The lowest grade of all pre-finished flooring, this grade accepts anything; short pieces, sander burns, splits, large knots, pieces missing a tongue on one or both ends, etc. Any and all of these can be in a box of utility grade wood. That being said, it is still pre-finished, solid wood at half the cost of unfinished wood flooring. Your flooring will contain a large amount of boards with cut ends. If you do not use these boards, your waste will be much higher.You will need to figure 20% waste, and you should get a serviceable floor.
If you will be hiring an installer to install your Utility grade flooring, make sure that you mention to him/her that you are using this grade. Due to the limited availability of the Utility grade, most installers are unfamiliar with it, and they will either charge more to install it, or they will try to install the floor as a #2 common floor, resulting in waste exceeding our recommended 20%.
Expect the majority of boards to be less than 16 inches
Expect more waste if your installer does not use the boards with cut ends.
How much waste should I expect in the Utility Grade?
Who knows? Although that answer may sound a bit forward, it is very true. Only the customer knows which defects will be thrown away and which will be used.
Some lots may contain up to 50% cut ends.
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