Are there different grades of wood flooring?
There are different grades of domestic wood flooring depending on the kind of wood being used. Hardwood is visually graded so the higher grades are more even in color and longer lengths on average. Each species of wood also has rustic and character grades which are at the bottom of the grading. The lower grades also have a larger acceptance for milling defects so more wood will not be able to be installed and therefore a larger percent of waist will need to be considered. In the higher grades 5% to 7% is usually ordered so the lower grades will be more than that. Wood Flooring Tip: It is up to the installer to determine if the individual board matches the grading of the floor. For Red Oak, White Oak, Ash, American Cherry, American Walnut, the grading is as follows (highest grade to lower grades): Clear Grade, Select Grade, #1 Common Grade, #2 Common Grade. For Maple, Pine, Hickory, the grading is as follows (highest grade to lower grades): 1st grade, 2nd grade, 3rd grade.
