WOOD FLOOR GRADING
When it comes to wood flooring, grades are a key part of the decision making process. They define the extent and size of naturally occurring features such as knots, splits and colour variation that influence how the finished floor will look. Understanding the grade of wood floor that you are buying and what that means is crucial if you are to end up with a floor that looks the way that you want.
As there is no universal grading system for wood flooring each manufacturer has to define their own and often grades with the same name can look quite different, so you have to look at the technical detail to make sure you are comparing like with like.
Broadleaf have our own distinctive names for our wood flooring grades to avoid this and you will find full details of them along with illustrative images in our Classic Collection, where they can also be purchased as unfinished wood floors. We have more grades than most so that we can offer more tightly defined styles and better aesthetic choice. Also, as a manufacturer we can offer all of our finishes in a choice of grades so you can have the finish you want in whichever one you prefer.
As well as the grade of the timber, the way a wood floor is fitted and the finished will also impact the extent of natural variation that you will see once it is laid.
THE ROLE OF THE FITTER IN GRADING
For the best results it is crucial that whoever is fitting your wood floor understands the grade you have chosen and its expected characteristics so that they can distribute any natural variation to its best advantage and use the normal wastage allowance to optimise the grade.
This is also important as any query on the grade of a delivered floor must be raised prior to installation as once the floor has been laid this is considered to have been accepted.
HOW FINISH IMPACTS GRADE
When it comes to aesthetics, finish can also be a key contributor to how a grade of wood flooring looks.
Some finishes will simply reflect the natural variation of the timber beneath, some will accentuate it and some will play it down. A white finish on a Cottage grade board for example will highlight knots and darker grain whereas one in a mid brown tone will blend with them. As a result is that the floor with the white finish would look more rustic even though the timber beneath was the same grade in both cases.
LET US HELP YOU CHOOSE THE RIGHT GRADE
If you are looking to achieve a particular aesthetic do let us know, and we'll be happy to advise you on the most suitable grade in the context of your preferred finish. You will find plenty of generous displays in our showrooms to help you understand how different grades will look in situ.
