Does Bruce Hardwood Flooring Have Grades
Hardwood flooring especially solid hardwood expands and contracts when subject to environmental changes.
Does bruce hardwood flooring have grades. Are graded according to standards originally laid out by the national oak flooring manufacturers association nofma to help create consistency in the quality of oak flooring in the u s. One side of the board has a tongue and the other has a groove. You want this expansion contraction to occur before the flooring is measured nailed stapled and glued to reduce the possibility of. In chapter 2 we ll learn more about how the grading system works and compare the four lumber grades.
The grade of a wood floor does not refer to the quality of the wood although a higher price tag is often attached to higher grades of wood nor does it concern the durability of the flooring. The 1 reason hardwood installation fails is a dimensional change in the flooring after installation. Solid hardwood floor planks are made with a tongue and groove edge locking method which makes it easy to join the planks together and make a strong joint. Take a look at this article on flooring hardness and the janka test for more info on the density and durability of different wood species.
The national wood flooring association nwfa uses a standard lumber grading system that assesses how much variation in natural color and character the unfinished flooring has. One of the advantages of solid construction is that most 3 4 thick solid wood floors have about 1 4 or 6. The people who created the grading system nofma do not consider quality to be a factor that differs throughout the different grades although many installers and contractors would beg to differ. Almost all boards sold for hardwood flooring in the u s.
Among the many qualities that influence the appearance of any particular hardwood flooring is the grade of the wood. The bruce solid hardwood collection is massive with around 190 products. The majority of their solid hardwood flooring lineup consists of red oak or white oak but maple and hickory are options in some collections as well. There are shades ranging from white to beige and five types of domestic woods to choose from.