GUIDE TO HARDWOOD FLOORING GRADES

OAK FLOORING GRADING RULES

A FLOORING PRODUCT OF MOSTLY HEARTWOOD WITH A MINIMUM NUMBER OF CHARACTER MARKS AND DISCOLORATION, PROVIDING A UNIFORM APPEARANCE WHILE ALLOWING FOR ALL HEARTWOOD NATURAL COLOR VARIATIONS WILL ADMIT THE FOLLOWING:

3/8” BRIGHT SAPWOOD ENTIRE LENGTH OF STRIP OR EQUIVALENT IF NOT EXTENDING FURTHER THAN 1” FOR 1/3 LENGTH OF PIECE;  SMALL BURLS AND FINE PIN WORM HOLES;  AND EQUIVALENT CHARACTERS SUCH AS SMALL TIGHT CHECKS;  IN THE ABSENCE OF THESE,  ONE THIN BROWN STREAK 3” LONG TO BE ALLOWED EVERY 6”.

 STANDARD PACKAGING – BUNDLES TO BE 1-1/4’ AND LONGER;  AVERAGE LENGTH, BUNDLED OR NESTED, 3-3/4’ .

SHORTER  PACKAGING – AVERAGE LENGTH FOR 7’ AND SHORTER PACKAGES, NESTED OR OTHERWISE, 3-1/2’ .

A FLOORING PRODUCT WITH COLORATION VARIATIONS PRODUCED BY DIFFERENCES OF NATURAL HEART-

WOOD AND SAPWOOD, ALONG WITH CHARACTERS DESCRIBED.

THE FACE MAY CONTAIN:

UNLIMITED SOUND SAPWOOD;  SLIGHT IMPERFECTIONS IN MILLING;  A SMALL TIGHT KNOT EVERY 3’;  PIN WORM HOLES ; BURLS AND A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF SLIGHTLY OPEN CHECKS.  BROWN STREAKS SHOULD NOT EXTEND THE ENTIRE LENGTH OF THE PIECE.  TWO FLAG WORM HOLES EVERY 8’ ARE PERMITTED.  SLIGHT IMPERFECTIONS IS FACE WORK ( TORN GRAIN ) ADMITTED.  AN INTERMITTENT, BROWN MACHINE BURN ACROSS THE FACE NOT EXCEEDING ¼” WIDTH ADMITTED.  ALSO, A SLIGHT QUANTITY OF BARK ON THE BACK OR SIDES ADMITTED.  WILL ADMIT PIECES WITH 1/2  TONGUE.  SPOT FILLING IS GENERALLY REQUIRED FOR OPEN CHARACTERS.

STANDARD PACKAGING – BUNDLES TO BE 1-1/4’ AND LONGER;  AVERAGE LENGTH, BUNDLED OR NESTED, 3-1/4’.

SHORTER PACKAGING – AVERAGE LENGTH FOR 7’ AND SHORTER PACKAGES,  NESTED OR OTHERWISE, 3’.

A FLOORING PRODUCT WHICH CONTAINS PROMINENT  VARIATIONS IN COLORATION AND VARYING

CHARACTERS.

THE FOLLOWING ARE NOT ADMITTED:

BROKEN KNOTS OVER 1/2" IN DIAMETER, LARGE GRUB WORM HOLES, AND SPLITS EXTENDING THROUGH THE PIECE.  OPEN CHARACTERS SUCH AS CHECKS AND KNOT HOLES ARE ADMITTED BUT MUST BE SOUND AND READILY FILL.  NOT MORE THAN 20” SCANT STOCK IN THICKNESS ALLOWED TO EVERY 5 FEET. MINOR IMPERFECTIONS IN MATCHING PERMITTED.  SHALL ADMIT STICKER STAIN;  VARYING WOOD CHARACTERISTICS,  SUCH AS FLAG WORM HOLES,  HEAVY STREAKS,  CHECKS,  AND WORM HOLES;  AND AN OCCASIONAL DARK MACHINE BURN ACROSS THE  FACE NOT EXCEEDING 1/2" WIDE, 1/64” DEEP AND NOT MORE THAN TWO EACH 3’.  ¼ TONGUE ALLOWED.  EXTREMELY DARK PIECES ARE NOT TO BE INCLUDED.

STANDARD PACKAGING – BUNDLES TO BE 1-1/4’ AND LONGER;  AVERAGE LENGTH,  BUNDLED OR NESTED,  2-3/4’.

SHORTER PACKAGING – AVERAGE LENGTH FOR 7’ AND SHORTER PACKAGES,  NESTED OR OTHERWISE, 2-1/2’.

MAY CONTAIN SOUND NATURAL VARIATIONS OF THE FOREST PRODUCT AND MANUFACTURING IMPERFECTIONS.  THE PURPOSE OF THIS GRADE IS TO FURNISH A FLOOR SUITABLE FOR HOMES, GENERAL  UTILITY USE , OR WHERE CHARACTER MARKS AND CONTRASTING APPEARANCE ARE DESIRED.

THE FOLLOWING ARE NOT ADMITTED:

SHATTERED OR ROTTEN ENDS,  LARGE BROKEN KNOTS,  EXCESSIVE BAD MILLWORK, SHAKE, ADVANCED ROT,  AND SIMILAR  UNSOUND DEFECTS .  DARK MACHINE BURNS EXCEEDING 3/64”  DEEP NOT ADMITTED.  KNOT HOLES AND OPEN CHARACTERS WHICH WILL READILY FILL  ARE ADMITTED .  A LIMITED NUMBER OF PIECES WITH NO TONGUE WHICH MAY BE FACE

NAILED ARE ADMITTED.

STANDARD PACKAGING – BUNDLES TO BE 1-1/4’ AND LONGER;  AVERAGE LENGTH,  BUNDLES OR NESTED,  2-1/4’.

SHORTER PACKAGING – AVERAGE LENGTH FOR 7’ AND SHORTER PACKAGES,  NESTED OR OTHERWISE, 2’.