Hardwoods

We all want to see value with any purchase we make; wood flooring from a reliable source can be one of the best and most beautiful investments made to your home. Customers’ expectations can be vastly different. Some people like uniform coloration within the floor, others like a lot of color variation, some do not like knots and/or pinholes, some think this adds beauty. Quality differences between all the flooring available can be great depending on the type and grade of wood flooring purchased and who manufactured the flooring.

Commonly the consumer is under the assumption that their new hardwood flooring will look exactly like the small sample they saw at the flooring store, this is not always true. Wood, as we all know, is a “Product of Nature.” Each individual board is like a fingerprint; no two are exactly a like. Raw wood has natural varied graining, color variations, and character such as knots, pinholes and mineral (darker) streaks. Different wood species and the region of the country they are grown lend their own characteristics; this is what makes wood so appealing.

When hardwood lumber is cut from the forest it is segregated by grades (appearance and clarity within the graining). There can be 4-6 different grades of wood. The very finest, most expensive wood with a lot of clarity and uniformity in color is usually gobbled up by very high-end furniture companies. The other lower costing grades are then purchased by others, including the flooring industry. Different flooring manufacturers will purchase these lower grades with respect to the cost, quality and/or grading they want their flooring to be.