# Rough sawn floor with saw marks?



## Trappeur (Jul 10, 2008)

*I'm going to be building a one room home/cabin as soon as I get to Maine and am in the planning stage now and getting resources together. My wood floor throughout the cabin is to be a rough sawn floor like the pictures below. What would be the cheapest way to get this floor? Can I get rough sawn from a mill with the saw marks and already be plained so the floor is all the same thickness? I already have someone who is a builder/brother in law who will be putting the floor down and I will stain and finish it myself so I'm thinking that will save me money there. Where do I go and start? If someone could lead me in the right direction....I've looked at tons of sites collecting pictures of what I want and here are 2 pictures of what I want exactly. I'm moving to Sanford Maine if that helps anyone.*

*It really doesn't matter to me what type of wood the floor is to be as long as the final end result is like in the pictures below.....*

*If anyone is in the flooring business it would sure help me if I could get a "guesstimate" of what a raw unfinished floor with saw marks would cost me for a 24foot x 50' house just for the wood that would be great!* 

*Thanks!*

*Trappeur*


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## Daren (Oct 14, 2006)

The second picture is right off a well tuned circle sawmill. Walking on it for years smoothed it some. The first picture is "skip planed" to final thickness, the hit and miss spots show some saw marks and some flat. Most bigger mills offer that planing service.

I am not in the flooring business so take this for what it is worth. Around here the Amish circle mills would sell that much oak (I figured 1500 bft, even though your place is 1200 ft2 for some extra for cuts) for $1.50 bft or $2250. I do not know the thickness required for flooring I was just using 1" planks as my baseline price from a sawmill guy perspective. A flooring guy may have a totally different answer as to the thickness needed.

I do not know about pricing in Maine (probably more?) but regardless it will be cheaper mill direct than through some flooring outlet where they have marked the mill up 2X.


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## Trappeur (Jul 10, 2008)

*Hey thanks for the quick reply Daren! So just go to a mill....ok....got cha! Maybe I could start calling some places and you say those are circle saw marks..hmmm, ok....*

*So if I were to buy the wood like that from a mill I would have to sand the wood first to take the rough edging off (so not splintery) b/4 I stain? Is that how it goes? And of course by buying wood like this, the natural characterisic after the floor is laid is that there will be spacing during different times of the year per how the humidity is right? I'm assuming that right as I have 1 x 12's in my house now here in the mountains and all my wood is screwed down but my floors shrink and expand during the course of the year and likes to collect lots of goodies, lol.....*

*That seems like a pretty good price for flooring with a guesstimate like what you said...I was thinking it was going to be over 10 grand! lol*

*Trappeur*


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## Trappeur (Jul 10, 2008)

*Another question if anyone could advise on the 2 pictures above....*

*I believe those are oak floors....*
*What color stain does it look like to you all?*

*How would you recommend me to finish the wood floor as to what kind of stain and finish to put over after stained?*

*Thanks.*

*Trappeur*


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## lucas.j.dunton (Feb 27, 2008)

there are mills all over the place in Maine, just start looking in your area, and ask around, there are a lot that are small operations and do not advertise a bit, not even a sign in the yard, run by ol timers. If all else fails I know of an old circle mill in Pleasant Ridge, Maine. I just have to find the number if you need it, not sure how far it is from where you are moving. You shouldn't have a problem finding an old circle mill though, I worked on plenty in central and western Maine during my electrician days. Good Luke and don't be afraid to ask around People in Maine tend to be much friendlier and more accommodating than most places I have been.


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## lucas.j.dunton (Feb 27, 2008)

I would get it from the mill, and have it sip planed to leave it rough but leave some of the marks, then lay it and use a floor sander to touch it up. another solution would be to check out habitat for humanities "restores" they sell nothing but reclaimed construction materials, you never know you may luck out and they have them everywhere


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## Trappeur (Jul 10, 2008)

Thankyou Lucas!.....

I'll start checking into that now.....

Trappeur


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## dirtclod (May 7, 2008)

You'll have much better luck maintaining the sawmarks by using a hardwood over a soft wood.


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## snowi (Mar 2, 2008)

*Trappeur*

I am new to this .. or kinda new 
I used to work as a lumber grader in a sawmill that produced lumber for Japan we called it " Seaboard" 
all we did at that time was to run the lumber through the planner ( that had dull knives installed ) just to take off slight over sized edges and faces. 

What you could do is joint the edges on a joinner, then run all the boards through a single head planner ( with the good face down) to get them all to the same thickness, then replace the planner blades with dull ones and run them through just to take the smallest amount off of the face.

i am not sure if this is possible with newer thickness planners but its worth a shot...

Have a great day!!!


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## Trappeur (Jul 10, 2008)

*Hi Snowi!*
*Well that sounds real interesting....Like old boards all beat up and scratched...Thats what I'm looking for.....:yes:When I get with some of the mills, I will ask them if they can do that....*

*I really appreciate the input I'm getting from everyone...Thanks so much!*

*Trappeur*


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