Maritime pine is one of the most enduring choices for solid timber flooring in the UK. Its distinctive grain, warm honey tones and robust density have made it a trusted option for everything from period hallways to contemporary open-plan living spaces. This guide covers what to look for when buying maritime pine floorboards, how to choose the right width and grade for your project, and which products from the Snowdon Timber range are best suited to your needs.
What is Maritime Pine?
Maritime pine (Pinus pinaster) is a resinous softwood grown primarily across Western Europe, particularly in France, Portugal and Spain. It is well known for its strength relative to its weight, its pronounced grain character, and its natural resin content, which contributes to durability and a slight natural resistance to moisture.
As a flooring material, maritime pine offers a warm, traditional aesthetic that suits both classic and modern interiors. The wood darkens attractively with age and can be sanded and refinished multiple times over its lifespan, making it a genuinely long-term investment.
Why Choose Tongue and Groove Floorboards?
All maritime pine floorboards in the Snowdon Timber range are machined with a tongue and groove profile. This interlocking joint serves several important functions:
• It creates a tight, stable floor surface that minimises movement and gaps as the timber acclimatises.
• It distributes load more evenly across boards, reducing localised wear.
• It makes installation significantly easier for DIY fitters, as boards click together without the need for complex joinery.
• It produces a cleaner finished surface compared to plain-edge boards.
For most domestic flooring projects, tongue and groove is the recommended profile — and it is the standard across all Snowdon Timber maritime pine boards.
Choosing the Right Width
Board width has a significant effect on the character of a finished floor. Narrower boards tend to look more traditional and can make smaller rooms feel less dominated by the floor surface. Wider boards create a more contemporary, expansive feel and reduce the number of visible joints, giving a cleaner result in larger spaces.
As a general guide:
• 120mm boards suit hallways, period properties, and rooms up to approximately 20m².
• 140mm boards offer a good balance for living rooms, dining rooms, and bedrooms.
• 170–200mm boards are well suited to larger open-plan spaces and properties where a wide-plank aesthetic is the goal.
All boards in the Snowdon Timber range are 21mm thick and 2.0m in length, giving a consistent structural spec across widths. Thicker boards are more dimensionally stable and can withstand repeated sanding and refinishing.
Understanding Grades: Prime vs Reject
Snowdon Timber stocks maritime pine floorboards in two grades: standard (prime) and reject (also called factory reject or B-grade).
Prime boards are the main production grade — consistent in appearance, with tighter grain and fewer visible knots. These are the right choice for formal rooms where a clean, uniform surface is the priority.
Reject boards are B-grade timber that does not meet the appearance criteria for prime grade, typically due to larger knots, sap streaks, or minor surface variation. Structurally, they perform identically. For rustic interiors, barn conversions, utility spaces, or any project where a characterful, natural look is preferred, reject boards often produce a more interesting result — and at a lower cost per board.
How to Calculate How Many Boards You Need
Coverage per board depends on the width. As a reference:
Always add 10–15% to your calculated quantity to allow for cuts, wastage, and any boards reserved for future repairs.
Installation Tips
Maritime pine is a natural timber product and must be acclimatised before installation. Leave boards loose in the room they will be fitted in for a minimum of 48 hours — ideally 72 hours — before laying. This allows the timber to adjust to the ambient temperature and humidity of the space and reduces the risk of gapping or cupping after installation.
Additional installation guidance:
• Always install on a flat, dry, structurally sound subfloor. Any movement or unevenness in the subfloor will telegraph through the finished floor.
• Use appropriate fixings for the subfloor type — secret nailing is the traditional method for tongue and groove boards on timber joists.
• Leave a 10mm expansion gap around the perimeter of the room to allow for natural seasonal movement.
• Do not install over underfloor heating without first consulting a flooring specialist — solid timber boards require careful management of heat output and moisture levels.
Finishing Your Maritime Pine Floor
New maritime pine boards can be finished in several ways, depending on the look you want to achieve:
• Oiled finish: penetrating oils (such as Osmo Polyx or Rubio Monocoat) enhance the grain and give a natural, matt appearance. They are relatively easy to spot-repair and are well suited to family homes.
• Lacquered finish: a harder, more durable surface film that is easier to clean in high-traffic areas. The appearance is slightly more plasticky than oil but very practical.
• Wax finish: traditional and warm in appearance, but requires more maintenance than oil or lacquer.
• Painted or limed: for those seeking a contemporary, Scandinavian-influenced look, maritime pine takes paint and lime well due to its open grain.
Snowdon Timber also stocks pre-oiled maritime pine floorboards (170mm width) for projects where a factory-finished board is preferred — saving time on site and ensuring a consistent result.
Maritime Pine Floorboards — Full Range
All boards are 21mm thick and 2.0m in length. Tongue and groove profile. Sold individually.
Snowdon Timber Maritime Pine Floorboards — 120mm Wide
Dimensions: 21 x 120 x 2000mm | Coverage: 0.24 m² per board | Price: £42.50
• Prime grade, consistent appearance and tight grain
• Tongue and groove profile for fast DIY installation
• Coverage: 0.24 m² per board — approx. 4.2 boards per m²
• Suitable for all domestic rooms including hallways, living rooms, bedrooms and conservatories
• Can be sanded, stained and finished on site to specification
Maritime Pine Floorboards — Full Range
Dimensions:
21 x 140 x 2000mm | Coverage: 0.28 m² per board | Price: £45.00
• Prime grade, wider board for a more contemporary look
• Tongue and groove profile — compatible with 120mm boards for mixed-width laying
• Coverage: 0.28 m² per board — approx. 3.6 boards per m²
• Ideal for living rooms, dining rooms, master bedrooms and open-plan spaces
• 21mm thickness allows for multiple refinishing cycles over the life of the floor
Snowdon Timber Maritime Pine Floorboards — 200mm Wide
Dimensions:
21 x 200 x 2000mm | Coverage: 0.40 m² per board | Price: £50.00
• Prime grade, wide-plank format for a luxury, characterful finish
• Fewer boards required — coverage of 0.40 m² per board reduces installation time
• Pronounced natural grain and knot character typical of wide maritime pine boards
• Best suited to larger rooms, open-plan layouts and properties where statement flooring is the goal
• Compatible with all standard tongue and groove installation methods
Snowdon Timber Oiled Maritime Pine Floorboards — 170mm Wide
Dimensions:
21 x 170 x 2000mm | Coverage: 0.34 m² per board | Price: £50.00
• Factory-oiled finish — ready to lay with no additional finishing required on site
• 170mm wide board for a generous, wide-plank aesthetic
• Oil finish enhances the natural grain and protects against everyday wear
• Ideal for busy family homes, kitchens and living spaces where a durable, low-maintenance surface is needed
• Coverage: 0.34 m² per board — approx. 2.9 boards per m²
Budget Option: Reject Grade Maritime Pine Floorboards
For projects where cost is a priority or where a rustic, characterful appearance is desired, Snowdon Timber stocks reject grade maritime pine floorboards at a lower price point. Reject boards are B-grade in appearance only — they carry the same structural specification as prime boards but may feature larger knots, sap streaking or surface variation.
Snowdon Timber Reject Maritime Pine Floorboards — 120mm Wide
Dimensions:
21 x 120 x 2000mm | Coverage: 0.24 m² per board | Price: £39.95
• B-grade appearance — natural knots and character grain, structurally identical to prime
• Excellent value for utility spaces, rental properties, workshops and rustic interiors
• Tongue and groove profile — same installation method as prime boards
• Coverage: 0.24 m² per board
Snowdon Timber Reject Maritime Pine Floorboards — 140mm Wide
Dimensions: 21 x 140 x 2000mm | Coverage: 0.28 m² per board | Price: £42.50
• B-grade appearance — wider board with natural variation in grain and knot pattern
• Ideal for barn conversions, period properties and interiors where a lived-in, natural look is preferred
• Lower cost per m² than prime grade, without compromising on structural integrity
• Coverage: 0.28 m² per board
Which Board Is Right for Your Project?
Use this quick reference to compare the full maritime pine floorboard range at a glance:
Prices shown are correct at time of publication and subject to change. Visit the product page for current pricing.
All boards can be ordered online at snowdontimber.co.uk. For large-volume orders or trade enquiries, contact the Snowdon Timber team directly.
