Beetle Killed Pine Flooring
Posted: April 20, 2020
Sustainable Lumber Co. is the leading supplier for Beetle Killed (Blue Stain) Pine flooring. Salvaged exclusively from dead standing Ponderosa Pine trees that have been killed by the Mountain Pine Beetle epidemic. These trees have been standing dead in the forest for up to 5 years allowing the fungus to penetrate deep into the wood. That’s the secret to achieve the wide array of color and character in our Beetle Kill Pine products.
These trees have been forgotten and left in the forest to rot on the stump because they are riddled with splits, checks, cracks, rot pockets etc. We believe the natural beauty that lies within these trees are worth salvaging, it’s sad to us that no one else is doing the same. We meticulously hand cut all these defects out and apply a T&G on all 4 sides, therefore every finished board locks together nicely. With that said, our lengths only come random length up to 8′, however every piece is usable.
Our flooring is not for everyone, but it’s a great fit for eco-friendly and sustainably conscious customers that want a “living floor”, one that will last their lifetime and looks just as good on day 1 or day 100. The dents, dings, and scratches are often memories and character added to their floor as they truly “live” on them.
Our streamlined sales and logistics allow us to distribute nation wide from to large commercial projects, hotels, resort homes, restaurants, and all the way down to the do-it-yourselfer.
There are many options out there, but we guarantee you won’t find a higher quality Beetle Killed Pine product anywhere.
OUR SECRET:
~ We hand pick beetle killed Ponderosa Pine trees that range from 100-400 years old.
~ Because of its thick bark Ponderosa Pines hold moisture in the tree 10x longer than commercially harvested Lodgepole Pine. This moisture allows the fungus from the mountain pine beetle to flourish and create the wide array of colors you see in our products.
~ Aged like a fine wine our timber stands dead in the forest for up to 5 years. The longer it stands dead naturally in the wild the richer and more dramatic the color will be.
~ We visually grade and methodically cut every tree to maximize the natural color and character.
~ We slowly kiln dry every plank to 6-8% moisture. This improves stability and helps reduce any chance of future movement in the board.
~ Kiln drying to 6-8% moisture kills 100% of the fungus that created the natural discoloration in the tree.
~ Every board is visually inspected and then milled into T&G flooring.
~ After milling we visually inspect every board and cut out any defects by hand.
~ Each individual flooring and paneling board is then end matched (T&G on the ends).
~ Our finished product is held to a higher standard and graded to our 99% usable tolerances.