Identifying old timber

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Hi,

This might be a daft question, but, I'm doing some work on my 1920's house and the old timber is quite a bit heavier than the new timber from the merchants yard. Why?

The new timber is softwood pine and weighs almost nothing compared to the old timber which also looks like pine.. but heavier.

Presumably the old timber is of a higher quality?

The old timbers darker by the way, and with a coarser finish.
 
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Slow grown and naturally dried, Ben.....so much better than the rubbish we get today!
Quality softwoods used to come from Estonia many years ago, and the top stuff was marked K crown B.
A lesser grade was marked K star B.
Even if we could get it today, I doubt if we could afford it!
John :)
 
Yeah suspected that might be the case.

Wherever possible I am trying to use materials on a par with those used in the original construction.

Pic of the old timber [GALLERY=media, 82396][/GALLERY]

Pic of the new timber
 
You'll be lucky mate but that does look like Douglas fir to me.
You may find some similar timber, if it's important, at a reclamation yard or such like, but good timber merchants (not the sheds, they don't know what proper timber is) will be able to help.
John :)
 
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It's not desperatly important to have an exact match, I just want to try and use something of a comparable quality. The stuff I picked up recently doesn't feel as solid and substantial.

I'll have a look at some Douglas Fir.

We have a Harlow Bros Timber Merchant nearby which seems pretty decent, will give them a try.
 
if you look closer.......
no closer.......
its........






























tree wood. ;)
 
blind stag m8,no idea.

but why not take a sample and visit your local reclamation yard to see if they stock anything that fits your bill?
 
With any new timber, it will need to be imported.

Most first growth forests were decimated, what's left is largely protected, and plantation timber is faster grown.

The russains are chopping down lots of siberian larch, and some of that is good quality, and canada still chops down some old growth douglas fir, but that is getting mixed in quality, plantation grown doug fir 'can' be slow grown.

You can get decent nordic timber, the problem is that most of us are too cheap to buy it.
 
I wondered if it was pitch pine? from the pictures I've seen it looks similar.

Will get and take a sample to the local timber merchants.
 
Like the OP, I have been looking at the quality of timber on my property and what is avaliable today. I wanted some spare bits of period timber for possible repairs to my timber windows.

I managed to reclaim all the timber from my neighbours windows when they ripped them out to get UPVC. I now have a good supply of high quality timber.

I have been told that it is slow grown heartwood. Probably pitch pine as someone else pointed out. It is very good timber. My windows are 80 years old and have not been painted in 25-30 years and they not rotted at all. They are bare wood in places, although I have been told that this has probably helped them survive as the timber can breath....who knows....they do need a re-paint.....
 
Like the OP, I have been looking at the quality of timber on my property and what is avaliable today. I wanted some spare bits of period timber for possible repairs to my timber windows.

I managed to reclaim all the timber from my neighbours windows when they ripped them out to get UPVC. I now have a good supply of high quality timber.

I have been told that it is slow grown heartwood. Probably pitch pine as someone else pointed out. It is very good timber. My windows are 80 years old and have not been painted in 25-30 years and they not rotted at all. They are bare wood in places, although I have been told that this has probably helped them survive as the timber can breath....who knows....they do need a re-paint.....

Use a micropourus stain, they come in most normal window colours...pinenot☺
 
Oh pinenot, you have opened a can of worms/paint there. Thansk for the suggestion though.

I have been trying to work out what the best paint choice is for quite a while.

Natural Oil (linseed), Water Based, or Oil based. I was strongly leaning towards somthing like Sikkens exterior gloss. Have also been tempted by Superdec water based. Others have mentioned Zinsser.

Talk about information overload...I really hate the internet some times.
 
I've been using "VATTI" a microporous two coat system for some years now. Saddly the top coat must have got air into the tin and solidified last year so I'm left with a 5 ltr tin (half used) of the base/undercoat...pinenot :)
 

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