Prefinished Caribbean Heart Pine Flooring

Prefinished Caribbean Pine
The term Caribbean Pine does tell you much about what you are buying. Caribbean is like putting Southern in front of pine. What does that mean? Well, frankly neither word alone tells you very much at all. The Caribbean islands are organized into 30 territories including sovereign states, overseas departments, and dependencies, scattered over 700 islands, islets, reefs, and cays. In other words, putting Caribbean in front of pine could mean your floors were any number of subspecies. Our belief is that Pine should be sold like wine; meaning that age, location, and species determine price. Furthermore, both markets are full of products that are simply “putting lipstick on a pig or dressing up something to look its price.

Finish Specifications
Bayou Rustic offers 3 Prefinished 3/4 Caribbean Heart Pine flooring, Fawn, Vintage and Natural. Fawn is a blend 15% Satin Finish & 25-year factory warranty. Water-base stain followed by 7 coats of Ultraviolet Cured (UV) sealer and topcoats, which provide a finish that is both tough and durable.  Additionally, both the sealer and topcoat contain Aluminum Oxide. This gives the finish long term resistance to wear and keeps the original sheen of the flooring from changing over time. Industry standards for ware resistance are determined form what is known as “Tabor Testing”. The higher the Tabor number, the better wear resistance you have. While finishes can be rated as “abrasion resistant” with tabor ratings of 250, our standard finish averages a rating of 350.

The density of this wood makes it somewhat difficult to work with. Tools need to be kept sharp and the wood blunts them quickly. The homeowner’s best option is to hire a professional flooring contractor who will lay the floor in a way that ensures that the planks or tiles will not shift over time.

Janka Hardness Rating: 2,820 lbs. (1306 kg.) By comparison, Northern Red Oak is rated at 1,290 lbs. (585 kg.)

Stability: Width movement expected in a 3″ face from a one percent change in moisture content is between 0.005″ and 0.009″. By comparison, Northern Red Oak’s value is 0.004″ to 0.010″.

Manufacturing Specifications: Moisture content is 6% to 8%. Weight is 3.5 lbs./Sqft Widths: 2 1/4″, 3″, 3 1/4″, 4″, 5″ Thicknesses: 3/4″ Unfinished 3/4″ Solid Flooring Tongue & Groove, Square Edge, End Matched