Treat Yourself to Pumpkin Pine this Fall Season

We’re putting aside the pie to give our woodworking readers a real treat…a small slice of pumpkin pine history! According to Old House Journal, softwoods like pine were used for the earliest wood flooring in homes and were left untreated. Over time, this pine turned from a creamy white to a warm, amber color, which is how it earned the name “pumpkin pine.”

Left natural, wide, flat-sawn boards of pumpkin pine were traditionally treated with water and homemade lye. These basic products were later replaced with linseed oil and wax to bring out the color and protect the wood. Now, we have technologically advanced finishes including surface and penetrating seals made of resins and solvents to keep wood floors looking like new – or in the case of “pumpkin pine,” looking aged with rich color – for years to come. Thanks to these sealers, Eastern pine is still very popular for wood flooring even today.

Woodworkers who are craving a pine project now can come to the Schutte Lumber showroom at 3001 Southwest Blvd. in Kansas City for a wide selection of white pine products and finishes.

Source: Old House Journal
Top photo via 92 Pleasant Hill
Bottom photo by Andy Olenick via Old House Journal