is your wood actually still green or been drying for a season? We have access to super cheap high grade 1×6 Doug fir and possibly pine that was cut about 2 weeks ago. Everyone tells us not to do it but your article tells us to…. how many years has it been since the first floor you did with “fresh” lumber and has it gapped, and if so, how much?
Thanks!
Danelle Harvey says
The lumberyard actually ordered it for us. We installed it right away so it was still pliable. (It was a light yellow color) There are small gaps but we don’t mind them. We had some wood leftover so we let it sit upstairs for a month or so until we started the upstairs. By the time we used it, it was a lighter grayish white color, and SO DIFFICULT to use. The gaps were bigger with those because we couldn’t get them pushed together tight enough on installation. We have area rugs all over our home so we don’t notice any of the gaps. AND… we got the idea from our last home that was built in the 70s. They did this and they still looked great. This is the second time we’ve used pine boards as flooring in a house…. We are very gentle on our flooring so ours still look great. We don’t let our dog run uncontrollably, we have area rugs placed in walking areas, and we use sliders when moving furniture because pine is a softer wood. Just keep all of that in mind. The next house we have will be done the same way because it is so cost effective.
Kelly Hand says
Hello Danielle! Thanks so much for your post! Our home is 1842 and has almost all original pine floors. Except the bathroom. Our contractor thought I was nuts to want pine floors in our bathroom but I have convinced him. My question is do the planks need to be tongue and groove or just regular planks?? Thanks a bunch! I’ve seen lots of i to paint them with checkers etc so I’m looking forward to having some fun with that!
Danelle Harvey says
We didn’t use tongue and groove. We used fresh wood so that we could get them as close together as possible for when they dry out.
John says
I have a dog and 2 kids. I was thinking of doing this in an entryway for the front and back sliding door. You mention that spaces show up over time… do you fill those? The look is great but, I really also want to make sure that I get the functionality. If I was install this I would use brad nailer and be pulling up linoleum and tile. When you seal the floor does the cracks that show up over time create a void that moisture can get in? Should I put something down first to sort of seal off the subfloor? IF you wanted to fill the cracks that form over time what would you use? Thanks and house looks wonderful!
Danelle Harvey says
This is why we used new wood. When the wood dries, it warps and you cannot get the boards close enough together. When it dries, there is a small crack. BUT, if you start with a larger gap, obviously the gap will be larger when drying. So the larger the gap, the more you can see the floor underneath. With that being said, I would make sure the floor underneath is brown so it will be less noticeable. AND, remember pine is soft. So if your dog has long nails and darts out the door, you will probably see nail prints. We have rugs all over our house and don’t let the dog run in the house.
Kenny says
What do you fill the huge gaps in between the pine planks with? Can you recommend a stainable wood filler? I’ve started a project following your steps and already feeling like this has been a huge mistake. We live in the south and I’m installing in the humid summer. I can’t wait until dry winter to see how this floor is going to warp up and cause all kinds of problems. I see us ripping this all up in a year and starting over. At that time I’ll be hiring someone to do it and purchasing tongue and groove and doing it the right way.
Danelle Harvey says
We don’t have huge gaps. We used new wood so that we could easily pry/push each board directly up to the next one. Once they dry out, the gap is small. If the gap is bigger in some areas, it doesn’t bother us. We didn’t want perfect flooring. If we had, we would have gone with manufactured. We have done this in 5 homes.. including our store front we used to own and have never had an issues.
Dede Amescua says
I love the floors and want to do this in my home! When using different width boards how do you decide how many of each width to buy to cover the area you want to go. Thanks! dede
Sarah says
Hi! I am a new fan. I am thinking of doing this for a lofted platform that currently only has plywood. I am a complete newbie. For installation, do you apply the glue, press the board down & smush it as close to the previous board as possible, and then nail while it’s still wet? Or do you glue all boards and then go back to nail? Thanks!
Nomie says
Danelle…can’t wait to get started and it sounds easy enough for my hushand….lol
One guestion for you …we would like to paint the floors in an off white. .this is for the Master Bedroom…love the worn distressed farm house look ….any suggestions ?
Elspeth says
Our floors will be going in our kitchen also since that dining, living and kitchen are all one space. Have you had any issues with warping from water damage? We are also worried about our elderly dog who is having bladder issues and any gaps in the floor. I guess just put more poly on the floors?
Danelle Harvey says
We really have had no problems. But we didn’t want PERFECT. Water hasn’t affected it at all. We applied three coats of floor poly.
Stephanie says
Love it! How many coats of stain did you use?
Steve says
I am looking at your floors and they look great – I have stained a lot of wood did you use any wax or darker stains to get the contract or with the MinWax Provincial did they color come out that way ?
Rachelle Sondrup says
Hello Danelle,
I love the floors you did, and came across this blog post as I was researching the topic on the internet. I do have some questions for you. We are DIY’ers (: and are planning on a rough cut plank floor, and have gotten some quotes from our local lumber yards. What’s the difference between rough cut pine and #2 pine? Did you have the lumber yard put each board through a planer?
Also, can I see an up-close picture of the square nails?
Thanks!
Daniel Chan says
im also interested in this question, rough cut pine look was what I was looking for, again THANKS AGAIN for this blog, cause Ive been researching all over the internet on how to get flooring like this,
peter wilkes says
Hi Danelle, great stuff here , you don’t mention anything about sanding ,did you hire a floor sander?
Regards Peter
Danelle Harvey says
We only sanded the parts that got dirty from walking… or if we accidentally laid the boards with the stamp side up.
Robyn Pokorny says
Love this tutorial! Thanks so much for posting! We’re installing very similar flooring next month and I’m just curious how many coats of the stain you used?
Thanks!
Cindy says
Beautiful!! everything
Katie Green says
Your post was an answer to a ton of searches and questions. Thank you! I’m planning on ripping out
carpet, installing and painting the pine flooring. I’m thinking a good latex paint add a few “scuffs” and seal
with a minwax of some sort. Any suggestions!
Danelle Harvey says
We did this same flooring in our storefront we owned. We stained all of the boards dark walnut. And then we painted them white using concrete/floor paint. They got scuffed up on their own and looked so pretty.
Eryn says
Hi Danelle, great post. I’m about to buy boards and follow your lead. Just curious do you sand the boards after you install before you finish? Or you leave them as is?
Thanks so much!
Josh Farmer says
Im sorry if I missed it somewhere, but did you do anything to take care of the cracks between the planks? Or did the poly finish seal them for you? Thank you!
Doreen says
Did you have any issues with the floor boards shrinking and causing gaps? Did you stain and poly seal each piece or after install?
Tammy Hoey says
Thanks for this!! Did you fill the gaps with anything??
Taressa says
Your home is absolutely gorgeous. I so appreciate all of the information shared! I’m a little late in finding this post, but it’s exactly what I’m thankful to have stumbled across at this time. I’ve read and re-read, but can’t seem to find where board lengths are listed. I’m curious what lengths were cut, and how you chose to alternate the lengths. Thanks so much for your time in sharing these helpful tips!
Taressa says
I dug around a bit deeper on your page, and found your previous post answering my length question. Sorry for the redundancy! Because I saw where others had asked about length on this post I thought I’d just paste what Danelle wrote on the other post;
“Installation of Wood Floors
Basically, we started on one side of the house, which happened to be the family room, which is to the right of the entryway, and randomly attached the different widths of boards (6″, 8″, 10″, & 12″), in different lengths, in no particular pattern, using an adhesive and nails.”
Trish Correa says
We are thinking of doing pine board flooring and appreciate your posting your experience. The floor looks beautiful!
I was wondering about sanding. Did you sand the boards individually or the floor after the boards were installed and distressed?
Danelle Harvey says
We didn’t do any sanding unless there was a stain, etc. We installed them, swept them really well, and then finished them.
Julie Hawley says
Looking at a house that has this type of flooring. Can it be refinished?
Danelle Harvey says
I would have no clue without seeing it, but if it is true wood and not a laminate, it could be sanded down.
Cybil says
I am in St Louis, MO and have called the local lumber yards requesting untreated pine planks, but they said they don’t do that. Would you have a suggested lumber yard? Or who did your lumber yard use? Is it white pine, heart pine, yellow pine? I love the look and think it would look great in my home! I want to get it right.
Also, would there be a way to nail the floors done on the sides rather than through the top? I ask this because I worry the nails will get in the way when time comes to sand and refinish.
Perry says
We are looking to do pine floors as well and I wanted to face nail with a nail gun to cut down on time. You mentioned in your steps above, you have used a gun before and I was wondering what type of gun you used to face nail with?
Danelle Harvey says
We actually didn’t do that floor ourselves. It was at our store front so we had a crew put those down.
Jason says
Beautiful floors! I too have about the same size area to finish. A couple questions! What floor adhesive did you use? How much did you buy and how did you apply it (I’m guessing a zig zag pattern down the length of the board)? Cut nails. Where did you purchase, how many “lbs” did you need for 2500 sqft? Was there a specific edge to the board (e.g. t&g, shiplap) or was it just a square edge when you ordered it from the lumber yard? I notice some boards are darker than others. Is this just random on how much stain the board took? Lastly, it’s been 2 years or so. Is there anything you would have done differently?
Danelle Harvey says
We used Locktite and yes.. in a zig zag pattern. I don’t remember how many we bought because we would buy several tubes at a time. We are 10 minutes from an amish community so we bought the square nails in bulk. I can’t even remember how many we bought but it was a HUGE box. We did nothing to the boards. The darker areas are just because of the different areas of the wood took the stain differently. And I would do nothing different. We have done this in 3 homes and in our store front when we owned one. The reason I stressed “new wood” was because it’s more pliable. Dried wood will never be able to be butted up against the previous piece because they warp. Trust me.. we tried it before. We ended up cutting out every area that was warped and scrapped it. Once down, and it dries, it will have small gaps but it doesn’t bother me at all. I love the look of it so much that we are installing it in our new build. If you want a “perfect” looking floor, this isn’t for you as pine is a soft wood… and will scratch. Oh… and if you are on social media, make sure you follow. I will be showing it all. And I will probably share here, too.
Danelle Harvey says
Oh also… I was send a message over on Instagram. Someone did this same thing 10 years ago and rather than using poly, they used a “boat finish” in a satin. She said it was pricey but is nearly indestructible… so we are checking into this when we start building. So.. I thought I would throw that out there for you to check as well.
Elizabeth says
My husband and I are seriously considering this flooring in the house we plan on building next year. I don’t like how a lot of pine has the yellow-orangish look to it, but I’m in love with how yours look. I’ve read in your previous comments that you used white pine. In the three different times you have installed these, have you had issues with it turning yellow-orangish over time?
Danelle Harvey says
I think it depends on the stain you use. I just saw our old house again right before the quarantine.. and it was still so pretty and didn’t look orange to me.
Colleen says
Omg….you are a saint….answering the same questions over and over. So now after your original post and all the follow up has anyone said they actually installed this wood over cement? We are getting ready to move from CA to TN and found a dream home but it has an unfinished basement. I almost choked at the cost to finish out the basement and the cost for the hardwood is enormous. It was for 1 inch wood so if they can do that….there must be a way to use this product (thinking out loud here). Let the research begin! But if you’ve heard back from anyone that has done it, please let us know! Thanks bunches. You girls are DAH BEST!
Danelle Harvey says
I have not heard of anyone installing over concrete. I don’t think it would work because of the moisture concrete holds.
Jon says
We have our pine flooring arriving Monday! We are very excited to get the floors laid. (We had a house fire in October and all of our floors and walls had to be replaced. It’s been a long process!) Anyway, we are installing the floors ourselves, but have considered hiring someone else to do the staining and poly. Our quote includes sanding. Is this necessary?
Also, how well did your planks butt up end grain to end grain and side to side? Was there a lip/or trip hazard? Does the poly take care of that?
Thanks so much for your help!
Danelle Harvey says
We only get new (green) wood because it is easy to push them up tighter against each other. Once they dry, they will shrink a little and leave a little gap. But we love the look. We didn’t have any that were a trip hazard. And no.. we only sanded where there was dirt or if we installed them with the lumber yard stamp up.
Lori Cubbage says
Hi i loved reading your post. I’m No pro and am installing a pine floor and the 1x4s that I’m using came from Lowe’s. They have somewhat rounded edges. I’m not quite sure what to do to make the floor feel like I could skate across it when I’m done. I’ve had some suggestions such as filling in the gaps with sawdust. Do you have any ideas for me to make this floor something more than wasted money and time? Thank you!
Danelle Harvey says
There will be small gaps once the wood dries. That’s why we suggested using NEW WOOD that is pliable. You will still be able to push them tight. And, the small gaps didn’t bother me because this is a rustic look.
Erin M Corso says
If you used the nail gun with the square head nails, why did you have to pre drill the holes? I am confused because you said it took longer to pound them so I’m wondering if I missed a step because I’m picturing a regular nail gun that shoots the nail into the wood when you pull the trigger. If we just use glue and a regular nail gun do I have to pre drill? I’m thinking I’ll need to use wood filler over the nail holes before I stain and poly? I might try this first in my sunroom where there is currently 1989 pink square tile but it also comes in from a pool area so I’m wondering about the boat sealer you mentioned. Where would I get that and does it make it slippery?
Danelle Harvey says
We didn’t use a nail gun on the floor in the house. We did in the shop that we had. We wanted square nails in the house, so we pre-drilled the holes for those. And no.. if you use glue and a nail gun, you don’t have to pre-drill…. We wanted a very rustic look so we didn’t worry about holes. We actually beat them up so they would look worn. And I have no clue about the boat sealer.. we are checking it out when we start our project.
Sarah says
Loving this idea and lots of great step by step instructions, but just confirming, did you stain floors, then install, then beat/weather, and lastly poly or did you stain them pre installation? Or did you stain post “beating/weathering”?
Sorry, I tried to reread and find exact order, I just wasn’t sure.
Danelle Harvey says
We beat them up and then stained and poly.
Melissa Daniels says
What glue did you use under the boards?
Taner Boyer says
Hi guys,when you installed these boards,how did you take care of the gaps in between?Did you use fillers or leave the gaps open as is?Thank you
Danelle Harvey says
We did not. The gaps are small when you use new fresh wood because the boards are pliable and can be pushed up against the previous board. They do dry out and have small gaps but that didn’t bother us at all. We wanted it to look very old and worn.
Ellen says
I would love to install some pinewood flooring in a bedroom of my home… It’s a FL home (built in the 90’s), with concrete slab base floors. Any advice on whether to do it?
I LOVE YOUR FLOORS AND STYLE!
Kindest thanks,
Ellen in Florida
Danelle Harvey says
I have never had any experience with installing this over concrete. I don’t think it would be a good idea because of the moisure.
Pat says
Hi. Is the pine that you use finished pine? Like very smooth? Similar to what I would use for trim? I am asking because at the store it never looks warped nor does it warp after I use it around windows and I leave it without finish. Is this a different type of pine board? I feel silly asking but I think I’m missing something here. My local lumber people aren’t very helpful (I know that’s weird, but true…) there is a local guy who mills pine but I am thinking his pine boards would be very rough? Also can I screw the boards down? I do not have a nail gun. So sorry if I am sounding completely ignorant but I will be doing this floor by myself and only have the skills (or strength) to lay a board down and either screw it down ( which would be easier for me) or hammer (🙁) it down. And finally, If I didn’t beat or stress it, would that still look okay? Wouldn’t it get that way over time? Thanks so much.
Pat
Danelle Harvey says
It does get that way over time. But, I wanted it to look really old from the beginning. And, I don’t think you will want the screw heads to show.. I guess you could use small trim screws and that would probably work. And, yes, the pine boards that we use around the windows for trim is the same that we use on the floor.
Michelle says
This is super helpful and your floor looks amazing. We are planning to do this ourselves, gulp! I just wanted your advice on laying these new pine boards on the plywood subfloor. Do we butt the up on all edges as close as possible and only leave a gap by the skirting? If so would the floor that we laid so closely, then expand and then crack the floorboards? Do you think just nailing the floorboards down every 12inches would prevent warping? Sorry we’re new to this so your advice would be truly appreciated. Thanks
Dewole Aradeon says
Hi. You have a lovely home!
What was your subfloor? And have you have used plywood as a subfloor? Would you recommend it?
Thanks.
Danelle Harvey says
Thank you… And yes… there was already plywood down as subfloor.
Stephanie says
I love, love, love your pine floors! So I basically have an open floor plan home and ripped the carpet out over a year ago in my front living room and can’t decide what I want to put down for new flooring…until I randomly came across your blog about your floors. I know you’ve mentioned you don’t have experience installing on concrete slabs but do you think it would work if I laid a thin plywood on top of concrete? Also, I have manufactured wood floors throughout the remaining of my downstairs and it’s 1/2 inch thick…how would you suggest I work with the difference in height between floors? Do you think it would look funny if I add a threshold to hid the difference? I’m no expert on all this but have put in laminate flooring in a couple houses so I’m not clueless and love getting creative and that’s why I fell in love with your floors. I would love to try this in my front room and if all turns out good and I can manage it I just might eventually do the whole downstairs to replace my thrashed manufactured wood floors.
Danelle Harvey says
I don’t think I would install this on a slab. I am afraid the moisture from the concrete would give you problems.
Jesse says
I can address installing pine on concrete slab. I laid down a moisture barrier underlayment found at Lowes. Then screwed plywood through it to the concrete. Have to use a hammer drill to predrill the holes followed by concrete screws. After that, liquid nail the pine boards along with nails. It’s been solid! My concrete was 14 years old (not new construction) so they’re already very dry.
Danelle Harvey says
WOW….. Thank you. This is good to know! How long have you had the pine boards down?
Michelle says
Is this T&G pine or just the slab?
Danelle Harvey says
It is not tongue and groove.
Michael says
Great post about pine flooring. Ever worked with tongue and v grove pine floors? Is so, observations?
Rebecca says
What happens if water gets spilled on it in the kitchen? I SO want to do this in my kitchen, but my husband is sure water will just go between the cracks and then who-knows-where…
Loretta and Shelley says
I am going to do this in my little single wide Marlette. Today I went to a friend’s mill and picked out the boards that were cut last week. My questions for you are:
1. What nails do you recommend if I use a nail gun? Just regular construction nails?
2. What adhesive do you recommend? I’m putting it over a strong clean subfloor made of particleboard.
This singlewide is old but structurally sound up on a hill overlooking a valley in western Montana. I’m rehabbing it with new siding, new windows and floors and going with a rustic cabin theme.
I’ve remodeled several houses in the past, mostly craftsman style. This is my first mobile home remodel.
Ganesh says
You have such a beautiful home and you’ve done a marvellous job of it. We get treated pine wood lumber here in India (4” wide, 3/4” thick) but it’s quite hard to find stains apart from dark walnut. I don’t like how plain whitish-yellow pine looks and I don’t particularly like dark walnut either. What you have on your flooring is absolutely perfect. Which stain is it?
Patty says
Have you ever painted them instead of staining?
Danelle Harvey says
We laid them in our storefront and painted them there. They were really pretty.
Joshua Turner says
Thank you for your post, and sharing your great idea. A couple of questions:
1. Did you nail straight down? Or did you use a table saw to create tongue and groove? I am imagining you nailed straight down but I don’t wan to assume.
2. You wrote to beat them “…after you have them installed, but before you refinish them..” I am a total amateur, so maybe this is a dumb question but what does “refinish” mean in this context? Is it because you are hitting them with crowbars and the splinter, you are smoothing it out? Or is this just another way of saying to add the stain and polyurethane? I love how your floors look!
Bebe Batis says
Awesome site, thank you very much for posting
Kountry Kirsten says
First this is the best and most informative blog I’ve found on DIY pinewood floors. One question we do have relates to the thickness of the pine boards. With these floors being 3/4” and most flooring being 1/2”were there any issues with exterior/interior doors, toilets, or other elements mounted to or adjacent to the floors? Also did the liquid nails add any thickness to the flooring system? Last question is did you install your flooring adjacent to your kitchen cabinets or did you install the cabinets over the top of you floor boards?
Stephanie says
Hi,
I love the way your floors came out. I have a few questions if you have time.
1. Can I stain the boards before installing them? I am sensitive to smell and don’t want to stain them in the house.
2. Did the polyurethane coats take long to dry? Does the product have a strong smell? If so I would probably want to apply it before installation.
3. What do you think about leaving the baseboards in place and using those little 1/4 rounds to hide any gaps?
4. Did you use different lengths for the boards or did you stick to a single length?
5. What kind of adhesive did you use? I would be installing on a concrete subfloor.
6. I heard that the boards needed to be stored in the room for a specific time prior to installation, some opinions state as long as a few weeks. How long after purchase did you install these boards?
Thank you in advance for your time 🙂
Stephanie
Ellie says
wonderful, thank you for this!!! what does the polyurethane do?
i’m about to install a pine board floor on my own and so nervous!!! but exciting
thanks for the tutorial, oh and great tip about beating the living shit out of them hahaa
Willow says
I just want to say thank you for helping me (and obviously many others with all the comments)! I appreciate you taking the time to explain how to do it all. I wanted something for a cabin to look beautiful and rustic and old and this is exactly what I wanted, so happy I found this!
Jen K. says
Hi! I’ve been reading and re-reading this post for a few months now and we’re just about to embark on this process in our own mid 1800’s home. I’m SUPER excited and also SUPER nervous I’ll screw it up. I’ve worked with paint a bazillion times but this will be my first project with stain or poly. I’m planning to use the exact products you recommend in this post. I just have a couple questions about the poly. Did you thin the product with mineral spirits before application? And did you apply with a bristle or a foam brush?
Thanks for all of this! The detailed post has been immensely helpful to me!
Sean says
Thank you for this inspiring post! I’m excited (and nervous) to try this in our new home.
I noticed that some of the floor boards look distinctly darker in your photos than others they are next to. Others just seems to have darker spots. Did you apply extra stain to some of the boards for variation or is the extra darkness I’m seeing due to the natural variations in the boards themselves after applying a uniform coat?
Kyra says
When you say to beat them up and make them look old — to what extent? I know you say to beat the living shit out of them but I’m afraid! 🙂 Any tips on going through with this? Thank you so much for writing this incredibly helpful post!
Karen says
When you lay your boards are the edges cut on 45 degrees or do u just lay them side by side?
Nancy lucier says
Did you use spacers when installing pine floors? Did you sand the edges at all! We intend to paint and wondered if you’ve ever done that. If using a nail gun, which we’d do, did you set your nails? Thanks for any suggestions.
JoAnn Yurchesyn says
WOW, .. YOUR SPACE IS GORGEOUS!
Thank you for this information. It was invaluable in so many ways. Two questions I have that were not addressed in your article: Regarding are the spaces between the planks, did you use jute or anything to prevent dirt from going in between the expansion gap? What gap size did you decide on? ALSO, did you use kiln-dried pine, and did you acclimatize the wood before installation, and if so for how long??
Thank you for any advice you can offer. JoAnn
Gillian Keller says
Hi! I just stumbled upon this and I’m so excited to try this. I have just built an art studio building way off grid in the desert, and I want the floor inside to look real old. A friend of mine said I was crazy, but it just seems so much more simple than tongue and groove, and for the stuff I’m hoping to get, it will be less expensive per sqft than even the luxury vinyl that is available- screw that vinyl! I’ve got a concrete slab foundation. I know this article is from years ago, but I wanted to comment. I’ve done some looking around on the internet and the go-to seems to be, 1. seal the seams of where the framing meets the foundation with a silicone- 2, lay down a layer of watherproofing / moisture barrier (a lot of people say you just need 6mm plastic!) 3, lay down 2 layers of plywood (which seems excessive, I am going to lay down ONE layer of plywood because I got a bunch of free plywood from my neighbor, yay!) then 4, glue the boards to the plywood, 5, drill and screw or nail. We barely get any rain here, but I’m going to seal everything first just in case. I will be sure to report back to you once I am finished! I’ve loved all your tips. especially staggering different widths of boards! Genius!
Cheers,
Gillian from Joshua Tree CA
Danelle Harvey says
Yay… keep me posted.
Greg says
Beautiful floors! I’ve been researching wide plank wood floors and have sticker shock for sure. Do you have issues with dirt buildup between the boards? Have you tried filling the gaps?
Thanks
Danelle Harvey says
I have not tried filing the gaps. I am afraid it would look awful. Yes… obviously dirt falls down between the cracks but we have a great vacuum that helps remove it. We have done this method so many times. And we love it so much that we are going to use this flooring in our new house as well.
Rachel says
Love these floors! Which type / brand of square nails did you use?
Hailey says
I have an old 1860’s farm house and we are currently redoing the entire second story. I love the idea of pine floors to keep with the character of the home. We have removed all flooring and are down to the original subfloors. I plan to refinish the stairs as they are like you did in your last house but my question is how did you cap off the end of the floor where the stairs begin… I’m sure I am not explaining this properly but our subfloor has a rounded bullnose where the railing in the landing sits around to the top of the staircase. If I add pine floors to the top what kind of edging do you recommend for the areas that would show the layers of floor as it transitions to the staircase?
Vicki says
Love the article,love love the look. One question though ,won’t the new pineboards (green wood) warp and twist on the edge? Did you sand them.? Nailing them with square nails on the ends only?
Thanks, we are pretty excited to do this as this is the only foor we both agreed on the look.
Vicki
Christine Flannery says
Love the floor. What did you put under it and how much space if any in between boards?