Ted cook Hardwood Grades Explained: Lumber Grades With Close-Up Photographs

Hardwood Grades Explained: Lumber Grades With Close-Up Photographs

 

In the wood flooring business, the goal of every manufacturer is to produce more hardwood lumber clean enough to make it into their Select or 1st quality flooring inventory. Unfortunately, only about 60% of any tree cut and milled will become the high-graded material. What does the manufacturer do with the 40% of lower grade lumber? We buy them and move them into the market quickly.

Keep in mind that the grades for hardwood flooring are quite different from unfinished hardwood flooring grades, and unfinished hardwood flooring grades have very little in common with the prefinished hardwood flooring grades as set by the National Wood Flooring Association, NWFA. Also, the grades used for flooring are different than the rules used to grade hardwood lumber. Hardwood lumber grades will be far more numerous, as they help to specify what use that particular grade is appropriate for. Hardwood lumber is used for many other applications other than floors: windows, trim, sporting equipment and so many others are participants in the lumber and woodworking industry.

 

 

The 3 grades that we have pictured below are First Quality, Builder, and Cabin. And to be honest, First Quality is not an actual hardwood grade but more of a description. More on that later.

What are the differences between lumber grades?

 

To best explain the differences you will need to be familiar with a few flooring and lumber grading terms. Knot only (get it?) will we try to define these wood characteristics, I will also be adding photos as I can, so that you can better picture what to expect.

Hardwood Lumber Grading Definitions

 

Fallout- Any flooring that is caused to drop a grade due to an attribute that did not fit the higher grade.

 

This is a very important concept that we need to remember, especially in our lower grades. They are defined not so much for what is allowed to be in them, but more for what is not allowed in the next higher grade.

Average Board Length (ABL)- This is another very important attribute. In the unfinished market, every grade has to maintain a minimum ABL. Prefinished? Nope! As we help you to better understand the grades that we offer at ReallyCheapFloors.com ABL will be something we will try to convey how this will impact the floor that you purchase. Size matters!

Grading Standard- This rule says that the manufacturer is responsible for making certain that the product in the box that they sell contains no more than 5% of product that is not within standards. More on this later.

Imperfections- This is any attribute that is visible in a piece of hardwood. In some cases, we might view the character as a natural defect; other times it is a “beauty mark” that enhances the attractiveness. It is important that we discuss these as definitions as opposed to preferences and opinions as our goal is to learn enough so we can help you select the perfect floor later. Perfect for you!

Sapwood- This is the wood closest to the bark of the tree. It is usually a lighter color than the heartwood.

Heartwood- The center of the tree, it is denser and typically a darker color.

Pin Worm Holes- Pin worms sometimes get into freshly cut lumber or trees, as well as standing timber that’s in a weakened state. The kilning process kills these little fellows but their tracks remain as small-bore holes. We frequently see these in our Cabin grade.

pinholes in cabin grade floor

Shake- This is a crack in a board that follows the grain. It is typically caused by stress and can sometimes open after a floor is installed. Shake is not allowed in any grade of flooring.

Streaks-  Usually caused by the absorption of minerals from the soil around the tree. Depending on the species, it is usually a darker color than either the heartwood or sapwood.

Knots- This is where a limb was once located. Open knots are typically filled during the finish process. Large knots can be a problem, while small knots in many cases add to the look of a floor. The size of the knot will also have a bearing on hardwood grades.

wood knots in different grades of flooring

Torn Grain- Caused by the sawblade when the wood is being reduced to the specified thickness. It is a result of shallow grain that cannot stay attached. It is usually filled in the finish process but  is also commonly seen in our Cabin grade floors.

Machine Burn- A darker streak across the face of a board that is caused by the pausing of the board as it passes under a sander. Not allowed in our First Quality or Builder floors, it is sometimes seen in our Cabin and Blue Label options. Burns will be much more visible in the Natural finished floors than the stained hardwoods. This defect will not be listed for hardwood lumber.

3 Grades of Machine Burn

Bark- This is when a small amount of bark is visible from the face. Not something we frequently see but a small amount would be allowed in our Cabin flooring.

Scant Thickness- This is when a part of the board is not the full specified thickness. Not typically seen in prefinished.

Split- A crack in a board that goes all the way through

Bird Pecks- Just like it sounds. Darned woodpeckers!

Season Check- This is a small crack that may show up after the lumber has seasoned. Small, filled checks are allowed in higher grades of wood.

Season Check in Hardwood

How These Natural Wood Features Affect A Grade

 

Now you have a little better understanding of what the different defects are but how do they affect how the floor looks? And performs?

 

Let’s look at some photos that show all 3 hardwood grading in the same color. 

Red Oak Natural Flooring in 3 Hardwood Grades

all three red oak grades

 

 

The display closest to us is the first quality in Somerset’s Antique Collection. Somerset designed the Antique to accept #1 Common and better lumber so you will see knots in this collection, but all of the knots are tight and smooth. This allows the collection to offer some charm while still presenting the long boards, warranty, and small amount of color variation both between the different boards as well as on the individual boards. Somerset also offer prefinished Oak flooring in the Oak Plank collection, which is a Select grade. Both collections offer the same species, but different grades of lumber are used.

 

Red Oak first quality picture

Builder Grade Hardwood Flooring

 

Our Builder grade floors will have similar average board length to the First Quality, but are allowed to contain more color, as well as slight defects such as small checks (less than 1” long), grain tear, and some light streaking or mineral stain. What our Builder offers is an outstanding value on a floor with more character than the First Quality. 

 

red oak builder grade

Cabin Grade Red Oak Flooring

 

Now we get to the interesting part! Cabin grade floors are not something many people are familiar with, as it only represents about 5% of all solid hardwood production. That means that the boxstores will not sell it as the supply is not enough for them. And frankly, it is not easy to sell. A salesperson must know what to expect to find in the box and be able to represent it well. 

 

Before we get too deep into this I would like to explain that the visuals for our different Cabin products can vary a great deal. A floor with a dark stain will not show contrast and machine burns like a Natural floor will, nor will the short boards be as noticeable.

 

red oak cabin grade

 

 

One thing that I immediately notice is how little color and knot is in this photo. The reason for that is the term that we used earlier, Fallout. Because knots are allowed in the Antique Collection they are not cut out and dropped into the Cabin. 

 

But the Antique Cabin has plenty of other defects! Certainly the amount of shorts and machine burns was quite noticeable. In this photo I can see 20 burns. Some are worse than others, as you can see in the next photo.

 

red oak cabin grade machine burns

 

The shorts can sometimes escape your attention after they are installed. In the following photo you get a better idea of the shorter board length.

 

Cabin grade with short boards

See How Stained Floors Look in 3 Hardwood Lumber Qualities

Next we will have a look at the Oak Strip in the Sable color.

sable stain in all three hardwood grades

1st Quality with a Sable Stain 

 

In the Sable First Quality you can see that there are no knots and very little variation in color. This is a great visual of what Somerset does with their First Quality, with really long boards and clean looks. 

 

sable select grade first quality lumber

Builder Grade Sable

Builder Grade with a Sable Stain

 

Now compare the First Quality to the Builder Grade. You can see that the Builder has a bit more color, and a few knots. We would not be exaggerating to say that our Builder Grade is comparable to many of the first quality handscraped floors that are on the market today, but at half the price!

 

cabin grade sable stain oak

Cabin Grade with a Sable Stain

 

Next we will look at the Cabin grade. It looks surprisingly clean. Two things really help improve the look of this Cabin grade hardwood: the fact that it is racked out and pushed together, and because it is stained a darker color.

 

Pushing the boards together, combined with the stain color that minimizes the contrast typically seen in Cabin, makes the large percentage of short boards less of an issue. 

Not to say that a stained Cabin-graded floor will not have defects.

Dark Stain Cabin Garde Defects

Here you see close-ups of various defects. 

Sable Pinhole in this grade of hardwood

This photo shows some pinholes.

Sable season checks in this grade

This one is a great example of a season check.

Sable hardwood Machine Burn defect

Typically a machine burn isn’t very noticeable in a stain color but this one is especially nasty. If I were installing this floor I would put that board into a closet.

Sable hardwood grade defect Partial fill

This represents how the fill did not cover the abscess in the face of the board.

Next we will take a quick look at the Antique Gunstock.

Antique Gunstock Stain with Photos

3 Grades of Gunstock Oak Hardwood

I think this series of photos represents the 3 grades very well.

Checkout these products in a gunstock stain. Here's our Antique Collection of First Quality, Builder Grade, and our Cabin Grade)

 

While we expect the First Quality to be as perfect as it is, I really like how clean the builder looks. Certainly it contains a little more color and a few more short boards, but the overall impression is of a much more expensive floor.

Gunstock Cabin

 

The Cabin is the normal mosaic of shorts, color, and natural and manufacturing defects.

(Gunstock Check 2, Gunstock Machine Burn, Gunstock Pinholes 2)

 

Hopefully these photos of our Oak collections have helped you to better understand what a finished Oak hardwood floor will look like.

Hickory Nautral Grades with Photos

Now we will address Hickory

Hickory hardwood flooring in three lumber grades

 

 

The only thing that Hickory has in common with the previous floors is that it is made of wood!

 

Ok, that might not be completely true but it gives you an idea that Hickory hardwood flooring is in its own little world. With different visuals and defects we will need to pay careful attention to how we represent it

 

The first thing you will notice in the photo above is that all 3 grades contain a great deal of color. And while you will occasionally see a Select and Better Hickory floor that has much less color than the First Quality that is pictured here, the lack of demand for such a product has caused Somerset to discontinue its Specialty Collection that offered Select. What you see here in the First Quality photo is a floor that contains #1 Common and better lumber. You won’t see any open knot or face, nor will you see any of the mineral stain that is common in the species. And almost all of the color will extend from one side of the board to the other. This creates a softer, less radical visual than the Builder or Cabin. Also you will not see the extreme dark and light streaks that are common in Hickory, but that Somerset relegates to the 2 lower grades.

Hickory Builder Grade

(Hickory Builder)

 

Here you see more knots, color variation, and shorter average board length. Because Hickory customers are seeking the variation that you see here the Builder grade is a very popular option.

Hickory Cabin Grade

(Hickory Cabin)

 

 

Here you can see what is not allowed in the Builder grade: lots of shorts, machine burns, and unsanded fill.

 

Before a plank of Hickory receives the finish the boards that have open knot will be hit with a bit of black fill, as that is the color of the knot. After going through a dryer that board is sanded so that all of the excess fill is removed. Well, almost all of the excess fill! Sometimes a little gets missed and those boards are tossed into Cabin grade.

Hickory Cabin Grade Defects

(Hickory unsanded fill) (Hickory Cabin Closeup)

Machine burns are very noticeable on the light-colored boards.

(Hickory Machine Burns)

The Truth of Hardwood Grades Revealed

 

I sincerely hope that you have a better understanding of how our prefinished solid hardwood floors are graded, and that you are ready to select the perfect hardwood floor for your home. 

I will leave you with a couple of points that should not be overlooked:

What Grade Hardwood Do I Want?

Do not plan to purchase a lower grade of floor and improve it a great deal by throwing out 10-20%. All you will do is waste your money and still have the same grade of floor.

That being said, sure you can take a few boards that you don’t like and put them into the closet. Just don’t expect that to be a method of cleaning up the grade.

Cabin will have shorts. Lots of them. In fact it will be mostly shorts. If this bothers you maybe consider the Builder grade or a darker color.

Some of our inventory, including Builder and Cabin, are available in limited quantities. If you decide that you want to buy these, get that credit card out and call us!