Hardwood Flooring Grades

Select 1 common and 2 common which is also known as rustic grade or builder s grade.

Hardwood flooring grades.

While the national wood flooring association or nwfa has established a grading system it only applies to certain domestic species there is no universal system for international grades of hardwood. The official wood grades apply to solid hardwood. 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 first is to address aspects of strength and serviceability when flooring is to be laid in structural applications such as over joists.

This grade is slightly lower than the clear still presenting uniform color and little to no knots and pinholes. 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. The graining is a bit distorted due to how it s. Grading rules have two specific purposes.

There are grades on engineered but not regulated standard and all sorts of names that manufacturers use and often inconsistently. Reasons being you will find prefinished manufacturers prefer to stay within a defined area of flooring that is basically more uniform in appearance unless otherwise specified. Especially pertaining to oak hardwood flooring the 3 most commonly used grades are. This is an interesting area for shoppers retailers and manufacturers.

Each grade has its own particular characteristics and appearance. Almost all boards sold for hardwood flooring in the u s. Among the many qualities that influence the appearance of any particular hardwood flooring is the grade of the wood. The grading of solid hardwood flooring revolves around australian standard as 2796 timber hardwood sawn and milled products.

Qualities meaning aesthetically whether they have a lot of knots wormholes and open grain lines or pretty evenly toned and without natural blemishes. 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 of hardwood floors is more prevalent with unfinished flooring as it is with prefinished. I m beginning to realize that a lot of people out there don t know that there are different grades of hardwood flooring.