This is a great choice for homeowners looking for a refined, clean and unfussy finish. However, manufacturer grading systems focus more on factors such as strength, stability, durability, and quality of the hardwood flooring. The flooring will have a four-sided tongue and groove for ease of installation. This is the wood referred to by the NHLA as FAS (Firsts and Seconds). Prefinished Rustic hardwood flooring has an allowable small percentage, but is not limited to, defects including: splits, pocket knots, and a shorter average board length. Streaks are just what they sound like long thin areas of the wood that are a different color from the rest due to the presence of certain minerals.

303.825.3006 When you look at a #1 Common Grade floor, you know are reminded that you are looking at a natural, organic material. This grade of wood flooring is great if you are looking for a beautiful wide width, long length flooring for your project. Clear Grade boards are taken from the heartwood of a tree and create a very smooth, uniform look often desired when a clean, classic tone is the goal. #2 Common Grade contains much more variety including large and small knots, long to short mineral streaks, alongside noticeable shading variances between each board. That will ultimately dictate how they go through the hardwood floor installation process. We provide these deals in two ways for you to access. This grade of wood flooring has a more prominent character/rustic look to the overall appearance. You can also contact us direct. Hardwood Floor Depot also offers a Character Grade Unfinished Solid Hardwood Flooring that is bundled in 2-10 Random Lengths. All Rights Reserved, We ensure you get the right products at the right price. It always a good idea when installing Cabin Grade to lay out the boards as you intend to use them, as this allows you to control the aesthetic of these highly varied boards at least a little. Or call us at. #2 Common Grade is normally bundled in 1-7 Random Lengths with the average board length between 22-24 in length. First lets dispel a couple of myths. Walnut, #1 Common Grade, will be have a greater ratio of heartwood to sapwood with a better percentage of sapwood included than the Select and Better Grade. Denver, CO 80223

3A Common. Cabin Grade Also known as Tavern grade. Choosing the grade of wood for your floors really is a personal preference based on the look and appearance that you are trying to achieve. Brent, who handled all the carpet tear-out, labor, and installation was thorough, We had already picked hardwood from another retail exchange, but became concerned they would be unable to timely deliver. 800.639.3006. Hardwood Floor Depot works solely with NWFA Certified Manufacturers that start the milling process with wood that is kiln dried for 30 days between 180 350 degrees giving more prominent strength and quality to our material.

If you like your wood floors rough and ready with any and all variations in color, grain patterns and character defects then this grade is for you. Depending on the species of wood, stark color variations and bold streaks, prominent knots and burls, and highly inconsistent grain patterns make #2 Common Grade floors a great choice when the natural, living look is what you seek. Typically cabin grade wood planks are shorter and the possible imperfections will be greater, including damage marks created during the milling process. As only around 15% of the wood of each tree conforms to this grade it is a more expensive option, but that doesnt mean it is better. The Common Grades are also the most forgiving choice for high traffic areas or homes with pets or lively children, as dings and scratches are easily masked among the natural imperfections of the wood. The Bundles are Strapped in 9-7 random lengths but please expect most boards ranging in 9-5 random lengths with an average board length of under 2. Hardwood Floor Depot works solely with NWFA Certified Manufacturers that start the milling process with wood that is kiln dried for 30 days between 180 350 degrees giving more prominent strength and quality to our material. Select grade shares traits with clear grade in as much as there will still be a strong uniformity of color and pattern, so you shouldnt see any glaring differences from plank to plank or in the finished floor overall. Cabin Grade wood is just what it sounds like. Normally bundled in 1-7 Random Lengths with an average board length of 3-3 1/2 long, we also offer Longer Length boards, per request, which come with a Higher than Average Board Length.The flooring will have a four-sided tongue and groove for ease of installation. We ran into several challenges with our 1,400 square foot project, and yet installation started on the day we scheduled and was completed ahead of schedule. #3 Common Grade flooring is too good for the mill to discard but you must know that this grade allows for some split and cracked wood, some open knots, broken or missing tongues and some milling defects. Our website is supported by advertising. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Home Flooring Pros is a consumer guide that specializes in providing professional advice on different types of home flooring. Cabin grade offers no consistency when it comes to color or grain pattern, but it does offer a rustic look that supersedes even that of Rustic Grade #2 Common. As mentioned above, clear and select grade woods are only more expensive because there is less of it per tree! As you contemplate the materials you want to use for your hardwood flooring project, you will realize a lot of factors will go into dictating the right choice. Thoroughly satisfied by the quality, craftsmanship and attention to detail provided by MacDonald Hardwoods. At the bottom of the scale is No. Although there are only a few different grades that, as a floor consumer, you need to concern yourself with, it doesnt help that each grade is often referred to in different ways. We went to several flooring places throughout the front range before finding MacDonald Hardwoods. So we went to MacDonald Hardwood and could not be more satisfied. Oak Grade sample photos from NWFA website Generally boxed in 1-7 Random Lengths with an average board length of 3-3 1/2 in length. Required fields are marked *. It would also affect the amount of maintenance the floor would need over time. There is a very small number of character marks and little if any discoloration. Tom's estimate in-house was quick and accurate and we had a complete quote before he left. Rustic Grade has the most pronounced variation in color throughout the whole floor between heartwood and sapwood. Excellent summary. When we decided to replace carpet with more hardwood we went to MH with hope to find something close.. However, there is currently no established (in writing) universal grading system for hardwood floorings. Our Character Grade hardwood flooring has a longer average board length than even our Select & Better Grade flooring. 2B Common: very receptive to painting, No. Our Web Specials are posted regularly here on our website. The grading of lumber actually refers to the appearance of the wood planks, so its really about aesthetics. This flooring has a slight Character look to the overall appearance. I needed a few linear feet of replacement oak flooring. Among the many qualities that influence the appearance of any particular hardwood flooring is the grade of the wood.

Read our Terms of Use and Disclosures page for more information. We are We recently completed a kitchen renovation and needed flooring throughout the main level.

These standards are now used to grade virtuallyall hardwood flooring throughout the country and are promoted and upheld by the National Wood Flooring Association (NWFA). Taken from the heart (center) of the tree this is the highest grade of wood and is clear in the sense that it will have the highest uniformity of color and pattern, lacking any marks, blemishes or defects. #1 Common Grade also has some small knots and mineral streaks sporadic throughout the hardwood flooring. Indeed given the current trends in hardwood flooring, with a return to a vintage, old-world look it is often the cheaper grades that are more sought after. I can't say enough good things about MacDonald Hardwoods. The flooring will have a four-sided tongue and groove for ease of installation.

We always recommend getting a free estimate or quote as soon as is viable, not only so you can start to budget, but so you can get some feedback from a professional on what you want to achieve (even if your thinking of doing the work yourself!). In America, the National Hardwood Lumber Association (NHLA) sets the industry standards for the grading of hardwood lumber. For example clear grade wood typically has more straight/vertical grain patterning while select grade will show far more open grain patterning like swirls and burls (see photos). Clear Grade Also referred to as FAS (firsts and seconds). Most of our Prefinished Exotic Species come with a 25-50 Year Residential Warranty. In this Home Flooring Pros blog post we take a look at the sometimes confusing topic of hardwood flooring grades. Yes 25 years, It has held up beautifully.

On the plus side it is much, much cheaper and suitable for certain projects (rentals? Hardwood Floor Depot works solely with NWFA certified manufacturers that start the milling process with wood that is kiln dried for 30 days between 180 and 350 degrees giving more prominent strength and quality to our material. Generally these are no more than inch wide, though sometimes larger grubs can create virtual trenches, known as grub holes.

Thats great! The grade of a wood floor does not refer to the quality of the wood (although a higher price tag is often attached to higher grades of wood) nor does it concern the durability of the flooring. are uniform in appearance with natural color variations per each species. Many of our Select and Better Grade exotics or imported hardwood flooring come with a 25-50 Year Residential Warranty. You will receive a small percentage of 6 and 7 length boards, however, we strive to give you a very accurate description of this flooring so expect mostly 9-5 random lengths.

While the NOFMA grading system relates closely to the guidelines set out for all hardwood lumber by the National Hardwood Lumber Association (NHLA), the NOFMA system gives more attention to the appearance or absence of certain characteristic marks than to other considerations weighed by the NHLA, which must grade wood for uses ranging from cabinetry to building frames. For the same reason, Clear Grade wood will almost always cost more than other grades. Cabin Grade flooring is popular for spaces such as, well, cabins, but also playrooms, workshops, and other areas where the floors might be subject to much abuse. Again its not that the wood is bad quality its simply that the pieces to not match up to the standards that both manufactures and consumers expect. The price was right, the staff was responsive in helping us make our selection and answering all our questions, and the installer was great. Bruce and Scott were extremely professional and insightful with their hardwood floor suggestions for our 2nd floor, measured and estimated within one day, and scheduled construction the next. This lower Grade of wood flooring will have a Shorter than Average Board Length than our Higher Grades of hardwood flooring. The team at Macdonald Hardwoods is fantastic. Its difficult for some people to even notice a major difference between the two grades of flooring. There will be bigger variations in color tone from plank to plank, more noticeable marks, including small knots, streaks, worm holes, checks and fine cracks. Once the finisher squares of any boards that might need it, fills in knots with matching wood filler, sands and finishes, you will end up with a stunning character/rustic looking floor.

Almost allboards soldfor hardwood flooring in the U.S. 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. They are widely accepted by builders, carpenters, and merchants all over the world. NOFMA grades, then, are largely an indicator of what the face of aboard can be expected to look like, rather than an assessment of inherent quality, stability, hardness, or other factors. Please let us know your experiences of choosing different floor grades or any questions you may still have. Rustic Grade is great for small or low budget projects looking to include hardwood flooring. All rights reserved. 3A Common: very popular grade for wood flooring and the making of pallets, No. It is premium grade wood and, as its category name suggests, its face is pretty much free of character marks like knots and burls. This grade of flooring is best described as an 80/20 mix of our #1 Common Grade being approximately 80% and approximately 20% of our #2 Common Grade. Area of Clear Cuttings Required. Also, you will want to note that merchants won't include grading information when selling engineered hardwood flooring and or materials.

It is worth noting that the list provided below does represent the grades as they sit now within the lumber industry. We work closely with qualified flooring contractors throughout the USA to provide installation and repair services for home flooring products. 800.639.3006, MacDonald Hardwoods Although not set in stone, these different grades also gave the consumer an idea of what use the wood they are buying is most suited to eg, furniture, shelving, flooring etc. As stated above, #1 Common Grade contains variations in coloration from board to board, small, tight, knots, and minor mineral streaks sporadically contained throughout the flooring. What are the differences between Hardwood and Softwood Lumber, Dont Overlook These Must-Know Hotel Renovation Tips, What is Causing the Lumber Prices to Drop in Summer 2022, How to Maintain the Quality of your Plywood Inventory, Why Lumber Prices had a Steady Decline in March 2022, The species of wood and how it is processed, The surface measurement (SM) of the whole piece (the width, in inches and fractions, The rating of the worst side of the piece, The cutting yield the contractor can expect to get, Both sides of the wood are evaluated, creating an overall grade, Final check to ensure the hardwood piece truly meets the final grade standards in terms of things like wane, pitch, and so forth. #2 Common is similar to #1, but with more boards displaying the characteristic marks of natural wood and greater color variation among the boards. #3 Common Grade also known as Utility Grade Hardwood Flooring is great for low budget situations. These small defects can simply be corrected by squaring off the ends of some boards, filling in the small open hole knots with matching wood filler, or discarding a very minor percentage of unusable boards. The flooring will have a four-sided tongue and groove for ease of installation. 1 Common: Typically used for furniture manufacturing, No. NOTE: First and Seconds FAS actually counts as two separate grades, bringing the count to 8 grades in all. In hardwood flooring, with exception of Cabin Grade, generally only Sound knots are permitted, meaning that, while the grain is interrupted by the knot, the board remains smooth and no wood is actually missing from the area. Clearly, you will have choices to make as your start looking for your hardwood flooring materials. ContactHardwood Floor Depotto get started. Board Width/Min. Get Directions >, info@macwoods.com This is about as close as it gets to a hardwood version of seconds! We thought we knew what we were looking for but after a few questions from Scott, we ended up with the right high quality flooring that was ideal for our application. As a first time buyer of new hardwood flooring there is certainly plenty to think about and much to learn, its not as simple as choosing a species of wood or deciding on a color scheme and getting out your credit card. Walnut, Select & Better Grade, will be mostly heartwood but will contain some sapwood. If you are contemplating using hardwood floors on an upcoming project, you will want to make sure you make the right choice in materials.

What are we referring to when we talk about wood floor grades? However, with Select Grade, which is cut from both heartwood and sapwood, you will find more color variation between and within the boards as well as subtle diversions in the grain pattern that start to display some of woods natural character. 3015 112th Ave NE, STE 214, Bellevue, WA 98004 General: (888) 856-6677 info@silvaris.com www.silvaris.com. Here are some interesting characteristics of note regarding some of the grades: Select: The poor side of each piece is given the common I grade while the better side has a FAS grade, this grade is often used in hardwood floors in Northern U.S. No. Flooring Grades and Types, Frequently Asked Questions. #2 Common Grade Hardwood Flooring will have a more overall Rustic look than higher grades.

However the natural colors and grain patterns of the wood will be more diverse, allowing more of the woods character to come through.

These boards are sort of like a second string.

Select and Better Grade Hardwood Flooring contains extremely slight variations in color created by the minor differentiating contrasts of heartwood and sapwood. There is no denying that hardwood flooring add an air of elegance and sophistication to any room in a house or office. The flooring will have a four-sided tongue and groove for ease of installation. It is in the Common Grades that natural wood character is really allowed to shine. Number 1 Common Grade Can sometimes be referred to as Natural grade or 2nd grade. That latter, however, are no permitted in flooring grade wood, with the occasional exception of Cabin Grade. As wood is a natural product there are wide variations in color and texture, from species to species and from tree to tree. At the high end of the scale is FAS: Shorthand for First and Seconds. While they have all the durability, stability, quality of any other board used for flooring, their imperfections tend to dominate their face, displaying large streaks, deep knots and burls, wormholes, and even marks made during the milling process. These are the naturally occurring features that give wood some of its character. Hickory and Maple, Select and Better Grade, wood flooring will have clean heartwood and sapwood with an allowable 5% of small, tight knots, and short mineral streaks. An industry recognized grading system was created to allow buyers and sellers a common point of reference to describe batches of wood with similar qualities. About Us | Advertise | Contact Us | Website T&C's and Privacy Policy, Hardwood Flooring Grades | 2022 Home Flooring Pros. The end result with our #3 Common/Utility Grade Hardwood Flooring is SIGNIFICANT SAVINGS while providing you a beautiful end product that is full of natural color and character. Character Grade flooring might contain a small percentage of Rustic Grade flooring with the lighter colored species of woods showing more color variations. 2009-2015 StructurePress. Other names for Rustic Grade used in the flooring industry are Mill Run, Cabin Grade, Utility Grade, and #3 Common. Complete the form and one of our hardwood flooring experts will contact you. Our installer Ben was outstanding and made sure We had a great experience from start to finish. Rustic grade has medium to large tight knots, small to large mineral streaks, and might have a small percentage of pocket knots (most of which have been pre-filled before finishing but not all). These are beautiful rustic looking floors when completed and last as long as any other solid hardwood flooring. 3B Common: very cheapest grade used in the manufacturing of pallets and crates for shipping and storage. Premium grade will have the longest average lengths. Thank you, Your email address will not be published. We dig deep to find the deals you need to help your business grow. #2Common, sometimes referred to as Rustic Grade, retains much of the organic, natural quality of the trees from which it comes. Walnut #1 Common will also include small to medium knots and mineral streaks. The communication and planning was first rate as was the execution. Hickory and Maple, #1 Common Grade, wood flooring allows for more variation of color between heartwood and sapwood with small to medium sized knots and mineral streaking. Cabin Grade is, as might be expected, substantially cheaper than other grades, but bundles also are likely to include a higher number of boards that you will simply not want to use. Both Scott 929 West 1st Avenue It is worth mentioning that once you start looking at Number 1 and Number 2 common grades you will also really start to see the difference between different species of wood. The following is a comprehensive list of all 8 grades. 2A Common: Used for cabinets and millwork, No. Our project could not have gone better. Like Clear Grade, Select Grade wood will show a fairly consistent face, largely free of imperfections.

The material comes in 2-10 random lengths and has an average board length of 5-5 1/2 long. Our Select and Better Grade is processed to NWFA (National Wood Flooring Association) Rules allowing exceptionally negligible character marks (less than 3%) yet is known to be extremely predictable in overall color and grain variety throughout the entire wood flooring giving a spotless appearance. Our #1 Common Grade is processed to NWFA (National Wood Flooring Association) Rules allowing a slight difference in coloration between each board produced by the contrasting differences of heartwood, sapwood, small tight knots, and short mineral streaks sporadic within the wood flooring. To do that, an understanding of how hardwoods get graded would benefit you.

To make a fully informed decision some technical analysis is required as well. Pieces will vary wildly from one another creating a beautiful patchwork effect. Communication from Steve was My husband and I recently purchased hardwood flooring from MacDonald Hardwoods and we couldnt be happier! It is perfect for owners who want to achieve that natural, non-uniform look of real wood. To that end, we may be compensated with a small commission through affiliations with our endorsement, recommendation, testimonial, and/or link to any products or services from this website. The information will be presented as follows from highest grade to the lowest: Grade (Trade Name): / Min.

Select Grade May also be referred to as Prime grade, AB grade or 1st grade. For instance, moisture absorption rates could be a significant factor in areas with high humidity and rainfall.