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Species & Grade Guide
Listed here are the different grades of flooring that we manufacture out of the various species of trees. Use this as a reference guide to find out exactly what the specifications are for a particular species and grade.
Yellow Birch Flooring Grade Description
Yellow Birch is a strong, heavy and durable wood. Colour ranges from creamy white sapwood to reddish brown heartwood. This combination of colour provides a warm country effect. Yellow Birch withstands wear and abrasion very well and has an attractive finish.
Select & Better Grade: This is the highest standard grade. It shall have a face practically free of defects, but the natural colour of the sapwood shall not be considered a defect. The floor will be consistently blonde in colour.
This grade will admit:
- Only Sapwood with no heart wood or stain
- Natural colour variations of the sapwood
- Slightly torn grain, or any similar defect which can be readily removed by ordinary sanding
- Lengths range from 22" - 7', with an average length between 3 ½' - 4'
#1 Common: This grade provides a floor with varying wood characteristics and colours. It includes distinct colour variations, numerous streaks, sound ( not open ) pin knots.
This grade will admit:
- Sound pin knots and distinct colour variations
- Unlimited Heartwood
- Shallow or waney back allowed if that piece of flooring has sufficient bearing of full thickness to support the floor.
- Lengths range from 13" - 7' with an average length between 3' - 3 ½'
Cherry Birch Grade:This grade provides a floor containing 90% to 100% heartwood birch on each piece of flooring. The grade allows up to 10% sapwood on each piece of flooring. The flooring may also contain sound ( not open ) pin knots. The floor will be consistently reddish - brown in colour and will contain natural heartwood colour variations.
This grade will admit:
- Sound pin knots
- Shallow or waney back allowed if that piece of flooring has sufficient bearing of full thickness to support the floor.
- Lengths range from 13" - 7' with an average length between 3' - 3 ½'
Red Oak Flooring Grade Description
Northern Red Oak has a pronounced open grain and features rich colour variation and attractive patterns and textures. Oak has long been a popular flooring material.
Select & Better Grade: This is the highest standard grade. It shall have a face practically free of defects. Varying natural colour of the heartwood shall not be considered a defect, the grade may also contain small quantities of sapwood but the overall look of the floor will be consistent in colour.
This grade will admit:
- Less than 5% sapwood
- Natural colour variations of the heartwood
- Slightly torn grain, or any similar defect which can be readily removed by ordinary sanding
- Lengths range from 22" - 7', with an average length between 3 ½' - 4'
#1 Common Grade: This grade provides a floor with varying wood characteristics, scattered pinworm holes, tight ( not open ) pin knots, natural discolorations of the wood, and black streaks prevalent in the species.
This grade will admit:
- Sound tight pin knots and distinct natural colour variations
- Heavy streaks, pinworm holes, sound tight pin knots
- Light Sapwood
- May contain tight checks not over 2" long
- Shallow or waney back allowed if that piece of flooring has sufficient bearing of full thickness to support the floor.
- Lengths range from 13" - 7' with an average length between 3' - 3 ½'
Hard Maple Flooring Grade Description
Northern Hard Maple is a dense, remarkably hard and durable wood. It is close-grained and can contain bird’s eye or curly grain. The sapwood is brilliant white while the heartwood ranges from light to dark brown. Hard Maple is popular for commercial venues such as bowling alleys and gym floors due to its wearability and resistance to denting.
First Grade: This is the highest standard grade. It shall have a face practically free of defects, but the natural colour of the wood shall not be considered a defect. The floor will be consistently blonde in colour.
This grade will admit:
- Only Sapwood with no heart wood or stain
- Natural colour variations of the sapwood
- Occasional mineral streaks not over 2mm wide x 5mm long
- Bird’s eyes and small burl’s, slightly torn grain, or any similar defect which can be readily removed by ordinary sanding
- Lengths range from 22" - 7', with an average length between 3 ½' - 4'
Second & Better: This grade provides a floor with varying wood characteristics and colours. It includes distinct colour variations, numerous streaks, discoloured sapwood and sound ( not open) pin knots.
This grade will admit:
- Sound tight pin knots and distinct colour variations
- Mineral streaks not exceeding 3" in length
- Light Heartwood, not to exceed 25% of any one piece of flooring.
- Shallow or waney back allowed if that piece of flooring has sufficient bearing of full thickness to support the floor.
- Lengths range from 13" - 7' with an average length between 3' - 3 ½'
Second Grade: This floor will be of such character as it will lay well and give a good serviceable floor. The grade is a combination containing 60% Second & Better Grade and 40% Third Grade Flooring. The average length will be about 3'.
Third Grade: This grade provides a floor with good wearing quality at a reasonable cost. The grade allows all variations of heartwood and sapwood, giving the floor a "rustic" look. The floor will contain unlimited amounts of heartwood. The floor will contain all defects common to Maple. Pieces with 1/4 full tongue admitted.
This grade will not admit:
- Sound knots over 3/8" in diameter, or any open knots.
- Voids on ends or edges
- Heart checks or badly split ends or imperfections in manufacture which would impair the serviceability of the floor.
- Lengths range from 13" - 7' with an average length between 2 ½' - 3'
White Ash Flooring Grade Descriptions
White Ash is lighter in colour and weight than Northern Red Oak but it has a similar open grained pattern. The sapwood is very white but colours to a rich honey with age and the heartwood ranges from light to dark brown. Ash is slightly harder and more stable than Northern Red Oak.
Select & Better Grade: This is the highest standard grade. It shall have a face practically free of defects, but the natural colour of the wood shall not be considered a defect. The floor will be consistently blonde in colour.
This grade will admit:
- Only Sapwood with no heart wood or stain
- Natural colour variations of the sapwood
- Slightly torn grain, or any similar defect which can be readily removed by ordinary sanding
- Lengths range from 22" - 7', with an average length between 3 ½' - 4'
#2 & Better Grade: This grade provides a floor with varying wood characteristics and colours. It includes distinct colour variations, numerous streaks, sound ( not open ) pin knots.
This grade will admit:
- Sound tight knots and distinct colour variations
- Unlimited Heartwood and mineral streaks
- Shallow or waney back allowed if that piece of flooring has sufficient bearing of full thickness to support the floor.
- Lengths range from 13" - 7' with an average length between 3' - 3 ½'
Black Walnut Flooring Grade Description
Black Walnut is a well known moderately hard and heavy dark hardwood. The grain is mostly straight and open with some burl or curly figure. Our lumber is steamed to bleed the darker heartwood color into the sapwood, resulting in a uniform deep chocolate color.
Select / Nature
This grade will admit:
- Only well steamed blended heart/sapwood.
- Consistent colour across the board
- Slightly torn grain, or any similar defect which can be readily removed by ordinary sanding
- Average lengths about 4 - 5 feet depending on stock
Country
This grade will admit:
- Any residual sapwood or light tan colour
- Pinknots or other natural characteristics of the species
- Average lengths about 4 - 5 feet depending on stock
Black Cherry Flooring Grade Description
The heartwood of Black Cherry is prized for its lustrous dark reddish brown colour. Black Cherry is 26% softer than Red Oak with fine, often wavy grain.
Select / Nature
This grade will admit:
- Consistent heartwood colour across the board
- Slightly torn grain, or any similar defect which can be readily removed by ordinary sanding
- Average lengths about 4 - 5 feet depending on stock
Country
This grade will admit:
- Any sapwood or light tan colour produced
- Small gum pockets and other natural characteristics of the species
- Average lengths about 4 - 5 feet depending on stock
Honduras Pitch Pine Flooring Grade Description
Honduras Pitch Pine is a very hard Softwood, in fact it is harder than Black Cherry or Black Walnut which are hardwoods commonly used for flooring. Honduras Pitch Pine is three times as hard as Eastern White Pine, which grows in Nova Scotia. The grain pattern is straight, the sapwood varies from yellowish to brown and the heartwood is reddish brown.
Select Grade
This grade will admit:
- Any sapwood.
- No knots.
- Lengths 3 - 8 feet with an average length of 6 feet.
Country Grade
This grade will admit:
- Colour variation between the sapwood and the heartwood.
- Sound knots. No open knots.
- Pitch pockets, which are small, darkish resinous spots.
- Lengths 3 - 8 feet with an average length of 6 feet.
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