Hardwood Flooring Grades

Select grade hardwood flooring is top of the line in terms of both appearance and in terms of cost and comes from the heart of a tree.

Hardwood flooring grades.

I m beginning to realize that a lot of people out there don t know that there are different grades of hardwood flooring. Among the many qualities that influence the appearance of any particular hardwood flooring is the grade of the wood. Because of this the wood s sap content is very low which results in very uniform color very few knots and the smoothest finish of any grade wood. This is the best grade of hardwood flooring because there are few color variations board lengths are not widely varied and there are little to no visible knots or pinholes.

The official wood grades apply to solid hardwood. Qualities meaning aesthetically whether they have a lot of knots wormholes and open grain lines or pretty evenly toned and without natural blemishes. The grading of solid hardwood flooring revolves around australian standard as 2796 timber hardwood sawn and milled products. The first is to address aspects of strength and serviceability when flooring is to be laid in structural applications such as over joists.

Each grade has its own particular characteristics and appearance. Grading of hardwood floors is more prevalent with unfinished flooring as it is with prefinished. Select 1 common and 2 common which is also known as rustic grade or builder s grade. Also many engineered woods especially cheaper ones are rotary sawn think of an apple peeler and these tend to be weaker and certainly look cheaper i e.

There are grades on engineered but not regulated standard and all sorts of names that manufacturers use and often inconsistently. This grade is slightly lower than the clear still presenting uniform color and little to no knots and pinholes. This is an interesting area for shoppers retailers and manufacturers. Are graded according to standards originally laid out by the national oak flooring manufacturers association nofma to help create consistency in the quality of oak flooring in the u s.

The hardwood grading system was created to help both home buyers sellers and flooring professionals to have a common point of reference for describing batches of wood with similar qualities. Grading rules have two specific purposes. Almost all boards sold for hardwood flooring in the u s. The graining is a bit distorted due to how it s.