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Advice

Discover everything you need to know about the different grades of wood flooring and how to choose the best one to fit your preferences.

Written by: Yarl Christie

Published on: March 31, 2020

What are the Different Wood Flooring Grades?

When you are choosing engineered wood or solid wood flooring, you will notice they mention different grades. If you are unfamiliar with wooden flooring, it can understandably be confusing trying to work out what these grades mean.

The manufacturer basically grades the floors according to their appearance. Several features are considered, such as colour variation, the amount of sap featured, and the size of the knots in the wood. By understanding the different grades, it allows you to choose the best one to suit your home.

What are the Different Wood Flooring Grades?

Here, you will discover everything you need to know about the different grades and how to choose the best one to fit your preferences. So, what are the different wood floor grades?

Prime Grade Wood Finish

Sometimes referred to as AB-high grade, Prime grade is the highest quality grade of flooring you can invest in. It is taken from the middle of the log, which means there are very few imperfections to be found. This produces a flawless, uniform finish once the floor has been installed. It also features very little shading and minimal sap wood.

Select Grade Wood Finish

The second highest wood grade, Select floors are very similar to Prime grade floors. This is because they largely contain Prime grade planks, mixed with other planks that feature small imperfections. They provide a little more shading and sap wood, and each pack tends to differ very slightly from the next. These floors are also sometimes referred to as ABC grade.

Natural Grade Wood Finish

Natural grade floors benefit from a beautiful, authentic design. They feature knots, sap wood and a greater variety of shading. You will find these floors boast a lot of character, though some will appear smoother than others. This is because the manufacturer will sometimes use a wood filler to repair any holes which naturally occur in the wood. This grade is also referred to as ABCD.

Rustic Grade Wood Finish

If you are looking for a floor with tonnes of character, rustic grade flooring is ideal. It provides the largest number of imperfections, creating a stand-out, striking appearance. These floors produce a more vintage style, featuring a much more noticeable colour variation between planks.

Different Wood flooring Grade Conclusion

When choosing a wooden floor for the home or business, it is important to consider the grade. This will ultimately affect how the floor looks once it has been installed. The above is just a brief description of the different grades and what they mean. Why not compare our various grade wood floors here to see how they differ?

About The Author

Yarl Christie

Yarl is the Managing Director of Stories Flooring. started his career in the flooring industry by becoming a floor fitter at the age of 18 (2004). Yarl finally decided to move with the times and set up an online flooring store (Flooring Yorkshire, 2018). He works closely with the business managers and resource team to source new products from wholesalers, which in turn brings down the sale price. This enables Stories Flooring to be one of the leading UK flooring retailers.