Knotty New England white pine, kiln dried, with a circle sawn face. It is the lightest of our four options in both color and weight, and the easiest to work with on site. Lock mitered, supplied unfinished, built to order in any size.
White pine is pale. Left unfinished it stays close to cream, and a clear coat keeps it there. That makes it the option for a room where a dark beam would sit too heavily overhead, or a ceiling that is already low.
It is also physically the lightest of the four. On a long span or a high ceiling that difference is real, and installers notice it.
Knotty pine earns its name. The knots are frequent, dark against the pale field, and they are the main visual event in the face.
The circle sawn surface adds shallow arcs on top of that, so you get two kinds of interest working together. It reads busier up close than the oak does, and calmer from across a room, because the color range is narrow.
These samples show the circle sawn face and the knots up close.
Pine takes stain readily, which is both the advantage and the thing to watch. You can push it anywhere from a light honey to a near black, and the circle sawn grooves will hold extra pigment and deepen the texture.
Softwood also absorbs unevenly around knots and end grain. Most finishers use a conditioner first. Have yours test on an offcut before committing, because pine is less forgiving of a bad stain choice than oak is.
Common profiles: 3 by 6 by 3, 6 by 6 by 6, and 8 by 8 by 8 inches. Any custom size can be built.
The three numbers in a profile are the three exposed faces. A 6 by 6 by 6 beam shows 6 inches down each side and 6 inches across the bottom.
Beams longer than 16 feet are seamed. A single continuous board is rarely available at that length, so the face is joined. The seams are tight and read as part of the beam, but you should expect them.
Box beams are built to order, which is the reason for the two to three week lead time. Depending on inventory, we may have a few in stock, so reach out and ask. Samples are at the yard too, and visits are by appointment only.
Minimum order is four beams.
You are welcome to pick up at our yard in Hopewell Junction at no charge, by appointment, or we will quote delivery to your site.
Send the species, the profile, the lengths, and how many you need. We quote each order individually, including freight to your zip code. Because a custom order is made to size anyway, a non standard dimension does not add to the lead time.
A knotty rustic grade New England white pine, kiln dried and milled with a circle sawn face. The knots are frequent and they are the main visual event in the board.
No. It ships unfinished, which matters more with pine than the others, because stain choice makes a bigger difference on a pale softwood.
No. A box beam carries no load, so hardness is only relevant to handling and finishing. Pine is easier on both counts.
Common profiles are 3 by 6 by 3, 6 by 6 by 6, and 8 by 8 by 8 inches, in lengths from 12 to 20 feet. Any custom size can be built.
You can get close on color with the right stain, but the grain and the knot pattern will still read as pine. If you want oak, buy oak.
Send the profile and the lengths and we will quote the beams and the freight together. If you want the same circle sawn texture in a harder and darker wood, the white oak version is the alternative. Call (845) 232-8943.
