![]() ![]() What we mean is that when select grade solid hardwood is installed in your home, there won’t be many surprises the consistency in appearance is the best overall when compared to the lower grades like #1 and #2. The difference is in the consistency throughout the planks. The people who created the “grading system” (NOFMA) do not consider quality to be a factor that differs throughout the different grades (although many installers and contractors would beg to differ). Select Grade: This grade of solid hardwood is what our flooring professionals always recommend installing. You can often find this grade in things like engineered hardwood flooring, or furniture. Although this grade is the most uniform, because it comes from such a small percentile of the actual tree (the heart) it isn’t in abundance and is not usually used for hardwood flooring. Clear grade: Taken from the heart (center) of the tree, this is the highest grade of hardwood and “clearest” meaning it has few to no blemishes at all, no knots or wormholes, and has the most uniformity between the planks in regards to color and grain lines. Here’s a quick look and description of each… ![]() “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. Keep in mind that wood is a natural material and no matter what grade you choose, there will always be some variation in color and texture from specie-to-specie, and even from tree-to-tree. Even the clearest grades can have a knot or two in a plank here and there. The grading of lumber actually refers to the appearance of the individual planks and what part of the tree it is taken from, so it’s mostly aesthetics. ![]() However, there are terms that are sometimes used such as “Character Grade” for species such as Hickory and Maple. The grade levels for hardwood are Clear Grade, Select and Better, No 1 and No 2. Who knew choosing which hardwood flooring to use had so many variables? Don’t fret we’re here to help… In the flooring industry, we get this question quite a bit. Heres an overview on each hardwood grade, and how to choose which hardwood grade is right for your project. Quality – Hardwood Grading Levels: Does the grade affect the quality? ![]()
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