Nevertheless, they air dry it for two to three months before kiln-drying it for five days. Advocates of kiln drying shoot for a moisture content of slightly less than 10 percent. Clearly specified content . If you want 100 percent antique heart pine flooring, make sure that this is what you're getting. Any sapwood will stay yellow instead of turning the heart's signature pinky orange.
Some dealers mix pieces of new wood with the old.
Wood cut to expectations. Those shapes may be what you want. But some connoisseurs, like the UVA's Howard, feel that with heart pine in particular, only quarter sawing will play up the tighter texture of the antique wood. Because so many of these dealers do their own milling, they can accommodate special orders including boards a foot wide or 16' long, or unusual widths or thicknesses. Many dealers have well-illustrated web sites, which is a fun way to begin exploring.