Brown board is a term for generic lumber that is found in barns. If the material is well aged, but kept dry, it develops a wonderful deep auburn color. This is called patina. We prepare as plank flooring, but leave the sanding of the face up to the installers so that they can control the final color. A light sanding will go a long way; with a heavy sanding and the wonderful color disappears.

Most of our brown board comes from wall sheathing in granaries and old houses. It is usually pine and runs 5-6 inches wide. We prepare our brown board like we do our barnsiding. We re-cut, or “straight line rip” the edges so that they are clean and straight. We also go through and “defect,” or remove, all of the rot, cracked, or questionable pieces. We also plane one side down so that the thickness is consistent.

We can hand sand the surface so that the edges are beveled and it is ready to install. We recommend a “glue-and-face-nail” installation approach. We’re a big fan of the Tremont Nail Company in Massachusetts. They still use some of the old turn-of-the century machines to manufacture square cut nails.

Prices:
Prepared Brown Board  –  $4.95/SF
Hand Sanded top with bevels   –   add $1.00 per square foot